The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-30
SPIRIT OF TEE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current T opios-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE NEW SOUTH.

THE NEW SOUTH.
From the NJ Y. Tribune
Happy is that people, says philosopher,
''whose annals are dull" lie was right; and
hence we conclude that the South, in the
large view, is dong we'll Though afflicted
with many thousands of inhabitants who owe
more than they can pay, and. of course, COM
plain of hard times-with thousands who can
do nothing that is of any use, and thus can find
nothing to do-by thousands more who,
vainly bemoaning an irrecoverable past, re-
fuse to adapt themselves to the living present,
and naturally find it intolerable-the South
wears more cheerful aspect in 1870 than she
did in either of the last five years. Though
idlers, white and black, still throng her
cities and crowd her cabins, she has more
people at work to-day than she had at this
time in any previous year since 1865
though she has still an immense area of arabic
land thrown out of cultivation, she WILL with
a fair season. grow and manufacture far more
1870 than in any recent year. Her soil is
still cheap, but not so utterly unstable as
most of it for years has been; her railroads
might be better, but they are more service
able than of late, and are growing better
month by month. If the South can simply
60 on as she is going for ten years longer,
she will be richer and more prosperous than
she ever yet has been.
Yet she is not without her remaining
seourges; and first among these are her Ku-
Klux. These are generally Rebels who kept
out of the Confederate armies under one pre-
text or another, and thus escaped being
whipped into good behavior; but some of
them were boys, too young to shoulder
musket in 1864, but now old enough for
malignity and mischief. These malcontents,
too cowardly for open rebellion, conspire in
secret to make night hideous by masks and
cowardly raids on inoffensive negroes, whom
they hate, abuse, and rob, because they are
free. Though but an insignificant fraction
of the Southern whites are Ku-Klux, or give
them any positive aid, there must be many
who do nothing to expose, denounce and
bring them to justice. All who do not, as
well as the nasquerading villains they vir-
tually protect, are enemies of the South.
Next in baleful importance are those who
deserve the appelation of ''oarpet-baggers.
We do not regard this word as applicable to
the thousands of good and true men who have
migrated southwark since 1864, with honest
intent to make their homes henceforth in the
South and help rebuild her waste places. We
know some of these and know that they are
blessing to any community of which they
form part. But there is a large class who
went South in quest of office, or power, or
plunder of some kind, and who have let
nothing stand in the way of their greed or their
ambition. Had the Southern whites evinced
sense enough to say to the blacks promptly and
heartily, ''You are as free as we are; hence
forth your prosperity is identified with ours;
we bid you welcome to the rights claimed by
us" the carpet-baggers could have done no
harm. But the ex-Rebels saw fit to act like
fools, with regard not merely to black suffrage
but to black schools, black privileges in public
conveyances, etc., etc. If the carpet-baggers
have had too much power, they owe it less to
the votes of the blacks than the mad folly of
the whites. If their power is not yet broken,
4ha yyhi 1nhal1
No rational being can blame the blacks for
trusting even unworthy whites who treat them
as men rather than those who persist in re-
garding them as dogs.
Some weeks ago, great Democratic meet
ing was held in New Orleans. The principal
speaker was ex-senator Hendricks of Indiana,
who urged his hearers to deal henceforth with
the blacks wisely and kindly, in view of the
fact that they had acquired the right of suf-
frage, and could not be divested of it. In the
face of this excellent advice, the meeting pro-
ceeded-after denouncing carpet-bag rule as
UNANIMOUSLY corrupt and rapacious-to resolve
that ''the Star-car system" should be revived
in New Orleans-that is, that no colored per-
son should henceforth be allowed to ride in
any street cars but those expressly set apart
for their use! Of course, that was fair notice
to every colored voter that he must in no case
cast a Democratic ballot, unless he chose to
degrade and stigmatize his own race.
Such are the antagonist influences that are
mainly responsible for whatever is still de-
plorable in the condition of the South-the
Ku-Klux who scourges, robs, and sometimes
kills. inoffensive negroes, being the most
fragrant offender; but the carpet Dagger who
would use them for his own selfish and Otter
mercenary ends, and the Democrat who would
perpetuate senseless antagonism of races
contributing to the distraction and paralysis
of her energies. We trust that all togethe
form a decided minority of her people, Will,
the great majority of all colors are intent oil
the earliest possible closing of all remaining
wounds through the triumph of universe
amnesty and the firm establishment of impair
tial suffrage.
RECONSTRU CTION OF THE CABINET
From the NJ Y. Sum-
Reports have been current in Washington
for some time past that the Hon. Hamiltol
Fish is about to retire from the State Depart
ment. 1t is said that the only reason is tina
he desires to do SO; and it is certain tina
General Grant would never dismiss membe
of his Cabinet who did not resist any favorit
notion of his, and who treated him wit
politeness. Very likely the report of MI
Fish's intention is true. The place he hold
is not the one he is understood to hav
coveted His ambition was to be appointe
Minister to England, but the President mad
him Secretary of State. 1t was one of tn
queerest acts of this queer administration.
Mr. Fish is an honest man. He is also
gentleman His natural disposition is patr
otto He would not ;ntant;onaII,, d;sLorc