American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-04-05

and more from the National Government.
For five years they have not thought oi
Washington except to curse her. They
have not felt the need of it. They have
not felt any blood running through them
that came from the national heart. 1t
proposed to make them live five years
more out Of the Union. Is that the way
to make them love it Is that the way
to make them feel their need Of the Gov.
ernmentg
The utmost evil in admitting them
that can result will be that we shall be
obliged tc take longer time to do some
things which now we mean to do BY leg
islstion. Many Of the things which we
seek to accomplish by moral means. l
have seen this anxiety to do everything
by legislation, Legislation. Legislation.
waiting for it, and l have seen the pow
er of great moral causes. Although
there is ! wisdom in legislation which I
would be far from inyali dating. the forms
of wholesome legislation, still I would
balance that by the other consideration,
that it may take loo long Time, and we
may rely too much upon legislation. ]
rely upon reason and conscience. Church
es are py congresses. and school houses
are my Legislators. Kindness-equal, re-
ciprocal or identical interest-these are
renovating influences.
will now glance at the state of feeling
in the South. When we consider what
they have suffered. who they were that
suffered when consider where they
started from and where they brought up
when consider the whole history of the
case. the state of public feeling South is
far more peaceful than we could expect.
It is bad enough but far better than we
could expect. Letter writer's. travellers,
say RECONSTRUCTED South. y"a nice con-
dition the South is il to be reconstructed"
They are our bitter eamies they gnash
their teeth and ali. l wonder if you think
that after you soundly whip a man that
he is going to thank you for It. Do you
suppose that Gen. Lee when he surrend
cred should have thrown bis hands round
Gen. Grants neck and thanked him for
whipping him and compelling him 10 sur.
render or that Gen. Johnston should
have regarded Sherman MS his benefactor?
And should the South go upon its knees
when it sees Yankee, and say " God
bless you. Yankee. for all you have done
fol me ?" These men that talk thus do
net like the state Of feelirg at the South
The Yankees tell US that tho South is
rot it to be reconstructed. If you do
not take the South in till she heals her
wounds. you will not take, her in for
long lime 10 come Human nature does
not run this way. 1t is not question of
abstract justice it is practical question,
and you must decide according to known
law and to human nature.
7 know the South will feel sore They
believed in their cause, they were defeat
ed, and a greater disaster could not be-
fall them. They lost everything-mon-
ey, fame, ambition. character and all /;
deep glOon overhsngs them. and profound
sorrow oppresses them, and they are ex'
pecled to give evidence of thankfuluess
AM joy. They must 6rst have the hand
of kindness stretched to them. You must |
give them new hopes New business
will leed them to forget old graves new
will check old tears. Kindness
and business, that is what they want. l
hold no community can do better than
take the example Of Christ in this matter,
who. though pure and just. was the OBJ
iect Of all offense, the most forgiving and |
and who suffered rather than
we should suffer and as He was to US
let us Be to others. There is Christian
msgnanimity in it for wounds and woe
that no other medicine will touch. Il is
asked, Why not leave them out till they
learn better For the same reason that
the father and the mother do not throw
The rebellious son out Of doors and expel
him ill be learns. No. but bJ kindness.
and love and BY patience, they endeavor
10 reiuspire him with hope they open
anew the spent fountains of virtue. and he
S again taken into the family.
am asked il l would take a man into
ny church knowing him to be sinner.
Il didn't take them in while they were !
'till sinners | wouldn't have enough in the
,harch to say I'VE" take the sinner
u to reform him. II they do not want
forgiveness and patience don't know
what need they would have for a church
at all. would let them walk or their
own legs-lhrow away the cruiches and
ordinances of church. The South wants
words of grsciousness ard truth. i
They mead no natronizino hu. n eed fra