, 1877-05-06
FAVORABLE SIGNS IN THE RIGET QUAR-
TIED

FAVORABLE SIGNS IN THE R1GET GUAR
TER.
|. It is well known that the War Of Secession
was characterized with special earnestnes
and infotuatlon by reason Of an inspiration
which it gained from two classes other tha,
the professed politicians and soldiers. W.
refer to the women and the clergymen, eac1
of whom entered into the conflict with thei1
wonted enthusiasm and abandonment. It is
womans nature to throw her whole soul into
whatever cause she advocates; and, once
committed to it, she is apt to be blind to
opposing facts aud to fast-coming and OBJ.
vious consequences. We see this in social
life, when her affections have been bestowed
on the man Of her choice, even though all
others feel that he is unworthy of her. No
argument or opposition makes an in
preston upon her; and the latter, if
carried too far, only embitters her
mind, and leads to desperate. measures.
Similarly, we notice that, in religion, she be-
comes the greatest devotee, the most enthu-
siastic convert, tireless proselyter, and an
unshrinkng martyr. She does not often
enter into politics; but history shows that,
when she has done so, she has risked every
thing upon her favorite party and measures,
and has been ready to go to the widest
lengths in securing her ends. These charac-
terist'cs came out in the War Of Secession,
which had no more heated and passionate
advocates than the women Of the South, who
did not little to create social sentiment
which was Irresistible, and which impeued
husband and sons, lover aud friends, to enlist
in the Confederate ranks. We fear that they
have hardly yet accepted the defeat of the
loved 'lost cause" !" and that their persistent
social ostracism of incoming Northerners,
whether male or female, who show
friendship fer the negro, and who
try to elevate him by education and
religious effort, hinders the progress
of pacitication. Still, something has been
gained in TINT quarter by the seH-yindicating
power Of goodness. -
Now let us turn to the clergymen of that
section They were certainly among the
foremost instigators of the Rebellion. It
has even been said that no one man in the
South exerted SO powerful an influence in
that direction as the Rev. Dr.. PALMER, for
merly Of Charleston, S. G., and now of New
Orleans, La Nor is this fact difficult to ex-
plain Clergymen, being professionally pub
lie speakers before regular audiences, and
naturally participating in the predominant
sentiment Of their congregations, naturally
become advocates Of one or the other side of
mooted questions. Being also men Of ideas,
and trained disputants, they enter warmly
into war of opinions They are apt, more
over, to favor extreme measures, being gov
erned by abstract considerations, to which
they feel conscientiously and uncompromis-
ingly committed. For thirty years previous
to the War, they had been defending slavery
from the Bible against the onset of the
Abolitionists. They lad brought to, bear pref
udice and piety, learning and logic, and had
wrought themselves into fever of despera-
ton. as they saw that the Northern churches
were rapidly coming to tho point of disfel-
lowshiping slayeholding Christianity, and
that modern Biblical criticism was refusing
to sustain the "patriarchal institution"
They would not adopt new interpretations
OF the Scriptures they regarded Abolitionism
as phar1s'asm and lnfdeity; they were them
selves Shareholders, and were linked by
family and ecclesiastical ties to the slave
holding interest; and SO they preached the
duty Of secession to preserve a divine in
stitution, and promised the politicians the
favor of Con, insuring certain success. And
the ministers, like the Southern women.
have been exceedingly slow to accept defeat
and to conform to the new order of things.
They hare nursed their disappointments and
and called it adherence to
principle; much as the Scotch Presby terians !
did with their Jacob1te sentiments, until the
old generation had died out.
But change has recently begun, aud rea-
son viii soon resume its sway. The Meth
od1st Church South has entered upon an in
terchange of courtesies with the Methodist
Church North which betokeus goo... We