The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-19
COMPLIED EVERY DAY FOR EVENING TELEGRAPH.
Prolonging sectional bitterness.

From the Times.
of course very few of our readers have oppor-
tunity to sec the journals published in the South
ern States, and whatever they learn of the tenn
per of these papers is gathered from partial and
stinted extracts. When the great Rebellion
ended by the surrender of Lee and Johnston, we
all hoped that the experience of four years would
have had some appreciable effect upon the So
called exponents of public opinion in the South; ;
we fancied that the stereotyped expressions of
hate against the North would at least be modified
if not silenced We could not expect an exube-
rance Of love; but we did think that ordinary
courtesy was not too much TO look for, that we
might no more hear the coarse vituperation
with which the Southern tar-andfeather writer's
before the war assailed everything that came
from the North.
As regards a large number of the newly re.
vived papers in the South, we are sorry TO say
that We are disappointed. They are quite as
trucuIent and as vindiclive as in the most pros.
porous era OF Pride and hate. Nearly every
issue from the great cotton section furnishes
some evidence of this undying malice. Northern,
and especially Eastern men, are crucifed in
rhetoric as eXtravagant and with spite as ma
hgnant as III the palmest days of women whip
What is to be gained? The North-we speak
advisedlY-has treated the weaker party with a
courtesy as unusual as it is magnanlmous
Saving here and there an exception, which
might have been expected (for the affiction is
very confrmedly chroncl, the Northern press
has been respectful kind, and (not meaning
ofense) we may say orgiving, There has been
no bowling for blood, no rayiDg for confsca.ion,
no camorng for that punishment which, in an
earlier age, would have been deemed the fnevita-
bic tolollary OF victory.
We do not claim special merit for this; but we
consider that after the bloody terrors of the
grand conflict there is no intemperance ofopinion
here to compare with the utterance5 OF Southern
tiie.eatlng editors These foolish instructors
argue, as of yore from the mouth OF the pistol
and the point of the bowieknte; we resist with
cool argument. They brand with opprobrous
epithets, and threaten with personal violence:
we reply with offers of pardon and facilities for
return to the Union. They elect the most bitter
enemies TO the Government to Office; we simply
ask these enemies to promise ordinary featy.
They hunt Federal officers, assassinate Federal
soldiers, and make the presence OF Federal civil
agents most uncomfortable, il not dangerous.
To all this our rejoinder ls:-"Come back, give
your word to be truly loyal, and all shall be for
given"
In ordinary cases the press is supposed to
reflect the tone Of the people; but in this in
stance we are willing to believe that the reverse
is the fact. For il the tone of certain leading
journals in the Southern States may be taken to
be reflex OF the popular sentiment, completed
reconciliation is not so near as we had hoped
Tor. There is q vein of illWill apparently run
ming through these journals which does not
betoken good for the Union; the covert sneer is
giving pldCe W open OeuduCe, ana Cne names OF
some OF our best men are used in way calcu-
lated to estrange and ALLEVIATE rather than TO
assimilate and reunte
Certainly this is to be regretted. The results
of the war are positive, the conclusions are def
mite, the changes thereby effected are complete
and final; there can be no possible gain in
cursing, while much may be achieved by mode
ration. We do not ask the conductors of South
ern journals TO admire public man who may
have been their bete aOU in former years. but one
little fact they cannot shut from their vision
these men are OF the victorious side; they NAV
say and do much that is offensive to the losing
party, but nothing can be gained by making
faces or calling names. Let them be met by
sound argument, by compact logic, by sincere
patriotism and there will be, at least, chance
Tor the right. No cause ever advanced no cause
ever failed to lose, by vituperation. The mover
may be ever so offensive, his conduct ever SO
outrageous his motives ever so base but the
opposer who calls names gives up the contest
and sinks below the level OF respect