New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-19
cEv Sgrpv,.vS ADDRESS.

Cen. Sberman,s addros, A. the annual meet
ing of the Society Of the Ari12 VI 'no i,nneo'
see, in st. Louis, of which we pinn'eu q 10
port yesterday, was not only an eloa u'"' ~
view of the brilliant campaigns which the ~
ISOLATION was organized to commemorate, Dut
it contained some reflections upon the pontlcal
situation that are well worth notice. Gen'
Sherman has 10 fear that the scenes OF our
hard struggle will ever be repeated, or that
the Rebels, defeated in battle, may, in the
huTly-buTly of time and politics. regain their
"lost cause and their lost pride" History, he re-
minds us, rarely goes backward The great moral
revolution which resulted in the destruction of
Slavery can never be reversed the great cause
for which we fought triumphed SO completely
when Lee laid down his arms at AppomattOx
Court House that no power can henceforth
overthrow it. And the time will come when
the lost cause" of the South will be spoken of
by Southern men only in language Of shame
and sorrow, and "will sink deeper and deeper
"into infamy as time more deeply probes its
"hidden mysteries and reveals them to the
eight of day" Gen. Sherman reminds the
conquered States that the irresistible tide of
immigration, which is now sweeping across the
Continent from East to West, must soon turn
Southwark. ."The next war of Northern inya-
"sion will not desolate their land, but will
"fructify and regenerate it,"
That we have not yet secured in the South
ern States perfect tranquility and subordina-
ton. Gen. Sherman ascribes to two causes.
The first lies in the nature OF things. The
South has suffered horribly from the war;
=
mourning is in every household; cities are In
ashes, fields lie desOlate, commerce is gone the
old system of labor has been swept away, and
proud men are reduced to beggary. Here
surely is punishment severe enough to move
us to patience. But there is another reason,
upon which Gen. Sherman, as soldier subject
TO the orders of his superiOrs, deems 1t his duty
to do no more than touch. That reason lies in
"the civil administration of our government"
and he reminds his hearers that whatever differ
ence of opinion may exist among them relative
to the policy of the Government or the rights OF
the States the paramount duty OF all good
citizens is to obey the laws of the land. Sher-
man is right If the laws of the land had
been obeyed and duly enforced by Andrew
Johnson, the reconstruction of the South would
long ago have been virtually accomplished. If
the civil administration of our Government
had been in due harmony with the legislative
power, we should long ago have had peace. But
the President chose to force upon the country
policy of his own. He chose to override Congress.
He chose to reawaken the slumbering hostility
of the Chivalry to prevent any sort of recon-
struction unless he could have just the sort he
wanted to forget that, whatever his private
opinion upon constitutional difficulties the first
duty of good citizen is to obey the laws.
Gen. Sherman has sometimes been quoted
among the Presidents friends. How does Mr..
Johnson like this pointed condemnation out OF
his mouth