Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-06
WORCESTER
FRIDAY. SEPT. 6, 1873.


something aboui 'ABttSuOnisns-0
In brief speech, at Syracuse, Mr.. Samuel J.
Tilden said to the democratic state convention:
"The antagonists which the civil war has ere
ated between the kindred populations of our
country, must be closed up now and forever"
We agree with Mr.. Tilden that this should be
the animating sentiment and purpose of every
good citizen, north and south, east and west.
Bat, in our Judgment, he should do something
more than utter such words, in a general way
assuming, of course, that he really has some
thing more in view than merely talking for the
present political canvass. He should, in the
first place, consider where and by whom the
"antagonisms'' in question are cherished,
what keeps them alive, and how they
can be removed. Among the people of the
north, so far at least as republicans are con-
cerned, no autagonism 10 the southern people is |
cherished or felt. Since the war; there has been
nothing yindictive in the mood of the northern
people, nothing unfriendly. On the contrary,
there has been forbearaRce, magnanimity, and
good will They can not consent to a restora-
ton of the slave power, of any part of it; for
it was that power which made war upon repub
lican ideas, organized treason, and well nigh
destroyed the nation. That baleful power ere
ated the "antagonisms," years ago. Ithas been
overthrow, and the "lost cause" must remain
lost, because the welfare of the nation demands
this
The chief obstruction in the way of that uni
veIsal reconciliation and good feeling which
ought to exist is the mood of those who refuse
to accept the situation. If Mr.. Tilden Will ex-
plain how these people can be induced to lay
aside their hostility and allow it to abe closed
up now and forever" we shall feel that he has
laid us under great obligation. How, for in
stance, can Mr.. Toombs, of Georgia, be induced
to lay aside the "antagonisms" which move
him 10 eulogize the kuklux assassinS and liken
them TO the Greek heroes who died at Their
mopyle? Or how shall they be brought to
reconciliation and good feeling, who, like Sena-
tor Stevenson of Kentucky, and many others,
aim at power to undo the work of recon
struction, and recover by political man
agement what the rebels lost on the
battle field? The truth is, such peo-
pie are still fighting for the "lost cause, and,
therefore, keep alive the "antagonisms" it
created. And yet, in the north, there is no
hatred, nor unfriendliness OF any sort, even to
such men, no feeling of any kind inconsistent
with good will. There is opposition to the aims
they profess accompanied by earnest hope that
they will at length become wise enough 10 lay
them aside. Mr.. Tilden says, the "antagon-
isms must be laid aside now and forever" Will
he preach this doctrine earnestly TO these peo-
Pile? There is no reason why he should waste
time preaching 1t to those who do not cherish
fl,a m ,t4bfa bn rarar Va 10 IN
think him dishonest but, there is something in
his talk which makes us feel that his aim was,
not to promote reconciliation, but to assume false
ly that republicans oppose it, and that every
body else favors it.
We can not see how reconciliation" is to be
promoted by falsely accusing republicans who
have done more than anybody else to secure it.
II Mr.. Tilden proposes to yield all that is de
manded by the ex-rebel wing of his party, and
call that discarding antagonisms snow and for
ever" his words are dishonest they do not tell
what he means; for he is really at work in be.
half of perpetual dissension. Peace and good
will are impossible on such a basis. The Can
tagonisms'' which have disturbed the country,
and which still lnger in the south, were not
created by the civil war. They caused that war
They have been at work for half a century.
They made it dangerous to be known in the
south as an opponent of the slave power which
created them. 1t is not surprising that they have
survived the downfall of that power. Mr.. Tilden
says, they "must" disappear; but does not seem
to mean that any change of this southern mood
is needed In fact, he would keep this out of
sight and accuse republicans. He means, if he
means anything, that republican opposition
to southern attempts to restore the "lost cause
must disappear. The southern democrats will
not give up their "antagonisms'; therefore, we
must allow them to have their own way. This,
however, is not the way to peace and good will
it is the way back to "Chaos and odd Night;
and it seems so be, also, Mr.. Greeley's way
10 the presidency. Time and experience will
cure the bad mood now cherished by many
southern people. 1t can not be cured by any
use against ii of Mr.. Tllden's word ''must'
The basis of any true aud lasting reconciliation,
must be a cordial acceptance of the justice
which the downfall of slavery has established,
and earnest faith in the new era which this has
opened to the southern states 1t can not be
secured by encouraging southern men TO curse
the men and the agencies to which this great
and hopeful change is due.