The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-05-07
KeIIey's Opinion orthe south.

However radical and malevolent Rad.
ical politician may be. a trip through the
South causes him to become less Radical,
if he's honest in his convictions. Hon.
Vim. D. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, always
an intense partisan, voted in the last
Congress for the Force Bill, a measure
80 atrocious and glaringly unconstitutiou-
al that even that violent and revolutionary
body dared not pass il. Judge Kelly re-
Gently spent six weeks in travelling
through some of the Southern States, and
and is honest enough to acknowledge that
he and his party have erred in their judge
ment and punishment OF the South. He
has had the mHnliness to say: THE, vote
] most regret, during my II years, SER
vice in Congress, is that which cast last
Winter in favor Of the Force BILL" He
further said that so far as his observation
went, during his extended tour, there was
no more necessity for the use of Federal
military force than there is in Pennsylva-
MIA or Ohio. He talked with Confederate
soldiers, with Northern men, negroes,
carpet-baggers, and travellers, and he was
surprised at the good feeling existing,
He said he would hereafter take little
stock in Southern outrages, especially if
they are reported as occurring in the
sections be visited, He gave an example
of the feeling in the South by relating
what he himself saw In Augusta. being him
self unknown, He happened TO be in
that city on the day chosen for decora-
ting the graves of the Confederate dead
He remained and observed closely the pro
ceedings. A long procession marched
through the city with engines, civic or
CARNATIONS, &c, it being treated ss gen
eral holiday. Judge Kelly observed the
significant fact that, while men and wo-
men were gathered together for the pur-
pose Of paying tribute TO the memory of
the dead Confederate soldiers, the princi-
pal music on the occasion was furnished
by the band belonging to regular United
States infantry regiment staff oned in the
vicinity. There were no taunts, no in.
suits, no complaints, no appearance of i'll
feeling anywhere visible. While absent
Judge Kelly spent from two days TO
week in each Of the following cities, stop
ping frequently at places of less conse-
quence, viz: Richmond, Charleston, Co
lumbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, Atlanta,
Augusta, and Aiken. The most of his
time was spent in Florida. He says, so
far as he saw-and he went with his eyes
and ears open-there was no feeling of
fear or distrust en- the part of the colored
people, and he could not for the life of
him see what use there was for fierce bills |
He was very glad to have made the trip,
for il has enabled him to understand the |
condition Of the South better than he has
ever understood it before He said it
was not the Kuklux that was running the !
South, nor was their unhappy condition
to be attributed to the hatred by the South
ern people by the people of the North,
nor was any political question involved;
be thinks the whole trouble in the South
arises from financial and industrial
causes, and he believes that the South
will not improve and advance until the
Forty fourth Congress repeats the fnan-
,ial legislation of the Forty-third; until
he industries of the country are revived,
md we are forced TO live within our in
come the South will grow worse instead
If better. AS matters are going now,
he Judge thinks, not only that the South
md Southwest will be involved in ruin,
,ut the country itself will be hopelessIy
nsOlvaut