New-York tribune., 1882-03-09
THE U1RTT or HELPLESSyESS.

The institution of slavery bred two dclu-
sions among the people of the South One was
the notion that the slave-Owncrs, by virtue of
their habit of command. the opportunities
afforded them by elegant leisure to qualify
themselves for official positions, or by some sort
of divine right, were the governing class in this
country, to whom the mere mechanics and
tradespeople of the North must yield unques-
tioning allegiance and support. Another was
that as they were entitled to administer the
Government they had likewise a right to be
supported by the Government. Habits Of
domination and habits of helpicssneSS and de-
pendence were engendered in about equal parts
by slavery. 1t seems almost like dream, and
a very absurd and fantastic dream, in the light
of to-day but there is no doubt that when the
Southern Senators and CongresSmen shook the
dust of the capital from their feet twenty-One
years ago and went ont to set up a Government
for themselves they thought they were taking
out of the Union all the wisdom and all the
craftsmanship and all the capacity for admins
tering public affairs that there were in it. They
had held sway so long that they had actually
come to believe the Government could not be
carried on without them, and when they aban-
doned the ship of State they had no expectation
but that utter wreck and ruin would follow.
These twenty one years have undeceived them
in that regard. There may be here and there
Bourbon of the BOurbons who clings to the
belief that they have exclusive possession of the
qualifications for rule, but most of them re-
luctantly admit that the ante -belum notion
was mistake.
The habit of helplessness and dependence,
ic sn usiIV pra1Icotp1 0s
they used to expect the Government in the old
time to look out for their slaves, make their
fetters fast, return them when they escaped,
and in general see that the system was pro-
tected and perpetuated which permitted them
TO live in ideness and luxury, so now, though
in less marked degree perhaps, they expect
the General Government to provide for their
wants and relieve their misfOrtunes A
crevasse or inundatiOn, a confiagratiOn, famine
or epidemic, sets them on the Government at
once for relief. Their first impulse seems to he
70 stretch out their hands to Congress for
assistance whenever adversely of any sort be-
falls them. Just now Congress Is asked to
make an appropriation for the relief OF the
sufferers from the Mississippi Hoods. We do
not mention 1t in fault-dnding spirit by any
means No doubt there are many deserving
people among them who have suffered and are
still suffering great hardships aud priyations
and perhaps the only way to relieve them Is by
an appropriation from the National Treasury
for the distribution of Iations among them.
Still it ought to be understood that the dispcns-
ing of charity is not one of the Legitimate func-
tions of the Federal Government, and it is only
in extraordinary emergencies that the public
treasury should he drawn on for such purposes.
The habit of looking for Federal aid upon
every occasion of distress should not be encour-
aged. 1t is unjust to the taxpayers, and is apt
to breed habits of helplessness and ideness
among the recipients of Government bounty.
The people of the Northern States are ex-
posed equally with their brethren of the South
to disasters by fire, flood, famine and plague.
In the long run they are probably greater
sufferers from these causes. But it is not their