New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-09
A FOOLS ERRAND."

THE AUTHOR MAKES SOME PERTINENT ILLUSIONS
TO CURRENT CASE AND DENIES TIE PR
soNAL IDENTITY OF CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK.
the EditOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: The numerous attempts which nave
been made TO fix autobiography character upon
FOOLS Errand have been somewhat provoking and
very udicrous. desire space in your columns to state
that nc mans life there intended TO be drawn So far
as the incidents Of the work concerned, almost
every OF them is simple fact. They are gathered
from numerous lives, and attributed to such of the
characters as the action OF the story demanded.
The views OF pubic affairs attributed to Comfort Ser
vosse and the deductions therefrOm are those which
author held at the times set forth in the story and
the conclusions which he reached those which the
author has long held In common with most Northern
men who have been in the furnace heat Of the recon-
strucon contests, from the hour when the miracle OF
emancipation fresh all minds and hearts until the
present 1t was this experience which inspired the
book and from the knowledge which 1t gave, the facts
were cleaned with which the various characters
fitted FORTH and the spirit and tendency Of Illus
tratcd.
Like Comfort servosse the author at first wondered at
the manifestations Of the power Of past, only mali
cOmprehended by him, those who had been reared
under its influences. He despised the timdly and
ton of the native UnOnlst wondered at the arrogance
and prejudice the former ruling class, was angry at
the serviiy submission to insult and outrage of
freedmen As he grew better informed he began to
pity them all because Of the past whose influence had
made them what they were.
Then when the great cOunterrevolution set In, and
the spirit of the dead Confederacy overthrow and de-
fed the power OF the NatiOn when the element which
had uaugurated recOnQuered for the South its old
power even enhanced and strengthened the author felt
all that admiration for the audacty skill and daring
manifested and the achieved which expressed
by servosse And when at length they succeeded by
persistent and unbushinE arrogance in compelling the
North approve their methods excuse their excesses
and ndOr. their justification, he felt the same angry
amazemen and admitted the justice OF their contempt
which the fact of their engendered toward the
North. BE admitted with regret and shame that from
1860 until to-day the ruling GLASS Of the South have
been consistent and true to themselves. They have
Yielded nothing surrendered nothing and lost nothing
Of political power. Overwhelmed In conflict they have
trumphed In the political arena, and that triumph
under the circumstances, has been the most brilliant Of
any age or country
This fact is admirably illustrated by the recent affair
at West Point The anlIDang spirit OF the COnederacy
hostility to the recognition OF the negroes manhood
TO the negro as "ntgger" 1t approves, Endorses ana
likes him such 1t only hates him man, equal,
political coordinate, element or representative OF
power 1t ia the spirit which ostracised ignored
and insutcd Whitaker There was no il-wil toward
him as an individual. He amable unObtrusive and
forbearing 1t is only as cadet an inchoate officer
that he was tabooed nsnlted and OStracsed, II nothing
worse. II he had BACKED boots he would have been
well enough 1t is only when he aspires to be man.
toms bounty and his own efforts like his icOwcade
that he becomes offensive to West Point.
very article OF death, It refused ITS life by
Abandoning principle and aiming the slave. When the
NatiUn was in it's hour Of peril II besOugbt the help Of
the slave. and through his aid achieved success But,
that tue por Is past the spirit Of the dead COnfed-
eracy is stronger mt National Academy than the
power Of the savefreeng and savepreseryed republic
That the South despses us for this weak abandonment
and betrayal OF allies is both natural and just. 1t
has the right too plume itself consistency.
What is true OF the character of Comfort servosse, Is
true of most of the other characters. They types
merely clothed with incidents gathered from far aud
near An interview in tho columns OF one OF your
cent Sunday issues some persons whom the per-
ton interviewed snppose5 to have been intended
gentleman from South Carolina writes: al know
Colonel Vaughn-fve hundr-d Of him." prominent
Georgian writes; " You must have known b. You
have traced him TO a dot" 1t s the realistic faithful
ness OF detail which has given this dea, and led to this
error OF intended personal identity in regard to most OF
the characters. ONE OF THE FOOLS.
Deurey. COL, April 80, 1880.