The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-01
FRIDAY, JUNE l, 1866.
The Philosophy of Our POSITION.

THB Aoe quotes, with apparent approval, some
extracts from recent letter written by General
MARTINDALE to Senator SHERMAN. 1t parades
certain truisms in it with great guto as though
anybody doubted that the mass of the Rebels
were, in a certain sense sincere But what Of
thatS Does that make the three hundred thou
sand lives we have sacrificed any the less
precious, or the three thousand millions OF dol
lars we have spent any the less valuable
Sincerity is a very poor plea to set up as an ex-
cuse for crime The Age says: Here is Re-
publican soldier who says that IN his opinion
the South could not help fighting and was
right to fght.n
The Age is dishonest. 1t seeks to make it
appear that General MARTINDALE asserts that
the South was morally right and justified in
fighting. 1t knows better. What MARTlNDALB
said was this:-"In my opinion, while the insti'
tuition of slavery continued to form their habits
and national character, they ,Cere right IN regard
inc the differences betloeen as as recOncilabe and
irrepreSsible" This is merely Mr.. SEwARD's old
doctrine of the "irrepressible conflict" between
freedom and slavery over again. OF course,
while they persisted IN believing, with the Age,
that slavery was morally right, economically pro-
table and socially desirable, neither they nor any
body else could regard the differences between
them and us as other than 'irreconcilable and
irrepressible.n
But the very pist Of MAETINDALB's whole letter
the Age fails to see or appreciate, although,
for wonder, it publishes it. 1t is where he
says:- ..........
3In that resort to war the whole of differ
ence was involved and stated. If we of the North
had failed IN the war, should have been con-
strained to concede that slaverr, and its incidents
ana consequences IN The formation of Southern
society, ha been confirmed and established. and
must prevail throughout the country as the condition
southern men knew thai their defeat involved
the dest uctiOn of slavery and its cOnSe que7ces
"We all know, North and south. that the
attempt to ret trganze tie opposing sJ stems OF free
and slave society under our Government is madness,
because 1t must reklndle civl war"
This covers the whole question, and states the
issue most admirably. The war was between
two great systems OF society-between ire
concilable and antagonistic ideGs. Had
the South trIumphed, slavery, eulh ''dN its
incidents and consequences" must have prevailed
throughout the country "GS the condition Of
Ter,eaDed Uaionn So, on the other hand, the
North having triumphed, freedom, aom oil its
incidents and consequences, must preUGa through.
ont the country as the condition Of renelCed Union.
That is true and sound doctrine, ard we thank
General MARTINDALE for putting the philosophy
of the issue so plainly before the people. All
our trouble arises from the unwIllingness OF the
South, and especially of its Northern alles-the
Democrats-to accept this plain statement Of the
case. They are not willing to acknowledge that
the South, with its systems and ideas, was really
Overthrown in the war. They are still striving
to save as many as possible Of the '1noidentS and
consequences" of slavery. On the other hand the
ID
not and ,0W not gjue up the substantial fruits Of
victory. In that resort to war, as MARTrNDALE
says, ''the whole cause of difference was in
volved and stated" Freedom triumphed, and
freedom, with all its incidents and consequences,
must prevail throughout the country as the con-
dition of renewed union. The Southern idea
was oVerthrown-its system destroye the
whole concern must now go by the board. We
are not going to keep the "incidents and conse-
quences" after the principal has been destroyed.
The sooner the South recognizes these things
and acts upon them, the sooner will the cOndi.
tion OF renewed union be fully established
The Age, too, and those whom It represents,
had better give up the contest. They may as
well recognize the fact that there has been a
revolution, and that slavery is at an end. The
day for winning political victories by appeals to
the prejudice and brutality which were among
the chief OF slavery's consequences, has passed.
The Age don't seem to realize il, and bellows
away as Justify about the ''nigger," as though
we were strll living in the dark days when
slavery ruled the country. II is time for these
political Rip Van Wrinkles to wake up, and com
prehend, if they can, the great change that has
come over the land.
General ScOtt's Funeral.
THE funeral services Of Breyet Lieutenant