Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-10-19
WHAT Is THE MOTIVES a

We are unable to- perceive why thu
people constituting the Radical party o.
the North should desire the ruin of the
Southern people We can conceive o.
no motive at all creditable to human
nature that may plead Justification o.
feelings SO bitter as those entertained by
the victors of the North. Has not that
section the prestige, the Offices, the hon
ors, the glory2 Has it not the Govern
ment to WELD; and does it not WELD it
Constitution or no Constitution ? GRAM
is a hero, followed by ovations wher
ever he goes, while his great Antagonist
is in retirement, and under the ban o.
the Government, not daring to receive
homage, and scarcely to speak. The
chief of the Confederacy has been in
irons, and is now in dungeon awaiting
IA trial for his life. The once dreaded
South is no longer formidable. If the
PROSTATE section once controlled the
Government, it has now no part in ITS
administration. Without being heard, il
is commanded to obey. 1t has neither
money nor credit. Its lossesof properly
by the operations of war, amount 10
billions. The land is only left, and that,
having lost its value, is returning to the
wilderness. m qaFsh
But the South rebelled aud attempted
to destroy the Government Have not
the people, or part of them, of every
government on earth at some time or
other rebelled Is not every civilized
State indebted for the amelio-
ration, of its institutions to the spirit
of resistance, or actual resistance
to oppression2 Governments become
corrupt and tyrranical when the
people, from ignorance or other causes,
become careless Of their rights. Ger
tainly it is treason to oppose with arms
a government to which one owes allie
glance. But when that opposition rises
to the proportions Of war, the law of
nations declares that no treason attaches
to those who otherwise would be
insurgents. So it is in the case
of the South. Even BUTLER will
admit that , it is not proper to
hang eight millions Of people. But,
still, these people, the popular verdict
says, must be punished. 1t says more !
they must be ruined in fortune and rem
dered forever incapable Of asserting any
right to which they we're born. The peo.
pie of the South must bleed through
DAVIS and LEE. When the death pang
strikes their hearts, it must, sweeping
down the cord of sympathy, touch those
of the wholesSouthern race. w ra
On the plea Of interest, we look in
vain for UNSUITABLE motive for running
the South. Poor as we are, The little
cotton we have scraped together, has
gone to the North, and been returned in
the form of manufactured articles that
constitute the business and creates the
wealth and power of that section. But
the deficiency of production inevitable,
if the destructive policy prevails, will
cripple Northern enterprise and
power The more the South produces,
the more she can purchase. Is the
North satisfied with the present ability |
of the South TO produce? If so, we
must conclude that she has reached the |
highest point Of her prosperity and does |
not wish to go higher. This is not prob |
able 1t is more probable that her ven
geance blinds her to her interests, as it
does to the, nobler instincts of human
nature. go. san