The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-25

VIM. Moore, Abbeville c. H.
Julius Poppe, Anderson c. II.
Extremfsts, North and South.
: The following we take from the
New Orleans Times. 1t is piece Of
very vigorous writing, as we'll as
very sensible article:
1 We are all poor, erring, warning
creatures, led astray by passion and
prejudice, and seldom certain as to
our promises or our conclusions.
Some of us preach what we do not
practice, and others, knowing the
right, persistently pursue the wrong.
; Interest warps and tramples principle
into its own likeness, and prejudice,
with distorted vision, converts light
into darkness, and adds features of
monstrosity to the fairest forms.
Even the best of us have our failings,
our prejudices and our errors of
judgment; we see as through glass
darkly, and mistake our own blind
passions for inspiration. II in honest
self-communings we look into our
own hearts, we find enough to cen
sure and condemn. All around us
are the evidences of our failings,
thick as leaves in Vallambrosa.
Extending our view from indivi-
duals to communities, we find that the
general partakes of the qualities of
the particular, and that neither South
nor North, East nor West, can claim
immunity from the faiings common
L. @e
have had our wild Hotspur extremists,
who, giving the reins of judgment to
their passions, found "an excellent
plot" in secession, and if any one
hinted of doubt or danger in the pre-
misses, he was called ''a shallow, COW.
ardly hind" and ''lack-brain." The
peculiar institution was declared in
danger, and q revolution was neces
sary to save it. And so the revolu-
ton was precipitated, and the insti
tuition was saved with vengeance
Had the battle been fought in Con
gress, where Democratic majority
was fully organized in opposition tt
the policy and platform of the Aboli
tion party, slavery, either for good O.
i'll, would still have been in existenc,
throughout the South, and it would
have been impossible to effect its re
moval without the consent of tn
Southern States themselves. Bu
constitutional guarantees were un
wisely exchanged for those Of tn
sword and bayonet, and they, in tn
day of trial, proved to be but broker
reed.
Not only was slavery swept away il
an unnecessary and unwise attemp
to preserve it, but the savings Q
more than half century of prospe
rity we're also at the same time de
stroyed. Civil war among q peopl
such as ours is no child's play. Coun
up, if you can, the immense amoun
OF property given to the flames an
foods during our lustrum of civ
strife, and ask what we have secure
by way of Offset. Destruction i
ensy, compared with the cost an
trouble of building up, and whe
once it becomes privileged-whe
vengeance seizes the incendiar
torch-no bounds can be set to i,
ravages, no compassion can be ez
pected Of its agents.
/. Even now, though the sad const
quences of our struggle are plainl
apparent, we have still our tribe {
sectional extremists. who learn nc
thing and forget nothing, and exhib
their waspish bitterness, as if it we,
an act of high patriotism to mak
fools of themselves, and prelude
the interests Of their friends and rel;
tives. We have among us, indee,
types of both the Northern ali
Southern extremists-nen Of simp
idea, who get astride of hobby an
ride it rs witches do broom -sticl
or maniacs phantom. When a ma
ties himself down to extreme op
Mons, it is safe to conclude that he
either nm honest monomaniac or
pretentious hypocrite; as to tt
effect of his conduct on society,
matters very little which.
In the North, some of the e
tremest of extreme men are to
found in Congress. Let us take f
example the scholarly Sumner ar