The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-01-25

ter appears to advantage in avenging
the yJures Of Others but not GOV.
ertly aVenging Their own under the
ga,sr OF philan'hrophyor public spirit.
i These gentlemen have a point OF re.
sermnblance IN their want Of mental bal.
ance. Sound judgement results from
a patient survey of all sides Of = qucs.
ton, and the careful weighing OF con.
fllctlng considerations. A pelant who
reads, not to weigh and consider, but to
gather materials for display, is quite as
likelY to SO wrong asa contemner of
learning who does not read at all. Both
Mr. Summer and Mr.. Stevens hold the
narrowest views OF tho narrowest men
IN their party. Any man inspired with
ntense maliSnity towards Tho South
would easily reach their opinions, 10
matter how feeble or confused his intel.
lect.-Mr Sumner lends his Learning,
and Mr.. Stevens his sbrcwdncss, to the
advocacy of views which it required
Meth learning nor shrewdness, but
only hatred and bigotry, to form. To
humillatc the Southern people, con6s.
cate their property, strip them Of politi.
cal privileges, and make their late slaves.
their equals, is policy which tho mean.
est intellect was competent TO devise,
provided that intellect was inspired by
intense maliSnity.. Nothing is easier
than to drift forward on strong current
of passion. And when men can crafty
the worst feelings ofhuman nature nndcA
Il mask o public vir,ue, pleasing them
selves with the idea that hatred OF their
countrymen is compassion for an oppres.s
ed race, they satisfy their craving for
reputation at a much smaller cost than
it they we're, at every step, to consult
their reason or conscience, in laborious
inquiry after truth and right.
Whenever the negro question is taken
out of politics, Mr.. Summer will sink into
insignihcanct. AS u scholar, he has pro.
duced no original work; as ~ statesman.
he has broacl Q no important measure:
rs \ political leader, he has no gift for
acquiring ascendcncy over other minds.
His natural employment is literary re
search, and the repetition. in smooth or
stiIted phrases, of the thoughts of ADLER
minds He has judgment enough to see
that the abolition of slavery is one of
the great achievements OF recent times,
and he has the ambition to figure in his.
tory as the leading apostle of this worthy
cause. He hopes to be remembered az
n Clarkson or Wilberforce. But, con.
scious that he has no solid claim to such
distinction, he seeks to make up in
extravaganza what he lacks in merit;
just as in his other character of a ltera.
~ man he tries TO conceal poverty Of
original thought by tricks of style and
parade of erudition.
Mr.. Stevens is a naughty, disappoint-
ed spirit, self.sufficinnt and impracticable,
who feels that his success in pnblic life
has not been equal to his abilities and,
with q touch Of ecocntrieity and scorn,
and tho peevishnesss of old age, he
wishes to wieak upon somebody the
lpent'np passions OF lifetime. ~, n
The prominence of these gentlemen
IN fhe public eye is no measure of,their
political Importance. Since The close Of
the war the passions it kindled are grad.
}nallys s,ibsiding; and with the settle.
tnent, on the basis Of iusticeandmodera.
ton, OF the questions that remain, these
men olirregular passions and illbalanced
Judgments will sink into merited obscIri.
gsy. h
. T. ag . 7 u u