The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-23
MONS SENSE.


heap of nonsensical twaddie mas oeen
uttered recently by some Of our contempora-
ries about the supposed damage to the Demo-
cratic cause resulting from the hasty and rash
expressions or actions of few individuals
here and there in the South. tits tthe same
time admitted that such persons are not typi-
cal and representative, but exceptional and
eccentric that they speak for themselves
only that nobody in his senses viii hold the
Democratic party, or the Southern people,
responsible for what they do or say. Never
theless, it is gravely insisted that their ran
dom and unauthorized language and conduct
are the direful source from which spring
woful misapprehensions ia the Northern
mind with regard to the temper of the South
ern people, the meaning of the Democratic
platform, and the purpose and tendency OF
the Democratic party.
The argument, when summed up, defeats
itself To state it plainly is to refute it.
Rational men do not make exceptions and
eccentricities the basis of universal judgments.
They do not infer, if they happen to see a
white crow or black swan, that all crows are
white or that all swans are black. So, no one
who is capable of reasoning will think Oh
holding the Southern people, or the Demo-
cratic party, responsible for the mad mtem-
perance. in words or deeds, Of individuals
who are not manifestly opponents of either.
Yet city contemporary has permittt Itself
declare that ai iii =, 90 the
Democratic party fail in the coming election,
it will be from the incorporate madness of in
dividuals, for which the whole South will be
made responsible"
This whole theory of our relations to the
pending campaign, and of the prerequisites to
victory, is, not to mince phrases, unmitigated
and impairment bosh. People who are not
themselves demented can always distinguish
between lunacy and nationality, between drum
kenness and sobriety. The Northern masses
are not idiots. Even the Northern readers
and disciples of the Radical press are not SC
depraved in intellect, by cultivating preju.
dice and debauching in. SANDER, as to con-
found the "intemperate madness" of few
individuals in the South with the general and
normal spirit and behavior of all Southerners
who prefer Democracy to Radicalism, and
who fail to see the beauty and righteousness
of carpet-baggery and scalawaggery. They
accept the mendacity and fallacy of theil
papers about the South because they like thai
sort of mental provender; because they hate
the South; because they cannot forgive Us
for the injury which they have already
helped to infiict upon US, and therefore
want decent pretext for continuing to aid il
the perpetuation of policy whose obvious
design and tendency are to push us to thu
bitterest extremity of wretchedness. Blu
even suppose that the Northern masses ar,
idiotic, or SO nearly idiotic, and 80 deepl,
stepped in credulous animosity to the South
as to lend instant, perfect, and unshakabl
belief to wholesale charges against us b,
Radical journals, based on the exceptions
conduct or language of few individ
| uals for whom we are not responsible
And suppose further, as it is assumed b.
the theory in question, that our success ant
safety depend upon placating the insensat
dupes who believe those charges by removing
every xesiioe of the facts which ara made TN
irrational basis of the whole accusation
What would then be our case? Why, com
pletely hopeless. For we never can get ric
of individual exceptions, of anomalous ex
cesses, of eccentric impulses and extrava
gancies. Such things will inevitably crol
out, somehow and somewhere "let Hercule
himself do what be may" They are inciden
to all communicate human nature in al
its situations and relations. And We of tn
South-the strong and the weak, the sober
minded and the incorporate, are simpl.
human. Let us have no more prating abou
impossible conditions of success and safety
Our salvation and triumph will come a
length, as surely as the Northern people
under the wise and generous inculcations o
Democratic craftsmanship, will at length b
prepared to judge us with reason divestec
of evil predisposition and enlightened b.
candor and magnanimity.
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