The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-05-09
sPontIcnI. .AbstTai.etItS,in6Ss Z, :

- - 1sEOllBAcAA#ADBHf1et 30 rFz
The following remarks from the
Greenbfier LndePende'tt, {reb., J contains
some. Sensible advice. We hope the
editor himself will followit;ser,s 17r,
Political distractions are now un!
profitable. We have paid too much at
tention to2politicsi in the past, at the ex-
pense of our: fortunes Before the war,
itiwas the chief business ofaour men OF
education and talents, tostuly politics.
II became their business and their
trade. 1t was their bread and their
meat. Nothing delighted an old tVir-
ginia- politician more than large pro-
miscuons gathering of the people-the
sovereigns-and then n .faIropportunity
ospeechify them for four hours ON 4
stretch, on the questions Of the day.
How 1t delighted one OF these old cod
rights Of the States in the Territories,
and with hateager and breathlsss in
terest would he be listened to by the
honest old farmers who had come to
town TO hear the nevis! Those Were
happy days IN our, childhood, when
Rivgs, and Eeake, and iGoggin would
discuss, on the Court Green, the, rela-
tive merits, ofsWhiggery and Demoe
cracy-vulgarly called LocOfocoism.i
10 hear these WORTHLESS talk learnedly
about Free Trade and Protective Tar
IFS Banks and Anti-Banks; Dlstribu-
tion Of the proceeds of the public lands;
the one term principle, or rotation In
Office, the removal of the deposits, and
the c6rruptions of the Preside ent !! These
were, Indeed, good old times. The peo-
pie were happy them or, il they were
not, they ought to have been! We had,
not known then what war was. We
had not felt its dire and busting effects.
But we have felt it since. We have
seen 1t in all its sad results, and we
still feel its ruinous effects. 1t
is very hard for us to realize the
situation. EIt is harder still to
convince others f5of the situatfon.-
To make them realize that we have no
Constitution-no State ID Rights-no
Rights in the Territories. These same
people so learnedly about State Rights,
&C., still hold on to- their hobbies.
They seem to forget that all Of these.
things have passed away, and are now
Bsotete3buried In the tomb of the
Capulets. They seem slow, to. c0mpre-
hend the darkness ,of the cloud which
obscured the sun of the South, when
Gen. Lee surrendered his noble army
at Appomaltpxs Court-house,- These
questions were the war,
and in the final disastrous results to the
South, they were settled forever. The
people of the South made grand and
D. noble, struggle, and the present age
and generation will never be able to do,
full Justice to those who .sornobly!Rnd,
SO bravely suffered and died in defence
OF their principles. They were honest
in their convictions. But 1t is useless
now-itis folly and madness to attempt
toalter or to change the result. These
questions have been settled, by force Of
aFms3 for the present EgsnaEati ion, j at
least, and it is foOlishness to attempt to
disguise the fact. (. We must make up
our minds to accept the present situa-
ttbnsSnd make the best oft. Southern
men have no political rights now. All
these passed away as the Consequences
ofsthelE unsuccessful struggle. State
Rights are dead. Bank and Anti-Bank
haye gone the way OF obsolete issues.
The Constitution, and It's Safeguards.
are all gone We should remember
these things, and turn our. attention to,
more practical Questions. Our old men.
have worn themselves out and ggrownc
grey as politicians. Let aour young
men avoid similar fate. Follow your
professions or ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS your
fortunes, If possible; cultivate the soil,
and let the abstrac ions Of the past be
buried with the things OF the past.sila
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