Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-09-19
The Insanity Of Politics.

Under this caption the Philadelphia Led.
ger, usually known as an independent jour
nal, but with Democratic proclivities. printed
editorially,a a few days since, the annexed
dignifed and candid protest against the
revolutionary policy ofthe Democratic party.
Showing, as it does, the occasion for serious
alarm, and as bearing cogent testimony to
the correctness of the interpretations which
the friends of the Union have placed upon
recent Democratic avowa!s of principles and
intentions, the Ledger article deserves a
thoughtful perusal. It says:
Every good citizen must look with pro
found regret upon great deal that is now
going on in the Southern States. There
was room for this belief after ;he rebellion
was suppressed, and when the Southern peo
pie were brought face to face with the wide
spread ruin that was brought upon them bv
that Gigantic blunder," as some of their
statesmen called it, and crime, as the nation
regarded it, that they would never more
give countenance to the hot-headed and
hair Drained orators and writers who had
dragged them into that terrible desolation
But notwithstanding the bitter experience
of the past seven years, that fruitful section
of our country is still cursed with the in
huence and the active agency of the same
classes of men. But short time ago it was
the belief of an unquestionabe majority of
the people of the old free States, that the
planters, farmers, merchants, manufacturers,
and all Others in the South, engaged in in.
dustrial and productive pursuits, were heart.
lily sick of all the memories of the late rebel.
lion, and.were anxious to put them all aside,
so that they might get their business affairs
into successful action once more, and go on
with the necessary operations of life There
can be but little doubt that such was the
case, and we cherish the belief that it still
remains true to the masses of the people of
that section of our country.
They boast of the achievements of the re.
bellion, they apostrophize the reDelious flag,
they declare that the Lost Cause" is to be
resurrectted, they speak lightly of numbering
the "NOrthern Huns" they declare that their
former comrades in arms are ready to rise
again when the signal is given, and they
deal generally in grand round of the same
style of eXasperating oratory that ''fred the
Southern heart before the rebellion, and
which at last fired the Northern heart also
| There is great danger that both may be fired
again-and the worst enemy to the South
could hardly desire worse fate to 5efal
that unhappy country.
! Yet what wonder is it that many plain,
! good people in the North and West believe
]
waiting for another opportunity to break
out afresh = They are told so day after day,
and week after week, by those who are put
forward or who put themselves forward as
! the representative spokesmen of the old
| slave States. This comes to us from conven-
! tions, from meetings, and through the par
| tisan press. The utterances on these occa-
sions are of the most mischievous character,
damaging to the people of the South, and
exasperating the people of the rest of the
country. They are naturally looked upon
as showing the temper of the great mass of
the Southern people, and the inference quite
as naturally follows that those who show
suck spirit of glori6caton over the events
of 1861 to 1885, will not be slow to repeat
them if the chance presents ITSELF and that
they are therefore not to he trusted.
Some of the most sagacious of the South
ern newspapers, it is true, have deprecated
such speeches and publications as Injurious
to the canvass for the Presidency, and on
this ground have tried to muzze the slang
whanging speech makers and editors But
this is not satisfactory ground to put the
case upon at all. What is said and done is
not condemned because it is wrong and bad
in itself, but because it is impolitc Now,
although this may go down with party men,
| it will not satisfy those whom the Southern
people ought to be studious to retain as
| their friends. 1t will not satisfy those who
desire to be generous TO the South, because
they wish to see the people of the South
rescued from the ruin of the rebellion, but
who at the same time hold their country
above party, and will not associate them
selves with any movement that keeps alive
! the spirit of the rebellion. 1t will not salts
fly those thinking and independent voters
who are not blindly bound to follow the
dictates of party, and who in these days
hold The balance of power among all parties.