New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13
Is there any Hope for the soutbe

There is an immense amount of wisdom
being expended by journalists, and vast
degree of vigilance exercised by the govern
ment, for the benefit of the people of the
| South. The coordinate branches of the gov
ernment have striven earnestly to produce
peace in the lately revOlted States. Congress
| for several sessions did little else than Gin
| vestigate" the provisional governments of
| the Southern States. Then the judiciary
| undertook to define the laws enacted to re-
| pair the damages of treason, and when this
| was done the executive branch of the gov
| ernment was constrained to call on the mill
| tary power to maintain the ordinary secu-
| rity necessary for the preservation OF life
| and property in the region we refer to-.
There never was people vanluished in
rebellion who have received as much con-
sideratiOn from the victOrs as Southern
traitors have received from the federal au-
thOrities From the moment of Lees sur
render at Appomattox Courthouse to the
present time, it has been study with the
national authorities to provide reliets for
Southern suffering, instead Of penalties for
its treason. We began to pardon traitors
long before we set to work to provide
proper pensions for those who had defeated
treason.
1t was natural, logica, and honorable for
tne people Of the South 10 elm. to their
reasonable objects. even in the hour OF
their defeat. and they have done so ever
since. There was capital, thrift and indus
try, genius and enterprise, ready to go from
the North and make the South 4 vast re-
gion of prosperity Immediately after the
overthrow of the febellion bu. the bolder
and stronger men of the South rejected
their offers, because they telt that their war
on government which had no power TO
punish them for the act. was just and hon
Orable. and therefore they could accept no
relief from the victor. In the estimation of
the Southern people. there was nothing dis
graceful or wrong in rebellion. except that
it was failure. Hence, we repeat, the dis
satisfaction of the Southern people with the
government has been greater since the over
throw of rebellion than il was before its
precipitation. They fee! little fellowsh p
with the people of the loyal States. because
they prevented them BIZ brute force from
realizing designs for the punishment of
which the law provides no penalties.
Impoverished by rebellion. and with their
credit wrecked, the people OF the South, il
their false pride and mistaken vindictive-
ness, too long rejected every true and rea-
sonable means which the representatives of
fair trade and enlarged commerce offered
tor their relief When a Northern man of
capital went South and offered to aid in
building up its lost business the people in
many places treated him with disdain and
refused him social intercourse: and when a
Northern politician. keener and more saga
cious than the old leaders OF parties in the
South. took advantage OF tte situation
there and contested for the honors of that
section, Southern men stood aloof from the
contest, but were ready to whine and growl
when the victory gave the honor to the
stranger.
An anomalous condition Of affairs like
that we describe above ia stil. to some eX.
ten: existing in the South. and no one who
has any knowledge of the region referred
to will dispute the faithtuiness of our pic
ture. AS they precipita.ed rebellion with
out a just cause, SO have they brought upon
themselves their presen: suffering.
There was not a wrong o. which they
complained before they began to war on
the government which could not have been
righ:ed on a proper appeal 10 constitutional
authority. Since the overthrow of the re.
bellion the South has. in Ike spirit. in
voked its own misery. II has made TOO
little effort to retrieve :he business wrecks
made By it. the COnstan: aim being
to secure political powe.. |: is time
now that all this were ended. 1t is
time tor the people Of the South to
apply themselves zealouslv to industrial
and commercial enterprises. welcoming ali:
from whatever quarter. and TO leave OF
the intrigues OF politics. The hope Of tie
South is in its homes; C6ei!erc. t., the
national law as it finds i, Iii the statute
books. 1t must forever forget the lost
cause OF treason. 1t can never recover
single political right i, los. ay the failure
of rebellion. In no sense viii 1t be REIN
bursed Tor the disasters inflicted by treason.
Its sllrest relief is in the personal business
efforts OF its own people. Such ars the
studies to which the Southern people must
come. and when the government shows its
full! strength and power in IFS civil ad-
ministration these lessons will be intluau
tial for great good d.-PhiLnIe Dhiu Press.