The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-27
Southern Feeling.

In an article in Hdrper's Magazine entitled
"Chiyalrous and Semi.Chivalrous Southrons,"
Mr.. j. W. De Forest writes rs tolows:-
The great majority of the Southerners,
denying that they provoked the war, looking
upon us not as the saviors of common country,
hut us the subjuga,ors of their sovereign States,
regard US with detestatlon.
| speak of the "chiValrous Southrons,n the
gentry, the educated, the socially influential.
the class which before the war governed the
south, the class which may soon govern 1t
again.
Imagine the wrath of fine gentleman, once
the representative of his country abroad, who
hHds himself driven 10 open a beer saloon.
Imagine the indignation OF "a fine lady who
must keep boarders; OF another who must go
out to service little less than menial; of another
who must beg ratons with low-downers and
ne grOes. During the war | saw women OF good
families at the South who had no stockings;
and here beg leave TO stop and ask the reader
to conceive fully, If he can, the sense of
DEGRADATION which must accom- Dany such
poverty; a degradation of dirt and nakedness
and slatteTny uncOmeliuess, be it observed; "A
degradation which seemed to place them beside
the negro. Let as imagine the prosperous
ladies OF our civilization prevented ouly from
wearing the latest fashions; what manifest man
Uf us all would like to assume the responsibility
of such piece OF tyranny?
Moreover, Oar Lady of Tears" the terrible
lEdteT LdcbTyn0run1 OF DE Quincey's visions,
oils the whole South with her outcrIes for the
dead 1t is not so much a wonder as pity that
the women are bitter, and teach bitterness TO
their children.
OF course there are lower and more ridiculous
motives for this hate. Nou-com batauts, sure of
at least bodily safety, are apt to be warlke, and
to blow cheap trumpet5 of mock herOism.
Furthermore, II is aristOcratC TO keep aloof
from Yankees; and what women does not desire
TO have the tone OF grand society
When viii this sectional aversion end? / can
only offer the obvious reflection that il is desir-
able Tor both North and South, bat especially
Tor the weaker of the two, that it should end as
quickly as possible, For the sake Of the entire
republic we should endeavOr TO make all our
citizens teel that they are Americans, aud
nothing but Americans. If we do not accom-
plish that end, we shall not rival the greatness
OF the Romans. 1t was not paCrcianism which
made Rome great so much as the vast COM
munity and bonded strength OF Roman citizen
ship. Let us remember in our legislation the
law of solidarity; the fact that no section OF
community can be injured without iDjuring the
other sections; that the perfect prosperity OF
the whole depends upon the prosperity OF all the
parts
This idea should be kept in view despite of
proyocatons; this policy Will in the end pro-
duce broad and sound national unity. As the
SouthCTners find that the republic brings them
prosperity they will little by little, and one by
one, become as loyal as the people OF other
Whether chiyalrous or semi chivalrous, the
SOutherner has more individuality OF character
than the Northerner, and is Que of the most
interesting, or, at all events, one OF the most
amusing, personages on this continent, If not in
the world. He has salient virtues, vices, and
oddities; he has that rich, practical humor
which is perfectly UNCONSCIOUS OF being humor-
istc; he in the gravest manner decOrates his
life with ludicrous and romantic virtues; in
short, he is a prize Tor the anecdotlst aud
novelist. Dixie has thousands Of high.toned
gentlemen who suppose themselves to be
patterns of solemn ana staid propriety, but who
would be fit to associate with the Caxtons and
Doctor Riccabocca In that land of romance
you will find Uncle Toby and Squire Western
and Sir Pitt Crawley and Colonel Neweome
and Mr.. Pickwick and LIE Chourineur, all
moving in the best society, and quite sure that
they are Admirable CrChtons.
Audacity, vehemence, recklessness, passion,
sentiment, prejudice, vanity, whimwhams, ab-
surdities, culture, ignorance courtliness, bar
barism The individual has plenty of elbow.
room at the South; he kicks out of the traces
with freedom unknown to our steady-pulhng
society; he is a bull in Mrs. Grundys china shop.
S1angest of all, he believes that he is like the
rest of the world, or, more accurately, that the
rest of the world should be like him.
The Chiyalrous Southron has been too posi-
lively and authoriatiyely political power to
get fair treatment in literature. People have
not described him; they have felt driven to de-
| claim about him; they have preached for him or
preached against him. Northern pens have not
done Justice 10 his virtues, nor Southern pens to
| his vices.
How shall we manage this eccentric creature?
| We have been ruled by him; we have fought
| him, beaten him, made him captive; now what
| treatment shall we ailot him? My opinion is
| that it would be good both for him and for us
! il we should perseveringly attempt to put up
| with his oddities and handle him as pet He
resembles the ideal white bears described in the
Peal of Orr's Island;" there amt no kinder
creeter in the whole world if you'll only get the
right side of him. 1t is true that he has wanted
to eat us, which is eXasperatlng; it is true that
he still talks of eating us at some convenient
season which is ridiculous but l believe that
| he suffered too much i'll our late struggle to
! seriously think of renewing it; hold that his
War.snorts are mere election buncombe
little letting alone, a little Cancellation, a
! little hattery even, would sOOthe him amazingly;
and il united with good government would IN
! the end be sure to reconstruct him as a quiet
| citizen and sound patriot The Republican
party, while firmly maintaining the integrity of
! the country and the great results of the war in
| the advancement of human freedom, ought TO
labor 8ealously for the prosperity of the South,
| treat tenderly its wounded pride, forget the
| angry past, be patient with the perturbed
present and so create a true, heartfelt, national
unity.