New-York tribune., 1869-01-02
SENSE rs. SpIPT.

In Dr. MOOre's clever but almost forgotten
novel called "Zelucor there is n humorous
Scotchman who will permit nobody to speak
disIespectfully of Mary Queen of Scots. No
man. said Mr.. large, "shall calumniate the
memory of that beautiful and unfortunate
princess in my presence while | can WELD
"claymore.n One consequence of Mr. Targe's
historical opinions was n ferocious duel with
George Buchanan, "a Wing of the West" who
was badly wounded after which the cOmbatants
became friends once more. A great many of
the Southern soldiers and politicians during the
late war, if they had been neatly cross exam
ined concerning the cause of their wrath, and
had made true and honest answers, would have
been puzzled to assign any weighty reason for
their belligcrcncy. They we're extremely angry
They fought, unquestionaby, with great cour-
age and energy. They thought their cause u
good one, rs men in the heat of ailray are ac-
customed to think; but if they had been asked
to make logical exposition of that cause, or
TO put down their grefs in black and white,
they would hardly have found the task an easy
one Talk about chivalry proved nothing.
Mere courage in the field established nothing.
Great enthusiasm may sometimes be without n
n time than mob, aud n mob is usually the
most irrational of oil human fssemblages.
The letter of Gen. Longstrcet to his friend
in Georgia, which has recently been printed,
would not have been written at all If there
had not still existed at the South more than is
wholesome of this childish spirit--an exhibition
of human infrmity of which it would ill be-
como us to speak lightly, since it has already
led To such disastrous results. Gen. Longstrect
complains of the Southern politicians of the
cold SCHOOL, who "seom anxious to impress
upon the minds Of young men the Importance
"of rejecting all propositions coming from tho
Republican party for the reason that acqui-
escence in any possible scheme of rcconstruc-
ton would "dishonOr their own blood and the
"blood Of their fallen cOmrades.n Against the
folly of such notion (fOr it is little better)
Gen. Longstreet enters a kindly but energetic
protest. 1t is easy 10 talk of the blood
of the martyrs. It is not difficult
to write and to print verses about lost cause.
In this way, without dispute the sullen and the
dissatisfied may continue to keep open wounds
which should now be thoroughly healed, and
to postpone complete paciiicaton until the
advent of new generation. But Gen. Long
street sees, and all sensible Southern men seo
that nothing is to be gained; that Oh the con-
trary, a great deal is to be missed by persist
ence i'll passions and prejudiccs which have lost
all political force, and which cannot prevent
reconstruction, however long they may delay it,
We candidly admit that those mistaken citizens
of the South who calmly and conscientiously
adhere, in theory ut least, to the doctrine of
Secession. are much to be pitied and are not to
be severely censured. But the question is, How
many such are there7 We firmly believe that
the closest investigation would not find them
to be numerous. The noise and wrath, the vio-
lence and bloodshed, the howls and Kisses, tho
protestations and threats, which force them
selves, of course. upon the public atten-
ton, are far from being the utterances of solid
conviction OF the witnesses of well-balanced
minds There is passion enough in them
certainly, but precious little common sense.
We may be annoyed by them, but it does
not become US to DO dismayed.
In making up our social estimate of the |
South We find the following classes: 1. Those |