National Republican., 1877-03-14
THE SING ULAR views OF A STATES
MN

THE SING UEAR views OF A STATES
MAN.
Usage and association constitute the
bssis of human judgment aud contribute
the moral elements which characterize Its
deliberations. As man thinketh so is he;
and as society prescribes, his thoughts take
form. SO in our late war the two sections.
crcumscribed in sentiment and confirmed
in opinion by the limited opportunities Of
local experience, each believed Its cause
just and devoutly prayed the Divine bless.
Ing upon its agencies. Each read with
pleasure, and even exultstion, the details
of Slaughter, whose victims were OF the
enemy, and for the time accepted the victory
as an evidence Of Heavens favor. So that
the vital tide flow from the hostile camp,
each sang praises on the margin Of the
crimson river, aud there offered sacrifices.
Nor did they reflect that at the same mo.
ment the people whose armies had suffered
defect were PROSTATE before the same Being
implorir mercy and future success, and
that the next engagement might reverse
the situation. Born, nursed, nurturcd aud
ma,urcd within the influences OF sectional
teachings, their minds were imhued with
the inspirations and their hearts with the
sympathies Of the cause cspoused at home.
And so again now the people Of the ,uth,
having been reared in the midst Of slavery,
seeing the blacks ever before them In me.
nial service and subj jected to their will, even
after the lspseo Of so long time, fad them
selves unprepared to acquiesce IN his entire
freedom and elevation, aud unalteribly
averse to the general mingliug of the race
with the whites 10 the exercise Of the
rights Of the citizen. Hence such language
as the following from Senator GORDON. of
Georgia:
at will be a sad day for the South when
We see decent white men arrayed against
each other and engaged in a deadly s:rug
gle, the prize of which is a batch of ig-
norant and corrupt votes. hope and pray
that the party Democraticl will preserve
its organization and save its honor"
Now il such words as these had fallen
from some superannuated citizen of the
South, or from some woman filled with
the prejudice of the scx against iuuova.
tions which compromise dignity and humil-
late pride, we should not have felt called
upon to notice them. But when they pro-
ceed from the mouth Of Senator of the
United States, and are uttered with the
hope that they will exert an influence, and
with the purpose that they shall do SO,
and, so far as they have power, operate to
restrain and defeat the work Of rehabilts-
tion now about to commence, they should
be exhibited to the people in all their
weak sentimentalism and childishness.
In the first place, they show a lack Of
It Election surprising IN the man, and
an entire dearth or willful exclusion of
knowledge on questions OF political econ.
omy and national experience. Aside from
| any other consideration, that alone Of the
combination Of the races against each other,
IN all the relations Of life, where there is
no authority in the superior to direct the
movements and dictate the sentiments OF
the inferior, is enough to chill the blood
in contemplation OF the consequences
which would flow from the condition.
All the evils which would spring from such
an enmity of the races are expressed when
we say that it would lead directly aud in.
dubitably TO war OF races-.hsn which
no greater scourge could be inf ictei upon
human society. Then the idel Is con.
trary to all views Of the proper
relations of capital aud labor. aud
would at once establish an unrepublic,n
sristocracy. What domestic prosperity or
commercial advancement cln be expected
of the State whose inhabitants are divided
into two classes, with interests dismetri.
cslly opposed, and naturally at war? The
whole time of the people would be en-.
ployed in protecting themselves against
hostile demonstrations or secret iucursions
There would be no peace, no safety, no SO.
ciety, but all would be strife, disorder, and
disorganization. But where the popula
ton is divided into two divisions or par
ties, both equally respectable and worthy.
and of nearly the same representation oi
wealth, there will be sure progress and trul
happiness, and free circulation Of healthy
public sentiment, tending to elevate tn,
morals Of the young and to promote the
purity of all. There will be generally
neither great wealth nor poverty, but such
an even distribution of the luxuries and
necessaries Of life as to afford common
participation and common contentment
And this is, according to all writer's on tn
welfare Of man, the true condition. II Ia
certainly SO In free countries. where the
reople are allied In all their interests, aud
cannot be separated aud estrauged from
each other without public detriment.