Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-07-26
Sophistry vs.. Facts.

Sophistry is q mode Of mental warfare
very difficult to combat; an ipSe dirt
can be denied and refuted; legitimate
argument can be met with some show Of
equality. A sophist leads away from
plain facts, and either establishes on
false premises, or, by playing fantasia
on ftful sentences, confounds you by
hyperbole Of statements, very plausible
TO the ear and eye, but wofully rotten
when punctured by an interrogation
point. A contestant who has bad case,
in endeavoring to extricate himself from
the middle, is generally perverse enough
to sin against light and knowledge, and
knock his head against convictions so
plain that the only wonder is that he is
not blinded by their dazzle.
As a specimen Of sophistry that
Southern men can deal in, submit the
following sentences from communica-
ton, in the LEDGER day before yester-
day, on the Northern Democracy:
None of them bore muskets. They
sent us neither money nor food. They
contented themselves paying taxes and
theorizing, and never once dreamed OF
fighting.
Now, in reply to this, put these I'M
deniable facts. The Northern Democ-
racy toere alDGys determinedly opposed
10 par between the North and South !;
they always advocated and taught con
ciliation and compromise between
the sections; they always adhered
to every project of unity and good will
between the peoples the Missouri CON-
promise, till its repeal, was one Of the
tenets of their faith, (although Thomas
Jefferson regarded that measure as the
death knell of the Union.") The con-
tinued agitation Of slavery by the Adolf
tionists and shareholders rendered the
Omui5us bill of 1850 necessary, to which
the Democracy most willingly sub
scribed, although Henry Clay and the
Wings had a prominent hand in the
business. They submitted to the evil Of
slavery and its exactions-endured
obloquy because of pandering to the
South" being denounced as " lickspit-
ties and "doughfaces " by their Adolf
ton enemies suffered ostracism in
business and social life, mob law, and
almos. all the contumely and abuse that
derilsh fanaticism could suggest They
made every sacrifice that political party
could maks-almost self.respect even
, And this all Tor the sake Of preserving
an afiliahon between them and The
South, in order 70 beat down the blael
Abolition cloud that threatened to over
whelm the country in destructive dark
ness.
And when the shareholders rejected
our efforts at a paci6cation Of the trou
E bes between them and the Abolition
hordes Of the North, never proposed wa
, as panacea for the ills that afflicted Us
E We asserted that war was the death knel
= Of slavery, if not the requiem Of th
q Union; we maintained that il war di
not result in the total disintegration q
It the States aud destruction Of the Govern
!. ment, that great portion Of the couniT,
e and the South particularly, would be lai
n waste and converted into n 'howliu
a wilderness Wekoew the character, a.
# avarice, and blood-thirsty schemes Oft
d Abolitionists better than you did. II
n Democracy had controlled the Cover
' meDt during a greater part Of its sHis
( ence, and the Abolition element wei
s compelled to stand back and chafe at d
n prosperity Of the Southern cotton felis
1 and when they took the advantage Of u
E delirium Of the slaveholders,and clutche
the reius Of government and the ihro'