Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-22
Political VNssaIage-The NOrtsa and
the South.

| As we remarked, shortly after Mr..
| Greeley began his speecl-malling tour, the
weak point in his campaign was his bold,
unequivOcal advocacy of a generous, manly
reconciliatory policy toward the people of
the South. Thi* patent fact we have never
attempted to disguise from ourselves or our
readers. We have never attempted to de-
Iude ourselves or our readers into the belief
that the Northern people had ever come to
regard Us otherwise than as enemies, trail
tors and criminals, WHO deserved all the
punishment aud Ietrbution that it was
possible to heap upon individuals or upon
a people. We have never been satisfied,
nor have we attempted to convince others,
that tie passions Of the Northern people
had subsidized, or that their angry feelings
had been calme.l down into state Of either
Christian or political forgiveness. The
armies Ct the S0uthern C0ntederacy had
seen too many If its foes bite the dust in
its front not to know that every village and
hamlet on Northern soil mOurned for dead
and loved ones, whose step would never
again make music upon their threshold.
There were too many sisters mourning
brothers, too many daughters mourning
fathers, too many mothers mourning son
too many wives mourning husbands, to
permit the bloody Chasm so soon to be
bridged over. 1t was not, however, our
part to stay the hand or hinder the step Of
him Who would attempt it. Indeed,
when HORACE GREELEY stepped for
wand and magnanim0Usly sacrificed him
self in the profrless attempt to heal the
wounds inflicted by the war, it seemed
to us that only the bascst inGratitUde
could induce us to withhold our warmcst
support from linn. We therefore supported
Mr. Greeley with all the ability We could
command and fer the same reason. the
: reason that we were satisfied Of the
potency Of this feeling OF hate towards the
South, we never blinded our eyes to the
/ danger Of defeat that awaited lis nor have
we sought to attribute the defeat, signal
/ and unprecedented, that actually bctell us
to any other cause than the one that
brought it ah0ul. The more Mr.. Greeley
talked abont reconciliation with the South
the less were lis chances for election TO
/ the Presidency Ct the nitcd States. The
great popular heart Of the North was at
once fired, and the aspirations of Mr.
Greeley rendered vain and idle. If there
was need Of any proof of the truth Of these
! views, it IS 10 be f1uua i'll the following
extract from an editorial Of recent date OF
the New Yolk Ercn:ng Post, entitled
..Thc Dose Of the War," in vIir,l it was
said
"Thc stupendu.ts civil contest which was
appealed to the arbitrament Ct, the world
ten wears ago, may be sail 10 have closed
for the first time and finally, in the recent
election.
For the suffering, misled South, tho
way IS clear; it is to abandon the hope
less struggle for political control, and &c
devote Its energies to the industrial ant
social development of its unrivalled re-
sources and Of its rede eIned and spirited
people. Never was Srander opportunity
opened to any country, and 1t will be lis
own fault if it does not recognize labor aE
the law of universal life and progress. Il
has been made miserable through an in
dustrial system founded in wrong, but Il
can redeem the past ana lift itself to hlther
to unreached heights of prosperity through
an industrial system founded in right. 1t
working classes, degraded as they have
been, yet contain clements Of I-nusua
: strength, which need orly to be generousl.
guided and applied, to attain the richest re
, wards Oi free civilization"
: In response to this, we say that VI
greatly mistake the temper and feeling O
f the Southern people if they are willing t.
abandon " the struggle for political control,
and to subside into mere hewers Of Voc,
: and drawers of water in the America
Union. The time will never come whe
. Southern men will consent to such stat
: of vassalage. So long as the iron hand G
!, despotic power is able to make us feel on
impotence, we may be compelled to sut
NIT to this state OF things. The day is nc
< far distant, however, when we will be abl
e to regain our wOnted "political CONTROL" a
| well as to promote "the industrial an
p social development " of our section. 1t 1
e certainly as far fIom our purpose to
political vassals as ever it was.