Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-10

patic, T1LrOx, of the New York ILndpendsnt,
81 The rebels are more defiant now than three
9, months ago. The Southern country is at
Sc this very day more disturbed and unsafe to
"a q Northern man than at any time since LEES
"a surrender" This means, if it means any
thing, that the South was in repOse and full
filing all her duties to the Governments, until
radlcalism-the radicalism in Congress (Which
assembled about that time) undertook to
change the system that had produced these
good fruits. They planted thOrns, and now ex-
pect crop Of roses-they sowed dragons
death and expect all the virtues OF peace ana
fraternity. The truth is they were frightened
at the peaceful and loyal disposition manifested
at the South. 1t was precisely what they did
not want, and they determined, if possible, to
put an end to it, for it threatened to put an end
to them by quieting agitation. So they did
what NAPoLEON once advised his brother Jo-
instruction by insult and oppression, that a
pretext might be had for the infictiOn Of cruel
punishments. They preferred that the South
should continue rebellious, after it had been
stripped Of arms and all the means OF resis-
lance, and there was no danger of actual out
breaks, in order that its disafection might be
pleaded as an excuse for rigorous measures
Doing all they could to produce this result,
they have concluded that it has been produced.
They are determined to make it appear so
whether it is 80 or not.
There is one circumstance that inyalidates
the testimony Of all these witnesses. They
speak of the absence of all Union feeling among
SOutherners, when they at the same time con-
fess that they have had no association with
Southern people-the only satisfactory mode
Of ascertaining their sentiments and feelings.
They confess, too, that their information is, for
the most part, derived from the Union men "
of the South, meaning such scurvy creatures
as UNDERWOOD, who, tsbOoed by all respecta-
bic people in the South, know less even than
the Northern witnesses as to the people of the
South. The testimony of these so-called Union
men is worthless when offered by themselves
| by what magic is it rendered more valuable
when it comes secondhand through the TERRYs
! and others who have received it from them ?
This whole fabric of false testimony rests main
" upon the preiudiced statements of the So
called Union men OF the South, who want all
the offices, honOrs and emOluments; and who,
besides, fear (the base suggestion of conscious
guilt and cowardice) that in a reconciliation
between the North and the South they would
fall into contempt and obscurity. Honest wit
nesses have been misled by these men. The
true, honest, brave Union men are different
order of men from those Of whom we have spo-
ken. Their course has been as generous since
the close of the war as it was manly during its
continuance. There is the same difference be-
tween these two classes-the real honest Union
men of the South, who opposed secession on
principle, and the Union men, so-called, who
were spies during the war and aspire to be
hangmen since its close-that there is between
gold coin and its brass counterfeit.