The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-31

i
or all the political Bourbons we know Of
none so stupid and obstinate as JEFF Davis.
For this man, who barely escaped the gal
lows few years ago for his treason, who was
the chief of the rebellion to break up the
Union, who did more than any other man to
ruin the cause of the rebels, bad as that was,
and who has been o selfish and naughty Mar
plot through all his public career, to assume to
be leader again and to address the Southern
people on political affairs is the acme of i'm
pudence. His speech at Augusta, Ga, few
| days ago, and the one delivered at Atlanta
HERALD yesterday, were as imprudent and in
furious to the South and the democratic party
as they were impudent Nor was the conduct
of those Southerners who brought him before
the public and lauded him less so. 1t seems that
neither he nor they learn anything from mis-
fortune, the progress of events or the changed
circumstances of their situation. They can
not understand that the world moves and that
the stupendous political and social revolution
which they precipitated has removed the land
marks of the past and created new state OF
things in the United States.
We can hardly imagine that Davis and the
''ladies and gentlemen who thronged the Kim
ball House at Atlanta to grasp the hand of the
representative man Of the lost cause" and to
give him "their heartfelt welcome" intended
to injure the South or to prepare the way for
more discord, but they could have done nothing
more calculated to produce that result. The
fact alone of Davis appearing before the pub
lie to make speech, Of the people inviting
him to do so and Of the enthusiastic reception
he met with, was enough to arouse the indigna-
ton of loyal Union men both in the North and
South. Unless he had boldly and frankly
ignored the past, acknowledged the mistake
he and the South made, and accepted the
amendments to the constitution, with
all the other accomplished facts resulting from
the war, he should have held his tongue. At
least he should have remembered the old
adage, not to make noise till one is out of
the woods. The issues Of the war are not
dead. The politicians can and will use them
yet The sufferings, losses and dreadful con-
sequences generally of that national catas-
trophe are still fresh in the minds of the
Northern people and of the loyal people
everywhere. They are, consequently,
extremely sensitive to anything that may
be said laudatory of rebels or tending to
justify or paliate rebellion. The radical poll
ticians, knowing this, seize with avidity such
speech as that Of Davis and the ovation to
him to awaken the prejudice or apprehension
of the Northern people to keep the South in
political subsection and to raise cry against
the democratic party. We see, then, that
Davis and those who acted with him at
Atlanta have done much to injure themselves
and their section Of country. though they
might not have intended to do so. They COM
plain Of their disabilities and of what they
term the animosities Of the war still existing
at the North, yet they imprudently perpetuate
these by their own conduct.
Admitting even that the conflict between
the State rights theory Of government, apart
from the ultimate doctrine of secession, which
has been finally settled, and the theory of
strong, consolidated government still exists,
and that it will come up in the future, as Mr..
Davis intimates in his speech, he and those
who pushed the State rights doctrine to the
extreme of rebellion and the bloodiest civil
war Of modern times, are not the men to
make the issue or even to talk about It.
They could only do more harm than good.
Their role should be one Of abstention and
silence. IF should speak to you of the
past" Mr.. Davis says, Il should speak of
memories that are sad" Yes, sad indeed,
not only for the South, but for the North also.
And these sad memories were caused by him
and those like him for theory which was no
longer tenable. The civilized world was fast
outgrowing domestic slavery, and the effort to
uphold 1t by the State rights doctrine,
and finally by secession, was impracti-
cable. II the Southerners had valued the
beautiful republican institutions of our coun-
try, which gave them and all of us SO many
blessings more than slavery. they would have
yielded gracefully and step by step to public
opinion. Their error was in attempting to
destroy the Union and the best government
that ever existed for what they deemed an alb
stract right, forgetting that all governments
and institutions are subject to notifications as
nations advance and ideas change. 1t is the
same rigid adherence to dogmas that can no
longer be safely maintained that leads Mr..
Davis and other Southerners into dangerous
mistakes.
eff should speak to you Of the present."
Mr. Davis goes on to say, 'tt would be to re-
count a tale Of tyranny and wrong that we
have not the power to redress, and under
which, therefore, it is more manly and noble
to fold our arms and suffer with quiet
and patient dignity" No doubt there
has been tyranny and wrong under
the radical rule Of the South, and