The evening Argus., 1866-04-24
Getting into Southern Society.

The inquisition of fifteen at Washington,
fearing the effect upon the public mind of the
testimony of Gen'l Lee and other southerners
who are familiar with the sentiment of the
south, have FASTENED to food the country
with the evidence of General Terry. This
otflcsr starts out by stating that 81 do not
come in direct personal contact with the peo-
pie OF Virginis, and / have no So
cial intercourse with any except those known
to be Union people," After Terry has sworn
that he does not come in contact with the peo-
pie OF Virginia, he proceeds to swear that
they are very disloyal; and that they would
gladly embrace an opportunity to Sc cure their
independence. General Lee, who Is a Nir-
glnia, swears that they are loyal. and would
not avail themselves of the embodiment of
the United States with foreign power to re-
new their war against the government.-
Who is the more reliable in this case, Lee or
Terry? We need not answer the question.
If we examine Tsrry's testimony closely,
we shall find the explanation of his hostility
and that of many another federal officer in
the south. He Gays there is the same hatred
among southerners, the same contempt for
northern men that there always was. The
Virginians do not seek him, he says, and it
would not become his portion as g command
ing officer, nor consistent with his self re-
spect, to seek them. In other words Terry
very enthusiastically shows that he is ehagrin-
ed over failure to get into southern society.
What Is true of Terry Is alse true OF a great
many other federal officers in the soulh and
this schagrin finds vent before the reconstruc-
ton committee, in the shape of deadly hostil-
ity 60, and Intentional or unlntentlonal mis-
representation of the south.
There are two points of prominence CON-
nectsd with this question of admittance to
ero2
upon the contest for the independence of the
south with an enthusiasm and determination
that exceeded those of the opposite sex. The
failure, therefore, was more disastrous in its
reactionary effects upon their feelings than
it was in the case of southern men. The
southern women are more disappointed, more
prostrated by the failure than the men,
When to this is added the fact that almost
all these women are mourning tor the loss of
some relative, it can scarcely be expected
that they would be willing to look favorably
upon men whom they cannot but regard as
the instruments by which their pride has
been humbled, their hopes blasted, their
property destroyed and their fathers, sons
lovers and brothers slain. These facts are 80
glaring that the federal officer who attempts
to toree himself into the society of southern
women, or who INDUCES in chagrin because
of failure in such an attempt, Is brute In
one case and o fool in the other.
Suppose the case reversed. Suppose that
the south had conquered, and that, to-day,
the north was a desert held BY southern
troops. Would our wives and daughters
wish to associate with staggering graybaoks
who had been instrumental In reducing them
to poverty and in depriving them OF their nat
ural protectors? We should regard our wo
men as coarse and unfeeling if they vensured
to take any such course
The other prominent point In this matter
is. that, in southern society, as in any other
society. gentleman is admissible, whether
he come from Boston, Paris or kamtchatka.
No gentleman will force himself into house
| of mourning and propose a game of enchre
| or a dance in connection with the obsequles
| of the deceased and, in like manner, no gen.
| tIemap will seek admission into southern so
| ciety until its people have buried their dead.
| In time the dead will be buried the period
| of mourning will be past. the bitterness of
recollection will become lessened, and then
| the doors of southern mansions will swing on
| oiled hinges for the entrance OF the gentle
man, regardless of his nationality.
We cannot conscientiously promise, when
| that time arrives that these doors will be wide
omen to New England and the entire north.
! Blatant abolitionists, who ofensivelv insist
| that the southern nsgrese is the intellectual
| and social equal OF the southern white wo-
man, will find il as hard to get iato southern
society then as they do now. This fact alone
will probably bar the doors of southern hous-
as AGAINST nine-tenths of the Puritans. Re-
spectacle society in the south is like respect
able society everywhere it is an aggregation
of sympathetic social elements. and it repu-
dates everything uneouth, brutal and ofens-
Chicago Times.
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