The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-26
The South Misrepresented by her Own
Citizens,


admitted To representation in Congress, il
i important in the highest degree that
cycrv honest and conscientious southern
man should so act and live rs TO deprive
our enemies Of any apparent excuse for
our further injuries or our continued polti-
cal degradation!
The Radical party in the north, who per-
haps feel already that the reins Of domin- !
ION are slipping through their fingers, are |
more bitterly unscrupulous than ever before |
in adopting any plan that seems to favor the
attainment Of their cunning ends. They
cannot deny that the armies of the sonth
have been disbanded and paroled; they
canno, deny that the southern generals
are, for the mos, part, pursuing the careers
rf peaceful and humble citizens; they
cannot deny that the whole southern pco-
pie have sworn to bear true allegiance to
the United States, and that the southern
people have never broken their plighted
word but they must find pretext and an
excuse for their calumnies and SANDERS,
ana tbs prsteat and this crease is sometimes
,p,tapply ,fo'ud ia the conduct Of South
cne,S themselves.
The Radicals wish 10 prove that the
South are true to the letter, but systcma-
tically false TO the spirit of their pledges
They wish TO show that the spirit Of ere
bcllon" and "contumacy" still lives.
They assert that, as straw will show
which way the wind is blowing, SO. a word
or gesture upon the part of one or
dozen southern men will indicate the feel
iugs Of seven millions of people. The
slightest vestige Of fact is vanished and
colored, painted and decorated, until il
becomes All astounding event." and, not
satisfied with making mountains OF mole
hills, our northern friends" convert
careless word or idle speech into solemn
sign of the impending outbreak of another
storm of rebellion. If 4 worn and shat
tered Confederate soldier, inspired hy po-
talionS deep and strong, raises 4 luSty
cheer for Mr.. DAvIS-thc simple expression
Of a feeling of sympathy and pity for that
man who bears indignity and privation with
the fortitude of a stole and the patience OF
Christian--it is taken as a certain sign that
the south is still rcbcllouS. If a northern
man is led, willingly or unwillingly, into a
personal difficulty, and receives the same
southern man under similar circumstances,
il is taken a. proof at once that the life
Of northern man is not safe in the south ;
that his character and property are hourly
in jeopardy, and dependent on the capri
cious will Of a community OF nominally
reconstructed rebels" One man gives Il
tone TO the whole community: the faults
of a few are visited upon the heads of the
entire people. 1t is useless to argue or
plead against this feeling, Even now thou
sands of persons in the north believe that
the life of a northern man is daily impe-
riled in this city, and they believe firmly
that each one is liable to be blackguardcd,
threatened or killed, simply because he
had the misfortune 10 be born in the coun-
try beyond the banks of the broad Poto-
mac.
In this instance there is no need of phi
lanthropic writing or sentimental speaking,
and we are arguing for the plainest Of all
seif-interests. Capital we need, and CAPT
tai we must have. Without it, trade will
languish, our stores will be closed, and our
farms remain uncultivated: and the capital
that we require can only be obtained from
the north. 1t is then our interest and
policy not to mSrepresent ourselves. 1t is
our duty to prove that if we cannot love
those TO whom we were opposed for four
years, we can still promise every man,
Yankee or Irish, German or French, Swiss
or Swedc, the same far play and protection
under the la,cS that could be- is extended to
any natire so'dhrner.
Southerners owe duty to the land of
their birth that they must never neglect
or forget, The man who, by Incorporate
words or inconsiderate actions, libels his
people, and gives into the hands of the
northern Radicals a weapon which they
will use with fearful effect, is gritty Of has
country'S auong, The man who, for the
sake of personal resentment or personal
pique, encourages, by individual rioting or
abuse, the efforts of our enemies, is causing
the wounds of the south to bleed anew ;
for we owe duty to our country far be-
yond that which we owe TO ourselves!
If the responsibility which rests upon
Us as individuals is grave and serious,
there is a greater responsibility still which
rests upon those who are the supposed
leaders of public sentiment, and who con-
troll those organs which are presumed to
reflect the opinions and thoughts of the
people. Some OF our southern newspapers
are, and have been, unhappily for us, con-
Quoted with but little discretion. The
desire TO obtain "sensation article or
"sensaton +" paragraph has blinded them
to the harm they have done. They
have desired at any cost to be spicy
and attractive; and although success may
have attended their endeavors, ii has
been seriously to the cost and dctriment
oil the south. The intentions of these Jour
nails We're doubtless pure and pa,riotic but
has