The New York herald., 1874-09-23

OLD AND New PnoTs. The Richmond
Enquirer begs us to understand that in repu-
dating Mr. Hunter, Governor Wise and the
leaders of the secession movement as ''pilots''
who ran the South supon the shoals" and
wrecked it in 1861, it does not mean to reflect
upon the justice of the cause Its quarrel Is
with ''the imbecility" and 'ineficiency' OF
the leaders, not with the cause, which it
still esteems ''as holy as ever commanded q
warriors sword or q patriots prayer .We
have too much respect for the liberty of con-
science to criticise any Southern man who
feels that he took part in the rebellion as in o
religious war; but at the same time we do not
think it is fair to attribute the ''shoals" and
the ''wrecks" of 1861 to the leaders. In that
movement the people were the pilots. Leaders
like Hunter and Davis and the rest merely
held on to the wheel while the vessel dashed
over the rapids, and did what they could to
steer it out when the sea arose. We would
much rather trust those men than the new
leaders, who have no memory of the war but
its anger and passion and who rise to power
by constant appeals to the past r. NJ. T.
Hunter is to-day more worthy of respect and
attention than any public man in Virginia,
and we shall believe in the reality of recon-
struction when such men return at the head
of their States to the counses Of the Onion.
The New JERSEY CANVASS Matters bid
fair to be lively over in New Jersey The
Jersey City Herald which is a fighting news
paper, comes to us with double-leaded edi-
torial in which the editor nominates himself
as a candidate for the State Senate on the
democratic ticket. We have read this article
curiously, as we can think of few phases Of
literature more interesting than the article Of
an editor criticising his own claims to Office.
Mr.. McDermott, who writes with Cobbetts
command of English, is opposed to the
political gas-bag and the political juggler,
whose principles are money and whose pro-
fessions are inflated by the rustlng Of our
currency" We do not much believe in edit
ors taking Office, but if this editor really
means to enter into campaign against all
the "political gas-bags and jugglers' in New
Jersey he has undertaken canvass only
equalled by that of Don Quixote against the
wlndmills of La Mancha.
STATE AND COUNTY FA1Rs.-With September
we have the return Of the season of State and
county fairs There was prevailing appre-
hension that the drought would seriously
affect these popular and useful agricultural
festivals this year but the late general and
generous equinoctial rains, in replenishing ex-
hausted wells, springs and streams, in giving
new life to the lately blighted pasture fields
and in settling the dust on the highways and
fair grounds, have dissipated all fears OF
failures in State or county fairs. 1t appears.
too, that notwithstanding the great area of
the country which has suffered from this late
severe drought, the general products OF
cereals, fruits and roots this year, though ma
terially diminished, are still good in quantity
and quality. So much for our abundant and
general spring and early summer rains.
Otherwise our unexampled dry season from
July to September and from the Atlantic sea-
board to the Great Plains would have resulted
in unprecedentedly short crops and in general
distress throughout the country.
PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE.