Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-09-23

national or domestic sentiment. When
l had an opportunity / asked Strother
the State of feeling in Virginia.
Sulleuness and ruin, he said, 'the
old vices of pride and idleness that
John Smith attested of the earliest Vir-
einians exist to-day throughout this
whole commonwealth, aggravated by
conscious poverty. The sentiment
against manual labor is as strong as
ever. The young men can't contend
against it. They will loiter around the
hotels, borrow money from nybody,
with no expectation of returning it,
drink on credit, and do no work. A
good many young fellows have been to
see me. seeking advice. [ tell them to
quit the State, to go North or West
They are able bodied. In an atmos-
phere where work is pride they will
turn to as well as anybody. But their
condition is hopeless here. 1t is not
altogether the sentiment against work
it is the atmosphere of laziness, the
feeling of feudalism at war with the
personal degradation of industry, de-
spising trade, fit only for politics and
fighting"
sit is no delusion," continued Port
Crayon, that the feudal spirit and
mode of life, perpetuated in Virginia
by slavery, is more marked than you
will find it any where in Europe. Bull
wer would have found models here for
the last of the Barons. The feudal
spirit was averse to the life of cities.
SO is Virginia She has no great city
on the Chesapeake or on the Ohio.
Her small cities are settled by Northern
mechanics or by shopkeepers. The
feudal spirit had no respect for law.
To this day in Virginia it is disgraceful
to go to law A man in civil quarrel
will shoot his antagonist or settle the
case by single combat, but it is low.
and tradesmanlike to appeal to a court
They love politics so did the feudal
spirit. These people will take any of
flee from constable up to President,
indifferently. The army and politics
are the only professions patent and in
digenous here.
1.-The ruin of treason has changed
the character of the race. People who
used to go to church have grown super
stitious they tell of springs that have
ceased to flow and of trees unaccounta-
bly, blasted. The old men carry the
curse in their eyes. Their physical
growth is gone their eyes and skins
are ash colored. The race of Virgin
ians is bound to die out The North
will flow in here with its ideas of labor,
and these people will disappear among
the neighboring States like the Indians.
Their cardinal traits have disappeared !;
there is no more fight in them. We
have had the last rebellion amongst
these people For the original Virgin
ian in Virginia l see no prospect what
ever p
Have you know fears of the negro
element I? Will it not be corrupt %
"No 1 have no fears. 1t cannot be
more miserable clement than that
which our politicians controlled before
the war"
(Here ''Porte Crayon" showed me a
capital sketch of a certain old local
character of Winchester, who WAS pre-
pared to demonstrate the overthrow of
the Democratic party for the sum of
one dimel
"The negro" he proceeded, twill
make good, docile citizen. [ have
no trascendental notions that he will
make the dominant race here or any
where. The stream cannot rise above
it's fountain The war was not the
vindication of the black mans power,
but of the principle of nationality, the
supremacy of free labor, and the victory
of the ideas represented by New Eng
land over those of the South. This
victory is more complete than the bat
tlefeld or politics. AS a separate SEN
timent the South is dead"
FACTS ABOUT GRANT AND LEE.
You must understand that was no
newspaper correspondent, holding an
''interview" with porte Crayon."
knew him before and it was not till he
had talked so Gnsuspectingly for u long
time that it occurred to me / might
make some use of his conversation.
[ asked him as much. Said he
''No! L don't want you to quote me.
But if can be of any use in any way
to inform you upon the new era here,
of course that information is public
property"
So asked him about Grant and Col
fax, the impeachment trial and Genera
Lee.
1.-THE impeachment trial, on com
mon sense principles" he said, 60
looked upon asa swindle and blunder
1t was natural that the hot heads should
undertake it, but it was an attack upor
the Executive position, a bad prece
dent. johnson had little while t,
run. With no feeling for him, 1 an
glad the trial resulted as it did. I lik
Grant, he has got character. There is n
fummery in him, but force. His Who'll
: career inspired me with respect. w
5 don't want education, or experience
a or suggestion SO much in the Chic