The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-02-05
he south Through Northern speetaoles'

viewed by Northern men-at !easG ston y, 10 cI 70
Who travel among US and write letters oach o,' ~
their papers-we publish the following p.,oi rn.
This letter clearly exhibits decloeu ;rnc -,
to his statements; while at the same tllne iio 81
dsposition to deal fairly with the Son1h 80 .ar
he is capable of understanding u.s. Inc ~
sent from Richmond to the NJ iaS .he,,, fccl;nm
90 far n correct opinion of Southern lceilie
- slnost m absolute impossibity, for 1t IS a; as
rhanpeable as the coast tide, now running iiSu
over the grounds Of loyalty, ana q paiii d6 iooeu6
To the dark ocean of treason: Much oepenus
npon the person seekng 70 .,o Io'o roono bore arc
ou, sora on matters connected with the history
of the past five years, and-tneir bearing on t5o
1,resent Commence your INQUIRIES VIII tne
word rebel, and ten to one you VIII ma yourseii
Confederate or Southerner, you will nearly al.
vays discover conservative opinions. Speak of
Mr.. Sumner or Thad. Stevens, and you will be
overwhelmed with an avalanche OF eIp!etIves
denouncing the whole North as blood-thirsty
yiolaters Of the Constitution; which, however, Is
readily, changed to commendation, and advances
toward Cancellation by the mere mention of Pres
jdent Johnson and his bene6cent policy a
&C Red Republican % is greeted here with exhibi-
lions Of disloyalty, engendered by dislike; but n
supporter of the President will find bona tide evi-
dences of contrary condition, and it Is most
always kindly received. President Lncoln's name
is rarely mentioned here, and haveinever heard
it brought forward in disrespectful manner by
sober man. The Emancipation Proclamation, the
Freedmens Bureau, and other concomitants OF
the war elicit various phases of wrath and praise
but there is always qualification OF SUBMISSION
to the will of the ''powers that be-" Gen. Grant
is respected with . respect different from that
which is rendered as homage to q successful man.
for he is considered magnanimous conqueror,
who has been consistent in his magnanimity from
the surrender of Lee up to the present tlme
Jeff Davis and other leaders of the rebellion arc
looked upon in different light by different people;
but the desire for their unconditional pardon Is
almost unanimous Lee, Johnston and Stonewall
Jackson are loved by the entire people, and tho
latter is always spoken of as true representative
man of the South. -
The number of original Union men in Virginia
is claimed to have been large; but it is certain
that the number who stood out for their princi-
ples to tho bitter end was insignificant, and dd
not include much Of the State. 1t is said that
Virginia honestly tried to act the part Of mediator
nj the commencement of the struggle, and that
the great majority OF her citizens reluctantly cit
tho Union, when forced out by the first call Tor
troops This Same statement Is to be heard IN
eyery Southern State cast OF the Mississippi, eX-
cept South Carolina, and in all those States it will
be seen that the simon pure Unonists arc hated,
more or less, by those who engaged III the war
All praise to tho staunch and true, though few
they are who suffered for their principles, as the
Unionists in the South only have suffered and it s
their great misfortune that they were not able to
keep control of their State governments. As
it is they have been set aside, and the majority
who now have tho upper hand treat them with
bitterness and rancor OF feeling which would
naturally lead an observer to the belief that they
are criminals. But this treatment OF Union mon
is Influenced more by personal enmlty than any
thing else, and has but little bearing as regards
the principles of the victims. There are, most as
suredly, those who are inclined to prosecute
Onion men on account OF their loyalty, but they
are few in numbers, and are, for the most part,
contemplate, hot-headed fanatics, who have but
q small influence. In short, the war men OF the
South are jealous Of the native Union men because
they were not whipped with them, and the ma
jority seem to have an idea that they were era
Yen-hearted, when, in fact, it required more true
courage to breast the tide of public opinion than
to 60 with it.
North to suppose that because man has bcen
rebel he is one now. Unwittingly, many good
men do violence to common humanity by such
hasty Judgment. Because man has lost q law
suit, there is no reaeon why he should not submit
to the decision of the court: Although he may
think that the decision is unjust, he will, II nc Is
not fanatic, acquiesce, and grin and bear his
supposed wrongs. So it is in the South. ALI, ex-
cept the fanatics are obedient to the will of the
Government, and the overpowering decision Of the
arbitrament Of arms. I do not pretend to say that
the so-called principles of the rebellion have been
whipped out Of the minds Of the people, for such
thing is impossible. Their convictions as to
right and wrong remain undsturbed and
ing States Rights, think that the opinions enter
tanned by the thinking masses previous to the war
stin predomnate in their minds; but do not
hesitate to predict that the majority are willing to
abandon them in the future as matters finally ad,
Indicated by the war, and that no attempt Will
ever again be made, based on the doctrine OF Sc
cession, for any object whatever. Regarding the
freedman, the people Of the South have tried, and
probably will continue to try, to secure as much
power over them as they can, and in doing so Will,
,lotn and mr.
haps oppressive laws, therein following IN exam
ole prominently brought before them in the far
fetched theorizing OF the upholders OF the terrific
rial theory. Nevertheless there is liberal spirit,
generated by pity for the unfortunate freedmen, |
which will always oppose itself against injustice
toward them, and attempt to advance and allevl- |
ate their condition.
regarding the rebellion the reconstructed: par |
ticiLalts see nothing in it which they are ashamed
Of so far as mere fighting is concerned; but they
take pains to cover up and palliate the dark spots
Of the record. The burning OF Richmond, the
dsgraceful horrors of Andersonville, Belle Island
and Libby Prison arc subjects rarely talked OF,
and although there was generally, expressed
sympathy throughout the whole South for Wirz |
when he was executed, it requires no great
amount II discernment to SEQ that, if tho execu-
tion had not cast dscredit upon their lost cause,
the pc )plo would have unanimously applauded
it, tt, trial of Davis is particularly obnoxious
to them, because it will unearth the shameful im
becility and cruelty Of their attempted govern
ment. There is but little sympathy for him as
man, but as tile representative OF their defuDc1
Confederacy, they will dislike to see him held to
account for the treason in which they were par
tioipants
The fact that tho people Of tho South have, by
their failure in what they arc pleased to style tho
revolution" become criminals in the sight of the
law is humiliating, and the natural sequence of
their criminaity- application for pardon--is q
blow to their pride, from which they nre slowly
recovering The anxiety to obtain pardons, how
ever, is somewhat abated by the uncertain condi-
ton in which the Southern States find themselves
since the meeting of Congress. Tho future, po-
Htically speaking, Of the South, is undoubtedly
clouded, and exerts III influence which is anything
but conducive to restoration, by fostering the
feeling Of despondeacy produced by the termi-