St. Mary's gazette., 1867-06-06
Change Of Tone

ley, since tuc iioC "iA =.
hv him at Mobile. He has abandoned II
great measure his bullying carriage to"ar'S
tho Southern whites and even reformca
somewhat the low, coarse rhetoric VINO"
he contracted in the Kcnsington market
where he was raised. To talk and act
like gentleman, however, are not natural
tn Kelley. and he betrays, even IN h'S
most studied attempts at good brfcdihe' '''
,loyen foot of natural vulgarlty- ba'
-. .ro less interested in his awkward en-
deavor to appear what he is not than 10
occouu, for it. Why. then, this sudden
change of tone? 1t cannot be from di'n'n-
ishod malignity Venom is as natural TO
him ,s 70 q snake. He could not live with
ont it for momcLt nor thrive II 1t was be-
;no absorbed. Is it cowardce we
scarcely believe it. 1t is true that Kelley
at the first pistol pop at Mobile h'a hi'nScN
under The rostrum where he had been
speaking, and at the second, ran away as
fast as his heels would carry hlm. 1T IS
<uc that he arrived at his hotel pale IN the
face and nearly ou. Of breath, and IT is also
true that Immediately upon his arrival he
bcgped for the detail of military guard
until morning for his personal security
All these things arc indeed true, but still
We cannot realize that his change OF tone
was superinduced by fears of another
riot. Before breakfast on the mornlhg al
ter his race through the streets of Mobile
the valiant Gen. Pope. whose headquarters
are always in the saddle and who Is known
to dispise al! lines of retreat, rushed with
his whole army to the rescue. Kelley was
bid to trcublc no longer. He WAS assured
that he might continue for the future with
impunity to disregard all the proprlctes OF
decent discussion, to insult and yltuperate
20 his hearts content, and that if he was
Interrupted or interftrcd with again the
white natives, innocent as well as guilty,
should be made to dance for it. 10 I'M
press this lesson upon the Southern heart
the hero of second Manassas caused the
Mayor of Mobile to be discrowned, had his
council elected from office, abolished his
police, and replaced tLeso officers by mill
tary and other creatures Of his own
Nevertheless, although invited by Pope to
continue his inccndiury harangues, al
though assured Of protection and although
convinced as he must have been, of the
determination and ability of the military to
uphold him in repetitions of speech similar
10 that which had caused the Mobile riot, |
Kelley from the moment Of his escape from
tho Gulf city, faced about and in all sub
scqucnt discussions simmcred down into
something like moderation and dccency
But the question again rccurs, why this
change of tone ? We hayo shown that II
was not from any diminution of mallsnlty
and that it could not have been from cow
ardico Why, then. has the bullying de
mcanor assumed by Kelley at Mobile been
abandoned every where else? We are
convinced that it has been owing In great
measure, if not altogether, TO Northern
pressure from Kcllcy's own friends. The
cmissary ovcrdid his work at Mobile. lie
had been commissioned to seed and foster !
vsjiealism Il, the South and not to iniure !
or compromise it at the North. Instead Of
going about his work modcstly, quietly !
and prudcntly, and with some regard te
other peoples feelings, he opened his cam
raign with broadsile Of buster, bully !
ism and insult, Riot and bloodshed fol- !
lowed, and though his friend P,pe lett |
nothing of artiGcc unlono to conceal his
agency and responsibility in the matter,
though innocent parties were punished IN
order 70 screen him, it soon became eyi- !
dent to the leaders of Northern radicalism
that the real criminal was their own agent /
and that this fact was as patent to demo-
Gratis and the general puole as to themselves.
Intelligent republicans began 10 complain
Of kelleys conduct and democrats began
to donouncc it. BY the fofmor, il WAS
held to be n bluudor, b the latter, i, was
depicted to be crime. An alarm was
Immediately sounded 1t was contcndod !
among the faithful that Kelley was COM
promising the radical party and jcoparliz /
ing its asccndcncy at the North 1t was
demanded that hc bc silcrced and sent
home or instructed to talk and act differ
emily in the future. We have no Doubt
that he was advised Of the action of his
friends in this regard nor DO we question
that this action inspired tina; improvements
in speech and demcanor change Of
tone--which has been remarked upon