New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-11
APATHY AND THE CAUSES.

Correspondents of radical journals, now travel
ing in the South in search Of items, anecdotes and
incidents, for political use must find the picking
rather poor. The severest quietude seems to
have settled down upon our whole section. Polit-
cal assemblies are seldom heard of political
essays are not favored among the readers Of news
papers; political changes arouse but o brief and
limited interest. The eyes of our people are not
turned towards the Federal capital, and but few
know what mischief the radicals are forging, or
what new constitutional amendments they are CON
coctings The burnt-out ironmonger might dictate
a law for the erection of guilotine at every
cross road in the South without causing the slight
est sensation. The fact is, our people are not in
terested in politics. They don't expect their sal
walton to come from the radical Congress, and
they have, therefore, given their attention to
affairs at home. If we listen to the conversation
Of little gatherings of merchants or planters, we
will seldom hear Congress spoken of, but each
tries to learn something that will promote the
prosperity of his own neighborhood or plantation.
The question with them is not as to how we are
to be governed, but how we are to live. They are
anxious to adopt means to supply the country with
food and clothing. They are intent on replacing
their lost animals their decayed fences their burnt
cOttongins, and upon reopeniBg to culture fields
overgroWn with weeds and bushes. They have for
gotten the names of Northern political celebrities
butnot those of the freedmen once their servants
whom they are endeayoring to gather up, employ
and protect. They care little what new State is
carved out of a Western Territory, to be linked in
the chain Of the Union; but il a new implement of
husbandry is spoken of they listen with intentness
With great fraternity of feeling the survivors of
the war inquire eagerly Of their friends as to their
welfare and progress, but they cannot be interested
in Federal politics. While, as journalists, are
in manner compelled to keep du courant with
political proceedings. in order that we may do jus
tce to our readers we are nevertheless fully sen,
sibe that at the present time little of politics
only is requisite to flavor the daily dish of news.
While we give what is necessary to be known on
all that class of subjects, confess that what
know will beread with apathy, and is often writ
ten with reluctance.
| One cause for this want of interest is the reac-
tionary result Of the excitement of five years of
war. After reading and talking only of armies,
marches, raids surprises sieges storms, routs and
bloody battles for so long PERIOD it is quite nat
ural that the humdrum of party politics and the
| palager Of speech makers should seem tame and
spiritess. 1t was predicted that, inasmuch as one
form of excitement is apt to follow another in
quick succession the cessation of hostilites would
be followed by general religious awakening, but
the prediction has been verified only to a modified
extent-the preceding excitement having been of
too long duration.
/ Another course of apathy is the low estimate
the Southern people place upon the men who COM
pose the ruling party, and of the leaders who
mould its form and guide its motions If the ruling
spirits Of the trembling party in the truncated
Congress of the fractional Union were such men
as have been in command of the Federal armie .
their vigor and solid sense would be certain to at.
tract attention. But it appears as if the radicals
had, by common consent, agreed to be represented
by men as moderate in capacity as they are ex-
trayagant in pretension. Where 50 much is said
in support Of even bad cause, it is matter of
surprise that there should be so few speeches
made that are good, or even readable. Through all
the multitudinous sea of a months debate we may
look in vain for speech that rises to the grade Of
respectable mediocrity. Agood degree of black
guard ingenuity is shown in the coming and fash
ioning of new epithets of abuse for the people of
the South and, sometimes, in fit of teapot
anger boisterous radical gives explosion to a
diatribe that would startle the assembled patrons
of grog shop but generally the record of de-
bates is dead stagnaut level of somniferous
stoHdity.
A third cause-perhaps principal one-is the