Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-01
GRANTS TREATMENT OF THE
G0TTH

Wn1am cullen Brysut, ike everybody
else who personally visits the South and
mixes with its people, finds reason to la.
ment the spirit of sectional hate end mar
row bigotly which Northern Radicalism
has fostered and nourished. Mr.. Bryant
himself, ike many others, has done some
thing 10 doubt, as the editor of promi-
nent Republican paper, to intensity this it,
liberal aud unjust feeling in the North; and
like scores of other influential persons who
have been prejudiced against the South, he
has found cause, by the testimony of bis
own senses, to modify bis opinions as to the
real character of the Southern people aud
the state of feeling in the South. We have
heretofore printed an extract from one of
his letters showing his present estimate of
the Southern people, but it will do no harm
to-reproduce it. In one Of his last letters
he makes these statements:
ain all my intercourse with the people of
the South, although it has not been very
extensive nor of very long Continuance,
have heard only the expressed sense Of a
desire to be on friendly terms with us of
the Northern States. Especially has this
been the case in Charleston, where l saw
more than elsewhere of the people of the
place. | have never, since l crossed Ma
son and DiXon's line, heard a single ex-
preston Of bitterness or malignity towards
those who live north of it. 1t was but the
other day that the people Of Charleston sent
q formal invitation to the President of the
United States 20 visit South Carolina. He
declined the ciVility, and at the same time
removed the postmaster of Charleston, Mr.
TroLt, who was highly esteemed, and for
whose continuance in Office the citizens,
without distinction of party, had earnestly
petitioDed. In his place be appointed
colored msu, who, whether justly or not,
lies under the odium of being connected
with the corrupt fellows who have for sew
eral years been pillaging the State. This
was like answering an invitation to dinner
with slap in the face, and was a gross
blunder, to say the least"
Remarking on this confession, The Roch-
ester On. " Union put the case in this
forcible shape:
'Let Northern men put themselves in
the places of those of the South-let them
apply the golden rule of doing unto others
as they would have others do unto them
let them consider the facts stated by Mr..
Bryant, and record their verdict upon the
case here presented to them. The only
wonder is that they are as patient and law
abicing as they appear to be under the rule
that is upon them, and the treatment they
receive at the hands of the federal admins
tration."
Grant bore similar testimony to that of
Mr.. Bryant to the character of the South
ern people after his return from tour
through portion of the Southern States in
1865. He told his honest sentiments about
the people, and the record he then made
has been a standing rebuke of his whole
course as President toward the South. If
there had been man of enlarged and lib
eral views in the presidential office instead
OF Grant, there would have been no trouble
in the South to-day. The patient forbear-
ance of the Southern people under the out
rageous treatment they have received from
the Federal government is one of the mar
vels of the age. There was time when
the people of the North would not have quiz
city folded their arms and seen a legal
State government struck down as in
the case of Louisiana. Here is
man usurping and exercising the
powers of Governor, and absolutely guilty
Of treason in leVyiDg war against the legal
ly elected government of the State, and yet
he is sustained by the President of the
United Sta es, simply because he Is a Rep
ublicdn and the la,gfuL GOcernOr is a
Democrat. That is the only thing Grant |
sees in the whole question. If McEnry
had been Republican and kellogg Dem
ocrat, the rebellion, the latter has been for
would have been suppressed long
ago. This must be perfectly apparent TO |
The people of the North, and yet they APP
pear to be willing that the legal government
in Louisiana may be overthrown that a
Republican may. be placed in power there.
Do they ever think that the iron hand COLI
cealed in the velvet glove may clutch their
.brosts yet, as it has that of the people of |
Louisiana?