New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-03
THE SDUTH md Shc7I0N1IINM

Without giving much Crc'lrnce To the prob
ability of serious division III the S,Iid
South, either now or during the coming ADJ
mInistriton. we ar" hy no means mclluCd t.
DISPUTE the statement thar there Is in many
portions of the South an increasing dlnsatiS-
faction witt, the RUE Of Bour onI-m. Little
KNOBS Of people here and thclr, an IN Sonr
Instances PERHAPS whole communlflrS. cIafc
under IT," tyranny 90 the soctiona,!~m and pro-
vimcialiSm that have survived the war. and
would gladly throw OF the yoke. But tyranny
though it be. they who are uneasy under 1t
recognize the hIrd uncomfortable fact that II
il the tyranny # Il prevailing pn''ic ~cuti
rIrnt III" llirdcs; III the world 10 throw of.
on accuurt Of tine timr an! patience required
and tie tcd,ou>rr~s -! the procrS,. Sonthc'n
poiitlc, have always been grOund,'l in scc'Ion-
nlsm. We do not speak of # ~ comp AIN Of
it. Tor it WIS the absolute logic Of the situation
so long AZ The Institution Ui slavery -rpa,'tcd
Their interests from those of the Free States,
and bound them together in an alliance
which seemed to them csS initial for self
preservation. And although this bond
Of union no longer exists. il is easy Ia mndcl-
stand how the stct'onaii.m rngcndcrrd hy
slavery, instead of bri"g cxtlrSui>hrd by
emancipation, has been, II possible. dccUrncd
and rmLittcrcd. IL is hardly to he wondered
mt that, in n society constituted us il was IN
Southern communities before the war, defeat
should KNIT j., elements more cloSrly together,
and, instead of intoxicating philosophc rc-igna-
ton. breed sulIennrss and dissatisfaction. II
was the most natural thing to he expected in
a people whose pride had been humblcd, Their
expectations disappointed, their fortunes
sacrificed, and their cause defeated
We have made the mistake of impaticncc.
These are hurts that only time can heal, as
we are slowly learning. If we have been I'M
patient we have. to be sure, the satisfac-
ton of knowing that in our impotence there
has been nothing hut Kindness. We have
been Ovcr-oihciouS and dcmonS;rativo in our
good nature. Our tenders of COOL will and
our cOncilIat0iy advances have given offence.
as heaping humiliation upon their already
sufficiently wounded pIIde. Sooner than re-
ccivc iavors at tbs hands Of the party that
had defeated them they would join hand. with
their old allies, whom they had always used
and despiscd. and keep mp the old unproiita-
bic fight. The people who refused the advances
OF an Administration that went so far to meet
and who turned upon the Cabinet Off .cr 40
appointed with dcnunciation ~ Il rcncgad. are
in no mood to b. won by kindness. II il
greatly to be regretted, but We must take men
and things as they are. The Republican party
stands ut this moment III the attitude of having
granted the Democrats OF the Soutll-wh0 call
themselves, and, for that matter, by
means that need not be described, make
themselves, the ruling clasScs"-cyelythi,p
they have demanded except the control of
the Government. That they kindly but firmly
refuse to concede. The result we have seen
in the acts of the last two Congresses. md
the attitude Of the Solid South at the late
election The conclusion is inevitable that
much AZ the North may desire the cxtiuctIon
Of sccti0nalIsm and the establishment of n
perfect union, it can do nothing 90 hasten il,
except offer IN unconditional surrender, which
it will not do We must wait the healing III
flnences Of nature aud of time; it need BIZ.
until the generation that took part in the war
has PASSED of the stage.
We hear occasionally of patriotic uttcranccs
from Southern statesmen vino are wI,c enough
to see That the Southern people arc stlndipg
in their own light, and are courageous enough
to say SO. aud there are reports, too of a
better state OF feeling in some parts of the
South of the revival of business, the incrp-
ton of new enterprises and other signs of
commercial activity all OF which have ten
dency to lift the community out of narrow
ness, Intolerance and sectiOnalism into larger