The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-13
sTbe Rcndipp of the Bruised Spirits

w EDNEDOhl HlhhANCA ~ 1SNas
HThe Bending of the Bruised Spirit"
Tup adoption of the Military bill over the veto,
and the certainty of its being at once put into
active operation, has fired once more the
Soutberp heart and our Southern files give
us numerous instances Of how the stung and
outraged soul exhibits its emotion. Blair, in
his "Rhetoric," tells us that violent passion
sezes on metaphors, and compares itself to a
turbulent sea-" ''rOaring wind" or an
"eartbouake." The Southern mind has
adopted the old mode Of expression, and the
only objection we find to it is, that its
tpures are like the Irishman's, who ''smelt
mouse; he saw it floating in the air, and would
min it in the INTELLECTUALLY vigorous, but
slightly vague. We earnestly trust that the
literary tone of the Southern editors may
improve, and have thought of requesting
Wheeler or Tuckerman to compile a dictionary
of varied metaphors, so that the same ones
might not be repeated so often. We
do not know what the South does look like,
but if it resembles a "seething caldron,"
''bedaubed escutcheon, 'ripened, bursted,
and rent body polite" and "a beautiful
cline whelmed beneath dead sea, it must
present an appearance of pleasing variety.
Yet such are its distinguishing features,
as described by the various editors from
different stand points. If its physical condition
is anomalous, its moral and political state is
fearful to contemplate. 1t must, indeed, be
laboring under a series of all the ills to which
flesh is heir Thus the Richmond Wing
tells us that they are "Saddied with a despOt-
ism, and the Enquirer assures us that they
are "Jucked and gagged" The unfortunate
animal-for the metaphor makes the South be
personated by an animal-is yet further incOm-
moded, for the Mobile advertiser declares it is
covered ''with the inevitable links Of the chain
of sequence and destiny" I" "Saddled,
''buCked," gagged" and chained" it is
then "bedaubed, as the Louisville Courier
announces, and yet, notwithstanding its un-
happy condition, the Norfolk Inquirer urges it
to Grouse itself from it's apathy" We do not
wonder that it does not respond to the appeal,
if the picture of its condition as given by the
Southern editors be true one.
Notwithstanding the unanimity with which
they agree that the state Of the South is help
less, yet no two of them appear to concur as
to the proper line of conduct in this emer-
gency. The Richmond Wing gives the SEN
sible advice that ''the sooner we eat our peck
of dirt the sooner we shall feel refreshed"
while, on the other hand, the Memphis
AUaLdRChe declares that ''the men who recOg-
nize the Military bill are no better than the
radical scoundrels who are seeking to rob us of
our liberty" Some of them are utterly cast
down, and see no hope, and dare give no
advice. The Memphis Bulletin treats its
readers to translation Of the trite sentiment,
"IOm est perdu maiS phonne1r;" while the Will
mington Dispatch asks, 'What, then shall we
do? We must do nothing;" and adds,
"We must get so that we will not care con-
tinental whether school keeps or nOt''-an
ultima thule doubtless very desirable but to
us decidedly incomprehensible. A dozen
smaller papers, taking their cue from their more
influential contemporaries, declare against
drinking the dregs," and committing
moral suicide" and the like. We cannot
but feel keen regret that the prevailing
tone of the Southern press is anything but
what it ought to be. All counsel passive
resistance, all unite with the Macon Ne,o Era,
and agree that ''the only good reason for not
appealing to arms at this juncture is the hope
lessness ofsuccess." We regret this disposi-
tion, because we see it necessitates yet more
radical remedies in the future. We would not
have it necessary that the strong arm of the
Government should be barred, and that, by
one sweeping act of confscation, the South be
reduced to beggary. Yet what may be neces-
sary, if the advice OF the Southern Jour
nails is discarded, we know not Six months
ago, and the adoption OF the Constitutional
amendment would have made them have all
their rights as loyal citizens. To-day yet
severer measure is required. If that is re-
fused, they know not on what conditions they
may have to come back tomorrow.
The REJECTION OF Mr.. COwAN.-EX-Senator
Cowan was rejected by the Senate yesterday,
as a nominee for the position OF Minister to