The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-01-21
A Southern Editor.

l found one man, an editor, at Me
ridian. Mississippi, who seemed more
"solid" than any gone else saw in
the South; and 1 was somewhat in
clined to think that he and a few
others like him might constitute the
whole of the "solid South" of which
had heard 80 much. This gentle
man was troubled by the 'vuIg arity''
of Northerners, or ofthe Northern
character. He said that.if we would
only send gentlemen" te the South
he would be glad to welcome them;
but go many Northern men we're low
and ordid, and "were never in a
gentleman's house in their lives"
and when they came TO the south
they made people think they were
representative Northern men. told
him we could not well afford to send
all our best people to the South, as we
needed them at home. I admitted
that We had not so many gentlemen,
or really superior citizens, in the
North as We should like to have, and
that there are traits in the character
of many Northerners which are not
wholly admirable; but suggested that
my travels had given me the impress.
sion that in these matters the North
and South were much alike. ''Are
Southern men ali. or generally, gen.
tlemen or the highest oharacter2"
Then following long and rambling
talk interesting, but too difuse to be
reproduced here. This man was not q
politician, nor was he in any way, T.
thought, a bad fellow. He had good
intentions. and some excellent perso,
nal qualities. But he was youpg, and
be Cherished an absurd worship and
regret for some features of the old
regime in the South. He would not
have slavery back; out he was repealed
by the harsh, practical, vulgar fea-
lures of the advancing new order of
things. He had studied Northern
character" iii, az he insisted, there
is such a thing, as distinct from
Southern character) only from dis.
lance, and he saw only the lower or
worse side of our society and civiliza-
ton. Much that he said about
Northern people was true, but was
not the whole truth. He and a verv
few men like him-at least I could
find but iew-Wera doing the South
ill service. as I suppose they had done
for some years before. Every now
and then he wIots something which |
fired the Northern heart" benuti-
fully. He uttered absurdities enough
IN two hours to supply material for
anh.Southern speeches for whole
political campaign in the Northern
States. l could not see that such men |
had any considerable influence in |
the South. at the time OF my visit,
Leading Southern men-democrats-I
everywhere warned me against them. !
and said sthey were fools. | found
no elderly man among them. They
were-those whom / ssW-all of them
lupTacticable, romantic young senti.
mentalists, and ali OF them we're edi.
tors.
As / was leaving this gentleman. I
sad, Il wish you would take hold
and help US with the new order of
things. am rather sorry for those
who feel as you do" THANK you"
said ne, but the sympathy OF cur
conquerors is CALLING sometimes"
"Oh, no." l laughingly replied, do
not feel conquered. That seems a
little absurd under the circumstances.
and so long after the fight" He was
! rather engaging young fellow, but
ae somehow reminded me of Young
Confederate officer whom / once met {
IN battlefield in Virginia. q few
a5urs after hard fight. Our forces !
aad captured the enemY'a stores, and