The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-12-19
From the Round Table.
The Condition Of the south.

partlsans, whose opinions throughout
the momentou, struggle from which this
country has lately emerged have retained
an unchanged bias, preserved the same
monotone of color. are not always safe
guides in matters either Of fact or proba-
bility which have direct relation to their
cherished theories. Starting with this
proposition, and coupling with it the state
ment that We have ever been steadfast OPP
pouen:s Of slavery and staunch supporters
Of pational unity, we submit some reiiec-
tons and circumstances relating to the
present condition of our southern section,
asking for them the consideration which
this predatory explanation may seem to
Justify. From whatevef point OF view
moral. financial, or poiitical--we may re-
gard the southern states, their situation is
unspeakably deplorabie. The effect OF
subjugation is always demorallzlng. Men
lose hear: and self reliance Energies are
paralyzed Self respect is lowered. From
the inspiration Of battling for a cause men
sink to mere vulgar self seeking and greed,
and often it happens that. the nobler ob-
Gets Of life being abandoned. they plunge
recklessy into base pleasures and desfa-
dug sensualities. lie ci'et;s.' If the VIC
tors be not, what the victors are, nagnan-
imoas and generously min ifnl OF their
subiec. tnra!IS, the lest cause soon De-
comes the least oil the regrets OF the more
wise Among the conquered \ lost peo-
pie is an Infinitely worihler subject OF sor-
row.
Under thci. defeat 1t cannot te denied
that the southern people have behaved
with --ea. nobleness Before the close OF
the war. more 1t the north as we'll as al
the south believed tat the surrender OF
the southern armies would De followed by
q guerilla warfare, of years yet rom the
iay of Johnson surrender not one outrage
has occurred such a. had with reason been
anticipated The cause OF this is two-to.d.
The southern people were always mar
till people, ami however we may sheer at
their chgalry-which doubtless was an
element both Of weakness AMI of strength
We must ut least concede that they pos
sessei the virtues as veil as the defects Of
the martial nature. r they were proud.
i.npetaou>. impatient. they were also brave,
enduring. re soiute and since the war they
have proved that they possess beyond all
precedent in history the soldier'y chaiae-
terislc of fidelity to their pledged word.
Never were such numbers Of soldiers let
loose in conquered COUNT on their bare
parole OF honor And parole vas never
more truly kept The mau Of ti.s south
were chained py chain Of adamant whe.'
they had given their word OF honor to obey
the government that had subjected them !;
and this has beer the great cause OF the
tranquility which has prevailed since their
surrender. Another hardly slighter cause
lies in the ;udicious counse!s aud more ju-
dicious silence of their pubic men.
Heretofore the ieat..ng statesmen OF The
country have been generally from the
south. aud though the race Of giants has
long since passed away from both the
alienated sections OF the country, Il Is dit
ticult 10 conceive 4 course OF calmer or
more disuiied discretion than has been
pursued by the southern pablo men IN
their late unhappy circumstances. Here
anI there q Pollard laay have vapored
somewhat. ana ms vaporinss have always
been extensively circulated III the north.
sterc and there. too, Oh our owA side vi
sie line, some ten:h-rate newspaper has set
up Is par excellence the advocate of the
southern rights; but it is not from such
sources ;iest re learn the course Of the
southern mea Of note. It IS from Ice
in his coi!e.c, Il Stephens II iiis study. a
Bragg 81 his plantation, or johnson on
his railroad that we truly learn It,
Even the crowd Of insignificant n0bod-
les that filcl the confederate congress
have behaved wish unexpected wisdom
aud the rress. notwithstanding It's teinpta-
ton to eater TO the excitabie Tendencies
of the people. has uniformly discouraged
all resistance to the powers that be
THOUSAND, of soldiers could never ~ any
copceiva1le system OF repression, have
maintained the quiet order, aud su5mis-
sive resignation which everywhere pre-
vailed in the subjugated states. These
things are due to the intelligence OF the
people and he fidelity vi the late soldiers
We have heard much 0f the negro witl
white men. n the name OF justice ano
of mercy. let our negrophilSts at The nurtl
begin to do something to show that they
still believe the white man TO be equal t.
the negro. The whole course Of the GOV
ernment has f)r months past been calcu
lated to degrade our Own blood IN tn
southern states IN order 10 cxait the negr
population. All cur charities have beer
devoted to the negro Only lie" gener
Gus hearted persons have turned thei
liberalltv to the poor whites 1t Is vel
known that the school fund IN more tha
one of the southern states has been, durln
the last year, diverted from It's object t
buy bread to feed the starving. le
while ireelmen's schools are dotted owe
the south. and Yankee school mistresse
are eyerywhere-and some Of them mos
!audablv-cngaged in teaching negroes
not one school has it entered into norther
minds to establish for the poor white CHI
tlren of the south
OF the financial condition Of the sont
it is hardly necessary tospeak. The clio:
Of the war found TIE peope stripped
everything. Without clothing, wlthoI
shoes without tools. destitute Of all the o