Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-02-20
THE Losr OPPORTUNITY. At the

THE LOST OPPORTUNITY. at the
close of the war, General Joe John.
son met in Baltimore u young man
who had enjoyed undisturbed the
the social delights of that rebellious
city, and who said to him, "Well
general, we are conquered, but not
subduel." "Were you in the ser.
vice, young man 7" asked the gen.
eral mo, sir; had not that hon.
or" "Then, my friend" said John.
son, "yoa may not be subdued, but
I an"
He spoke the sense of the South.
That section had chosen it's tribunal.
1t had referred its grievances, be
they real or fancied, to the arbitra.
ment of war. 1t had lost its case,
and there was no higher court to
appeal W. Tho best minds of the
South were in u mood plastic aud
receptive beyond precedent. They
expected, and had II right to expect,
generous treatment. This was the
South's golden opportunity. Right
conditions could have been imposed
and would have been accepted, and
all would have been well. But it
was wasted.
At that time the North swarmed
with young men who had either
never grown up to n business settle
ment at home or had broken off
their business connections through
four years of absence and campai gn.
ing. They were without family ties
of their own creating. Many of
them were too young to have form.
ed tenacious party or political atiili-
atoms. They had seen for them
selves, in the course of weary march
es, the Astounding opportunities af-
torded by the Southern soil to New
England thrift and Northern bust
ness ideas. They would after the
war have swept down upon those
wastefully titled acres of the South
ern country, followed by a wave of
Northern capital, which, like the in,
undations of the Nile, would have
enriched with its deposit the soil it
traversed, and would have started
the impoverished South upon a new
and unexampled career of great
ness.
But this was not to be. Failing
to make fit terms with the PROSTATE
South, Northern enterprise and cap
ital busted itself at home. Emigra-
ton, discouraged and checked, left at
the South not class representing
our best social elements which could
have fused with the best of that sec
ton. but mainly representatives Of
a class of political adventures with.
out capital or character, and made
more dangerous from the ignorant
and plastic nature of the loyal mas.
SEES. The naturally dominant class
at the South, instead of accepting
terms and addressing itself to any
scheme of rehabilitation likely to
give permanent results, has stood
aloof and now proposes to take the
reins of Government, with the aid
of its ally, the Northern Democracy,
and dictate terms to the rest of tn e
country. Having none of the re-
spOnsibilities of power, it need an
nounce no policy, but may hold it.
self ready to profit by all errors and
discontents Of the party in power of
whatever nature. Shall it succeed 7
1t certainly will do so. unless pat
riotic Republicans rally to the front,
control their party, and retrieve it's
errors. Some solution of the chaot.
ic Southern problem must be speed
lily forthcoming, or the mistake
made in releasing from territorial
condition States not ready to con-
duct themselves as well-behaved
members OF the national family will
prove fatal to the national harmony
and peace. 1t certainly will do SO,
and will have show of right to do
so, unless the party which has al
ways claimed to be the party Of
peace and substantial progress shall
at once show itself equal to the ex
igencies of the times, by initiating
those measures of wise vigor and
temperate craftsmanship which shall
prevail by their inherent and intrin-
sic merit over present dissensiOns
and distrust.-Boston Transcript.