The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-23
The Sentimental and the Practical,

Tie Galveston News writes A column and half to
ret pont it ought to haze seized IN into res.
Here is the gst Of its column and a half:
We DO not believe that the Southern people are il
capable Of being practica; but is it not true that we
hinder progress by a misuse OF What we conceive
to be the honorable Whatever we have learned to
cherish appears to US to be immortal: and refusing to
the dangers to which it is exposed we cling to it
and are crushed by its fall. There NAV be occasions
when this is right but people are bound to ruin
themselves by devotion to that which is Inferior to
eir welfare Yet this is the tendency among all
people who cherish the chirarous sentiment instead
of the practical They make themselves the slaves Of
circumstances. Take our relation to slavery for ex-
AMPLE Now that il is abolished even Henry A. Wise
can say that we were punished for cnging to it so
long after twas doomed. But Henry \ Wise did not
say SO, if he thought it before the emancipation
came 1t he thought 50, he did not say it because
the SOuthrou would have heard him with PATIENCE
WHY? The Southern po0pIe tRtWiAel their very
heartstrngs with all their nsttutons because theY
were their own and had down from their fathers
and refused to view them i'll any other light than that
Of their feelings. And the other day, the
President of the Agricultural Convention in Virginia
talked about minimizing the race of old Virginia
gentlemen and spoke bitterly against the sale of spat-
rimonal oaks" We admire such feelings; but are
much more inclined to trust that other speaker, him
self Virginan, who said that our past system had
nothing to do with real character, and that we
could change it without changing anything valuable in
ourselves He showed that our system was defensive
aud retrospective, willie that of the North was agrees
sve ana prophetic; and that defeated not
because were inferior people, but because our
system Of affairs was not suited to the times. We
think, thrctore, that should avoid fixing our feel
ings upon agencies, and throw them forward
rather to results.
The extreme cf this feeling is seen in those people
who cling to crookedstick for plough because their
fathers used it. in preference superior instrument
Of modern construction, A different people fix their
affections real comfort and the highest achievement
and use all possible means accordingly IF one plan
one set Of instruments will not achieve results as
readily and cheaply another they throw them away
outc0mpunction prizing agency OF system for
ITSELF bat for is usefulness.
This may be very imperfect way of getting at the
subject; but feel certain that are striking in the
ntighborioOd of great truth when we say that the
South toe constantly permits some kind of sentiment
to between her and the practical suggestions of
her >ituation The did much to relieve US Of this
weight, by tearing away forever much that we had
cherished, and by enabling to that the senti.
mental the powerful that matter how pro-
ioundy cause might be loved and cherished it could
not succeed without adequate means Let not get
away from this Lesson, then until have learned it
thoroughly that shall be able to look every
question in the face, practically, and fad ourselves
not only unwilling to believe that effect flow from
any other than adequate causes, but willing to change
agencies often the Deccssity of the end may
require