Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-08-30
southern views of the Philadelphia
Convention.

The Southern papers are not satlsned
with the Philadelphia Convention adj
dress and resolutions. 1t appears from
the correspondence OF the New York
Times that the address, as prepared by
Mr.. RAYMOND, was changed somewhat
in committee before going before the
Convention, the changes being made Tor
the purpose OF "rasping one or Two
rough edges" But enough was lett TO
rasp terribly the feelings OF the delicate
" sensitive ex.reb,lS. The address, say
thew. assumes that the Federal Govern
ment acted ON the defensive in the war
and was not the assailant it assumes
that the war was a rebellion and they
were rebels; IL assumes that the
" rebels" were in the wrong and should,
and do. now feel repentant all which
they Indignantly deny. 1t was the Fed
eral Government that was the aggres-
sor, the assailant, the oppressor and is
solely responsible for the war it was
4 tLeu lthe aggrieved Southerners) who
acted in Self-detense what call is there,
4 then, for them to feel contritiou for what
they nave done They Spurn the base
assumption. If Southern loyalty aud
repentance are visible In this TO Andrew
4 Johnson and his Northern followers,
& their vision must be OF that extraordi-
4 nary kind which can see precious jewels
4 in toad's head. To ordinary eyes the
& disloyalty displayed by these Southern
journals, which reflect the sentiments of
4 their readers, is as rampant as in the
most fiourishing days of rebeldom. The
Richmond Enquirer, the leading paper
OF Virginia, spurns the Philadelphia re-
solutions with great earnestness, and it
says in regard to the address
at is indeed impossible to read many
parts of the address of Mr.. Raymond
and remember that it claims to have
Southern Endorsement. without deep
Indignation. Whatever he may think
the Southern people at least repel and
spurn the charge that they are rebels
or insurgents They deny, TOO, that
the Federal government was on the dc
fensive, and was not the 0SSa2aHt in the
war. They deny, aud at the stake would
not admit, that they were eoaStitatiohalll
warred upon. They deny many othel
ayerments and dogmas of the resolutions
and address and Mr.. Raymond knew
they did and our delegates knew it too
Why then press these things upon us io
adoption ? Why offend us too, as il
some instances, by aSking as to formal!
concur in propositions which could no
but infringe on our sensibilities an(
why thrust terms and expressions int
our own mouths that we cannot but re
gard as indignities ? Nothing is left u
but to Spet0 them ="
The Richmond Wing thinks it impo
little to discuss the subject freely now a
the South, but it cannot avoid "singl
remark" which in fact covers the Who'll
ground. It says:
"a single remark, however, we do no
consider ourselves at liberty, in candO
and honor, to refrain from making, !
is this That, in so far as the addres
assumes that the people of the South ar
Responsible for the war, that the wa
was a rebellion, that they are dispose
to acknowledge culpability md contr
Zion, that the Federal Government acte
in selfdefense and under the COnstitr
zion, &c, It assumes schat the people Of II
South do not bel,ere o. feel to be true, en-
phat therefore, they hare no thought Of aInt
fsng."
But the Richmond Times, while it r,
ects the'assumptions of the PHILADELPHIA
address, sees light ahead. 1t begs il
Southern contemporaries to keep shad
for the present, for says this paper
"The President has formally adopte
the new party as the AdministratiC
party and has placed himself at its hea
with the assurance of all the aid an
support which his great office con
mands. This party is now fighting
great battle, and, if it triumphs, the be
fruits of it's victories will be ours. If,
The fall elections, they crush and annih
late the reyolutioniStS the honor and p
iitiCal rights of the South will be forev,
secure and we shall once more beCon
the peers and equals OF the triumphal
section in every department of the go
ernment.'
While, then, these Southerners are
unrepentant and as rebellious as eve
they propose according to the Time
counsel, which will undoubtedly prevail
TO encourage the my policy party
1ght "great battle" for them at Il
North. "If it triunphs, say they, Il
| best fruits OF its victories will be osyt
| In other words, "it will help US Sout
| erners to get control of the governme
| again and then we can take care of on
Selves and the North too"
Such is the sincere loyalty which is t
| fruit of my magnanimous policy"