The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-14
Why Do the Hea then Rage!
from Re ~. Y. World.

FROM The ". Y. W0Ttd.
1t is in vain that our Republican contempo-
raries endeavor to revive the passions and the
prejudices of the war. Their own frenzy is
fictitious, but if it were real the people would
not share it. The patty y-cries, the misrepre-
sentations, the maledictions, which were sue
cessful four years ago because OF the excited
and pas assionate temper of the public mind, to-
DAY not only fail. but they do worse than fail
they defeat the purpose OF those who use
them. They give an aspect of the ridiculous
to that which was once sacred. There exists
no answering heat and passion in the peoples
minds, and tue excited language of the R-pub-
lcan journals falls upon their ears wi h no
other result than any equally exaggerated
and intemperate harangues would have. Their
first effect is to close the mind against even
that small modicum of truth which is con-
veyed in such clumsy and offensive vehicle.
The electioneering violence with which the
Tribune, Herald, Times, and EUening Post
have opened their campaign may confidently
be expected to enlighten rather than to en-
venom the minds of their readers. AS a
matter of fact it is not suited to the present
temper of the people. Its incongruity with
that temper is not merely fatal to the purpose
of those who clothe their party purposes in
such outrageous and disproportionate lam
guage, but it will also have the effect of ex-
hibitiDg to vast numbers of sensible men,
ardent in their patriotism aud intoerant of
difference, as high feeling so commonly is,
just how far they themselves We're swept
along by the passions of the war, and the
prejudioes arising out Of those passions, from
the path OF common sense and tolerant pa
tIiotism.
The Republicans four years ago really used
to think, and actually persuaded great many
sensible and well-meaning persons to think
that they alone were truly patriotic, that they
alone 10y ally desired the prosperity, peace,
and union of the country. Mems minds were
so heated by the collisions, the cost, and the
calamlties OF the war, that it was possible for
this belief to De widely prevalent Three
years of Republican misrule have disturbed
this popular and passionate cr-dulity, and
now it would be generally deemed mark of
bigOtTy and discreditable parrOwness if man
We're TO utter such intolerant sentiments con-
cerppg his fellow citizens as easily passed
current among the unrehectng then.
The Republican journals which we have
named are proceeding upon the theory that
the ardent and passionate patriotism of the
war epoch has ripened and hardened into par
tisan bigOtry and intolerance, 1t has done
nothing of the kind. The American people are
100 enterprising, intelligent, and active race
of men for such a calamity to be possible to
them, They work out OF their mistakes They
shed their transient intolerance. They are
hospitable to new truths and to fresh light
escape them as rapidly as any people on the
fa3e of the earth. 1t is the rarest thing in the
world for the crust of prejudice TO harden
aronnd and entomb the intelligence of Ameri-
can citizeps.
Therefore, the journals which appeal to their
readers with the frepzied harangues, the vio-
lent prejudice, and the bigoted intolerance,
which were not universally OdiOus three or
four years ago, only because the nation was
then in the agony of struggle for its unity,
are certain to make themselves ridiculous
now, and so far from envenomng the minds of
their readers, are likely to assist them to
lust and reasonable measure OF their own prl-
vate and individual errors of prejudice, pas
sion, and injustice.
As easy way as any to prsve the change
which time and events have brought upon
the II inds of us all. and often wrought un-
consciously, is to endeavOr to put ourselves,
as We are now into our states of mind then.
This is tie natural and usual way in which
We reckon in maturity our progress, or in old
age our decline. II is thus that the bearded
man discovers how different he is, while yet
the same, from himself in the illusions of
youth.
Take, for example, that speech of Governor
SEYMOUR. not TO the rioters, but to a Gro wd in
the City Hall Park five years ago-a document
which became more thoroughly polarized with