National Republican., 1883-10-26
The Political South,

The Political South.
The organ remarks of the bourbon round
up at Alexandria on Wednesday evening that
the audience was "strictly southern in its
noticeable fact that your real bourbon has no
idea that tho word southern" relates to
locality. He understands it merely as u
political designation. "All staunch demo-
Gratis are in his eyes striOtly southern" no
matter where they come from. But natives
of the south who do not wear the bour-
in his estimation. Dezendorf is strictly
southern, though carpetbagger, and Wick
ham is II sOuthcrner, though an apostate
radical. Even colorcd thieves, imported into
the state to take tho stump for the bourbon
cause, are strictly southern. But Malone,
Riddloberger. and Cameron, they are not
southernGrs, though they fought tho battles of
tho conflderacy. We'll, it is best that the
term be understood. The bourbons deflo
their own beautiful south by making it the
synonym for blind prescription and political
heathenism.
The south is ph raso that has two mean
ings, One is The geographical south-the land
of cotton and tobacco of palms and magno-
lias, of oranges and bananas 1t is tho land
of Washington, jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
and Jackson 1t is the land of bravery, gen.
erosity, and independence, whore tho iuher-
tied evil of slavery was long burden and an
impediment, and the cause of unjust reproach
to the people who were not to blame for its
to them to make its eradication impossible.
The southland is fragrant with historic men,
ories and romantic traditions Its people
have been cstranged from the north by con-
ficting views as to slavery and government
and by the sorry drama of tho civil war.
But there can be no nation without re-
vival of the old bond Of affection. This
brings up the other meaning of the phrase
/" the south and that is tho political south
the south inhamed and passionate, first to-
ward tho opponents of slavery at the north
and then toward the whole north. That
south, which in its rage at censure for what
it could not help, came easily to be led by
men who were actuated by ambition to ad
wise the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the nation they
could not hope to rule, and to precipitate q
hopeless war for an empire in which they
might be supreme. The political south wai
intolorant of opposition and impatien
of discussion. Its cause was out o
time with the age. Tho old political soutl
had only tho answer of violence to any
criticism of its domestic institution or o
the political system based thereon. Who
ever differed by so much as a hair from th
EXTREMIST view, or suggested the policy o
modifying any measure, was looked upon a
an abolitionist in disguise, and was ostraciset
and prosecuted accordingly. The presen
bourbon party at the south is the relic of tha
spirit. 1t regards the result of the election o
1862 which made Mr., Lincoln president, as
|
1t has not realized that anything has bee
done since then that cannot be undone. A
q disputatious man ignores all that is said b.
those against whom he is Contendng, an,
but waits for his opportunity to say what wa
uppermost in his mind when the others brok
in upon him, so the bourbon political sout
! L,, 10 e,r -co
years, and waiting a chance to pour it ou
instead of compromising what was going o
around it, Put it in power and
would resume the discussions in col
gress as to the duty of that bod
to protect slavery in the territorie
Tho amendments to the constitution h
= valid. They declared each of them at IL
time to have been illegally carried. The
have accepted them and declared them q
settlement" just as the Virginia funders ha'
: accepted the readjuster settlement of Il
state debt, but they have always avoid
o committing themselves to tho legality
Lnbul' II thOJ hhu III piahChSS VI lho ~
y ernment these amendments and the lay
. passed pursuant to them would be wiped o
: with as little compunction, hesitation,
. opposition as Charles II exhibited when
" blotted out for time the impress made
Cromwell upon the institutions of England.
The struggle going on in Virginia to-day
If between the great living present and t
10 dead past, which the bourbOns are endeavC
Is ing to call from its sepulchro, Tho vi
n tory will not be with the reactionists, Boz
le bonsm is steadily retreating before I
Of advancing hosts Of the people, The OF