National Republican., 1878-07-30
THE WAR SPIRIT OF -.

THE WAR SPIRIT OF -.
The South does not dwell now under the
broad and vernal branches Of paciication
and reconciliation, where peace is the happy
natural state Of man, and war is banished
from thought and act That is not its he
nignant state at the present moment The
Okolona Southern State is sort of eruptive
volcano, which belches forth a war spirit
and breathes its hot breath over the State
OF Mississippi almost constantly. 1t fires
the Southern heart In this wise
The policy which resolves to wage no more
war upon Its prosecutors for fear that these per-
secutors may not have employed the last vial
| Of wrath upon our heads, may be astute, sub
tie, and refined but 1t is a miserable, short
sighted policy after all, and, If persisted in,
will make its dcluded followers see stars" be-
fore they are done with 1t.
The legal effect Of this Is to demolish our
selves aud put our enemies high up OH the roll
of great wise, good, patriots and statesmen.
| II LINCOLN could be resurrected we imagine
he could now calculate with safety upon solid
Southern vote II the pOicy-mongers could
manipulate the free voters Of Southern soil.
lfJEFFERsoS, MADISON, and MONROE could
step upon the platform of politics, the three
combined would not now elicit sufficient re-
spect to hush the dcafcnng Kisses Of the little
fools who swing around the amphthcatre with
their heads as empty as their hearts are hollow.
II is evident that the South was LIT sutii-
ciently chastised when their surrender was
rendered and accepted, under terms to
which they ostensibly gave hearty assent.
There is no doubt that at the time Of that
surrender the insurgents were in great ex-
tremity They had attempted to destroy
| ha int 81 I,a IT,,tna n,,I t1a 1ira nf
the nation. They had waged the war of re-
bellion far beyond their physical and finan-
cial resources, and must succumb. This
they apparently did under terms that were
acceptable, and they pretended to take their
place in the Union and under the flag they
had outraged, as good and loyal citizens,
subject TO the Constitution and laws Of the
reunited nation. Unfortunately for the
peace and comfort Of the Union as 1t is, the
war closed too soon. Those who made it
were not sufficiently punished by its conse-
quences to yield to its results without some
mental reservations, and it is these that are
now irritating the popular mind ahd dis
turbing the harmones of the nation in Mis-
sissippi and elsewhere.
It'has become the fashion of the present
era for those who pretended to yield to the
results Of the war to feed upon their mental
reservations and plaza themselves in an at
titude of antagonism toward the General
Government its laws, and its adherents.
These are denomnated by unreconstructed
Southrons as their prosecutors" for the
reason that they insist upon proper and
judicious enforcement of the Constitution
as amended and the laws of reconstruction
which were the issues of the emergencies OF
the hour when they were enacted. The
loyal men of the nation-those who made
the sacrifices necessary to maintain the in
tegrity Of the Union, and fought until sur
render came-are now regarded and treated
as enemies. There is no fellowship, no re-
spect, no friendship of feeling manifest tow
ard the loyal men of this nation at this
period any more than there was when
South Carolina raised the flag Of rebellion
and GRANT captured Vicksburg. The
, animus Of rebellion is kept alive alike in
Mississippi and South Carolina, until it is
only u question of time in those States how
soon disaffection shall break into open hos
tility and war shall take the place of u pre-
tended peace. The Kisses that continually
come up from the South afford abundant
evidence that the serpents Of rebellion are
nesting there aud warming themselves into
activity again. South Carolina stands ready
, to strike and Mississippi is ripe for the
7 fray. 1t is only question Of time when
the blow shall fall.
' The question now is, will the spirit oi
conciliation and paciiication that has
/, clothed the General Government, until the
l. enemy has grown bold and defiant, longer
O temporize and impart fresh confidence ant
a increased insolence to q people whose hos
v tility to the Union has been tolerated to,
t long already? This we have no power u
e decide; but we have the ability to raise tn,
= voice of warning, and to admonish the EN-
II less this serpent's head shall be crushe'
IA early under the heel Of power, the histor.
II of 1861 to 1865 will repeat itself Concilis
,f ton and pacifcation are no more than tn
mists that momentarily hide the mountain
10 of hate and hostility that is rapidly in
,e creasing its proportions. These mists ar
d fast dissipating, and soon the General Gov
y ernment will lind arrayed against it ant
y. breaking through these delusious the ope
and armed hostility of all the States tina
y, fought on the side of rebellion and whic
NJ pretended to surrender when they did moi
IL SENATOR wISDOM.
N The senior Senator from Minnesota ha
is Just left for his Western home after one
IL the most laborous sessions in the history
,a Convress We are sure that the best syn