The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-06-01
Mr.. Martindale's Letter.

sion pointed out the utter lack on anything
like sagacity in its author. His proposition
is purely Utopian, and if put into operation
would produce confusion worse confoun-
died."
Craftsmanship deals with facts; it never
endeavours to adjust these to abstract theories;
deals with circumstances and human nature
as they are-not as they should, would, could,
nor might be. An illustration of practical
craftsmanship is not to be expected from the
present Congress, and we have long since
abandoned the thought of looking to those
two sumptuous Halls at Washington for any,
thing of the kind. Now and then, however,
there are displays of sound sense made out
side of that great national debating club,
which show that there are members of the
dominant party who decline to link hands in
the frantic double shuttle, which our dearly
beloved Radical brethren are now dancing,
while the Chronicle and 1ribune--arcades
ambo-pat Juba and whistle "John Browns
soul is marching on" for the dancers. Among
pAOcO w uO oGSALnS tulo IduOduSO, WulCu WOulu
be laughable enough were it not for its resem-
bance to the Carmagnole, which was danced
in the bloody streets of Paris, the name of
Mr. Attorney General MARTINDALE of New
York, deserves honorable mention His let
ter 70 Senator SHERMAN is the very antithesis
Of Mr.. STEWARDS sham generosity and i'm
practicable plan and we speak of it to-day,
not only for the contrast it affords to the bar
ter and sale idea of STEWART, but to show
that wise and moderate counsellors are begin
ming to admonish Congress of its duty. We
regret that our limited space prevents us
from laying this manly and statesmanlike
document before our readers in ertenso for
no abstract or extracts can do justice to its
reasoning, or sentiment Mr.. MARTINDALE
he calls it, and he makes his uneasness at
the differences between Congress and the
President" the apology for his letter. He dis
cusses in it the so-called plan of reconstruc-
ton az
In commenting on this he says, speaking
Of the amiable idea of DISTINGUISHING us
No experiment is more perlous under a
popular Government like ours, than to sub
stitute the authority Ct copquest-subjuga-
tion-over one half of the country for the au-
thority of opinion. But the proposed plan
would compel the country to pass through
this extraordinary school of experience
and trial for a period of four years, during
which, for all practical purposes, the people
Of the States lately in rebellion would
be deprived of participation in the United
States Government, and the Northern States
would be launched on the untried and dan
gerous experiment Of governing their fellow
citizens throughout the South as the inhabi-
tants of conquered provinces.
The vast majority of Southern people en-
barked in the rebellion. They will certainly
direct and shape the public opinion there
They embarked in rebellion, under the strong
est convictions that they could not live with
US as united people. In my opinion, while
the institution of slavery continued to form
their habits and national character, they were
right in regarding the differences between us
as irreconciable and irrepressible.
Attributing to us this notwithstanding
the anxiety which we feel for separate
nationality-he points out that collision of
physical forces was that in which the ques-
ton sought its bloody solution; and now that
the war has been ended, he asks in terms
which show him to be man of feeling as
we'll as sense:
Is it impossible for US of the North to un-
derstand that the men of the South, who went
into the rebellion and fought us with the ut
,oak yooflu tboi pta
at stalker 0falI others they knew best what
they were fighting for, and the consequences
of victory, either way. When they surrendered
they knew they surrendered Slavery. There
are thousands of Southern soldiers who were
earnest and sincere in the war, and who if we
will let them, will be earnest and sincere in
submitting to the conditions of defeatso far as
defeat involved the abandonment of Slavery,
which was the cause of war.
1t is idle to ask for repentance, in addition
to submission. No earthly power can conn
mand it during this generation. To profess
it would be hypocrisy.
From this we see that Mr.. MARTINDALE is
prepared to deal with facts as he finds them,
and has no insane ambition to legislate for
ideal creatures.
The contrast to the Utopian, or rather bun
combe plan of STEWART and FooTE, is still
more marked, when he discusses the suffrage
question, which he does with vigor and ad-
dress He says
The wild and impetuous policy of universal
suffrage was not the policy of our fathers even
in regard to white men. With the rapidly
accommodating masses of men of foreign birth
in our large towns and cities, uneducated in
our language, system of Government, or forms
of society, shall the Constitution of the United
States be so amended as to render it impracti-
cable to impose intelligence qualification for