The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-07
The South COwed.


reconstructed His observations are recorded
under Eve heads. He testfes to many facts
which undoubtedly exist among us, which
are the very generally admitted ones we be-
lieve, that the South has been whipped; that
there is a thorough acceptance of the situation,
and desire under that acceptance, to start
again under the pale of the Constitution; that
many who claim to be staunch Union men
merely kept out of the fight through coward
ice, and held themselves in readiness to shout
with the winning side, as the Secretary of the
Treasury iterated some time ago in document
from his Department; that the Union men of
the South comprise neither the education, the
intellect nor the influence Of the country
that the South claims the right of representa-
ton in the National" Congress, having inn
plicitly followed the programme laid down
Tor her in the Presidents plan of reeonstuc-
ton, and that the whole people are looking
forward with earnest anxiety to the fall cleo
tons in the North, to see if the policy of the
Radical majority in Congress is sustained by
the country at large; and, lastly that the
course of Radical legislation is calculated to
engender not feeling of active hostility. but
one Of sullen apathy, and that every act of
the Radical Congress helped to rebuild the old
walls of sectional antagonism; and that the
Southern States are ready to discharge their
duties honestly and in good faith upon the
restoration to the privileges Of citizenship.
These observations we believe, will generally
be admitted as truthful, or a eorraot state
ment Of 'the situation.
But, when this correspondent asserts that
the South is cowed, it is "piling on the ago.
N.Y. rather heavily. The natur9.of the proof
however, which he adduces in support of his
opinion, and a subsequent intmation or
admission, are sufficient to render this ex-
pressed observation as almost wholly unwor-
thy Of consideration; and discloses an incon-
sisteucy which cannot fail to have escaped the
careful reader
This correspondent, ii seems, visited Mo
bile, and we now allow him to speak for him
self and furnish his own proof that the South
has not only been whipped but is cowed:
II might 20 further and say that the South
sIUt vuiJ rhippva, 4sub that 1t IS oo'yed IL
was at Mobile, think, Witnessed Il little in
cident which will go further to prove this
than bushel Of argument. 4 military band
serenadipg Northern general, played the
captured tune Of Dixie" and the people on
E.
set up cheer for Stonewall jackson Alone
ted States soldier. Raising his voice above
forcible than polite, that he would lick the
Jackson cor any other Jackson" Not a
there at the mercy of the thfong; the cheers
were stopped, the band played Hail Colum-
bia," and the crowd dispersed The South
1t could not be kicked into rebellion again"
This detracts from the estimate one is dis
posed to concede to other portions Of the let
ter; but to assert that the South is ''cowed"
because there was no vulgar Backyard in
the crowd Of respectable citizens Of Mobile
who were listening to Dixie, prompt to step
forth and lower himself to the level of half
drunken United States soldier" and give the
pitiable fellow drubbing for his very natur-
al drunken ebulliticn, which he would have
had more sense than to have uttered in sober
ness, is rather an evidence Of the pity and
gosd sense of the crowd, than that the South
is "cowed, as, no doubt, will be ADMITTED by
the correspondent himself when he reflects
more grayely upon the nature Of his proof.
But, to show the inconsistency Of such an OBJ
servation, the correspondent himself refntes
his own postulate when he counsels, lin
speaking Of the Southern Union men, So
called), anything rather than force them in
to office to rule over a people whose conlJha
dsnce they do not possess, and among whom
they form but an Insignificant minority.
They coald only be put IN Poaesr, could only be
kept in poeeer, at the point qfthe 6ayonsti"
Why, at the point Of the bayonet, if the
South is cowed" and could not be kicked
into rebellion again ?" Is not this admission
Of the necessity of the bayonet an admission
Of the existence Of the spirit of resistance in
the people, under the circumstances supposed,
and that the South, after all, is not ''cowed?"
Such is the proof, and such the inconsistency
of this otherwise generally accurate cores
pondent But allowances must be made for
him. He event into he South imbued with
radical proclivity" He "eame back strongly
convinced that The policy inaugurated by
President JOHNSON can alone restore harmo-
ny and prosperity to the country" We in
cline to forgive both his inconclusiye evidence
and his Inconsistency of statements, in which