The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-12-25
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN,
A New Organ.

ing of regret and pain which L have seldom
felt on the perusal of periodical. 1t may be
justly denominated "a New Organ" for it
seems to be not only another organ of the rad
idal Republicans but of what has been so just
ly called the religion Of hate, OF misrepre-
sentation, and abuse of the afflicted South. 1t
is calculated to ELL a lover OF his country, of
humanity, of charity, OF justice, and of truth
with profound sadness to see the revival OF
magazine which breathes throughout spirit
of the most remorseless and implacable hostil-
ity to people already so smitten OF God and
afflicted as the people of these Southern states.
Impoverished to such degree that it actu-
ally requires the aid of imagination on the part
of those who do not reside among us to con-
ceive of the real condition of the great MAORI
ty of the inhabitantsof these Southern States;
with our fondest hopes buried in grave from
which there is no resurrection; with nearly
every family vet saddened by the memory of
some beloved member slain in battle; at the
mercy of party which meditates new humili-
ations for conquered men, incapable Of resis-
tance-this magazine makes its temperance
in the great commercial capital of the country
at time when we had hoped that war-engen-
dered animosities had somewhat subsidized, and
when the reign of Christian charity had once
more sn1 - further and encour-
age the good W0. Reconciliation, but to In
flame the Northern heart with fresh resent
ment, and to calumniate people already SUBJ
iugated by arms and with nothing left to them
but the memories of noble ancestry and a
heroic struggle for the privilege of self-gov-
eminent. If periodical breathing the spirit
of this number of Putndn,'S Monthly, started
at this late day, and animated by such pur-
pose, is to be sustained and to become popular
at the North, then we may despair of that re-
action in popular sentiment Of which we have
heard so much Of late, and which we fondly
supposed was to bring us some respite from
present sufferings, and rescue us from the
greater evils which impend.
But no comments of mine can give your
readers such an impression of the dnin,us OF
this magazine as the quotation of some of its
own utterances To select many more Of the
same character would be easy, but it would
make this article too long for your columns.
A few specimens must suffice as illustrations Of
the whole.
In the leading article entitled, "Thirteen
Years of the Nation, the writer says: 1.-THE
measures of the Republican party lat first
were confined to preventing the extension OF
slavery" but by degrees they came to the con,
clusion that slavery was wrong, unchristian,
ouarresome, tyrannical, anti-republican, and
barbarous; that it quenches freedom Of speech
and of the press, suppresses education, per-
petuates ignorance, and promotes brutality
that it wastes land, Expresses labor, debauches
craftsmanship, and undermines republican,
government. Such, according to the au-
thority of this writer, is the verdict of the Re.
publican party as to the influence of slavery on
the character of the Southern people. But il
happens that nearly every respectable foreign
err land the same is equally true of many a
Northern NAM who has resided in the South,
nd matter what mey have been his prejudices
against the institution of Slavery in the alb
s,ract. has borne testimony to the courtesy,
gentleuess, hospitality, refinement of manners,
consideration for ths feelings .of others, and
regard for personal honor, which characterizes
the people of the South. Their respect for
law, and for the Constitution Of the country,
have been proverbial. have no desire to
arraign others, but do not the Northern news
papers constantly acknowledge that there
is more crime and outrage in their own section
than can be found elsewhere? And as to
"debauched craftsmanship, have ever such
charges of bribery, fraud and corruption, been
brought against the Legislature of any South
ern State, as are boldly and persistently made
against the Legislature of at least one great
Northern State? Did not Southern represen-
tatives in the old Congress compare favorably,
so far as personal integrity was concerned,
with those of any other part Of the union?
But this writer goes on to assert that slavery
"developes vain and empty statesmen His
idea of statesmen may be farther seen in what
he thinks Of the present Congress. He says:
at is no longer debating society" at
may not produce as good debaters as when
Webster, Clay, and Calhoun, poured out their
resonant and reverberating war of words
words-words But more important legiS-
lation has been moulded By a silent sneer from
Maddeus .Steceas than Webster's most bril-
liant orations ever discussed. C $50 far
from being wanting in great Statesmen, the
craftsmanship of the last six years has been
that to which the great spirits of the first
Revolution would bow in reverence. % Lin
coin, Stanton, Chase, Fessenden," &C., he
says care names as classic in history as
Chatham, Burke Fox, Pitt &c. After this,
I shall ever deny the old adage that there is
no disputing about tastes Perhaps this
writer in Putnam also thinks that the Con
ventions now mustered by the Radicals in the
Southern States, are superior in intelligence,
patriotism, experience, and all the attributes
of craftsmanship to those which sat in former
years to frame Constitutions for the people
and in the Virginia Convention, for instance,
that Hunnicutt, Hawxhurst, Yankee Allen,
and the negroes Nash, Lindsay, Teamoh, and
Bayne, are the superors of Madison, Monroe,
Marshall Littleton Waller Tazewell, Benjamin
Watkins Leigh, Philip Barbour, Philip Dod-
ridge, Governors Giles and Peasants, Mercer,
Upshur, Stanard, and John Randolph of
Roanoke, who sat in the Virginia Convention of
lS29-3O. 1t may be that Sambo- Teamoh may
mould more important legislation by silent
sheer than the brilliant Randolph ever dis
cussed, or the judicial Marshall ever meditated /!
But the longest and the most disgusting ar
ticle in this number Of Putnam is one entitled
THE CARPENTER-a story giving an account
of Christmas revel at the house of one old
Elkanah Dyzer,-when as the COMPANY were