Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-25
A REMARKABLE PROTEST AND THE
CRUSHING REPLY.

| George ". Cable has Just concluded
serial novel of especial briliiancy Mr.
Cable is \ representative cultured South
elner, an ex-Confelerate soldier, poet in
whom the South takes just pride, a
novelist whose genius places him in the
forefront of Southern literature. Malcolm
Mckay is also an ex-Confederote soldier
and a Southron of prominence. But these
two men represent two distinct "Souths"
| These Mr. Blaine, in his Terre Haute
speech, denominated the old and the new
South. The first mournfully clings to old
traditions, bitterly cherishes old ammos-
tics, and is entirely unwilling either to for
give or forget It is the non-prosressive
| Souih-the South that insists it was right;
that moves in an atmosphere of sentiment,
the effluence of - the lost cause" ana holds
steadily to the hollow doctrine that seces-
sion as right still exists, and has only
been suppressel }y force The other-the
new South-franEly admits defeat con
fesses that secession was a sham, mere
cheat behind which the real motive of
Southern resistance to the authority of the
| nation was fortfed-the perpetuation of
| human slavery; that admits that slavery
was a wrong and a curse, and that its abo-
] li.ion was a supreme blessing; that holds
to the power of the South to progress, to
develop, to renew its youth, to attain the
( fullness Of greatness destined for the whole
nation
Mr. Malcolm Mckay read in Mr. George
". Cables novel, " Dr. Sewer, this para
graph addressed to Union soldiers MARSHAL
ing in the streets Of New York 80 Go
marching on. saviors Of the Union; your
cause is Just. 10, now. since nigh twenty
five years have passed, we of the South can
say it." Whereupon Mr. Mckay, who
represents the old South, rises up in his
wrath and enters protest in an open
letter to the Ccot,uy, saying:
It is a matter of profound regret and disap-
pointmcnt 10 some of Gus Of the South" to
hear that Mr.. Gable, whose course as a Southern
writer we have watched with so much interest
can say to the North, Your cause was Just
one" But no one can challenge his right to
But We DO feel aggrievcd when Mr. Gable utters
this same conviction or confession in behalf of
the southern people. It is firmly believed that
the South, the best Of it. holds with regard TO
the righteousness of its cause. the same position
nor H,r' # had in Hoss Storm days. Twenty-Five
years is very short time, indeed to convince
those who believed they we're patriots that in
fact they were rebels and if ii be true, as Mr.
Gable says that we are ready 10 confess that the
Northern cause was a just one, then history
utterS felrful prophecy with regard to our
future. It is entirely possible for TO maintain
still. moi that we were sincere, but that we were
| right aud yet to make part of a strong and hsr-
monious Government.
To this Mr.. Cable replies, and the reply,
which we reproduce with hut slight omis-
sions, italicizing where we choose would
only be married by comment. 1t stands as
4 brilliant, effective and crushing answer to
The false doctrine to which the old South
clings, and from which the new South has
cut loose forever:
do not and cannot yield to any one in pride
in orr struggle and in all the noble men and
women who bore It's burdens and it is while
expressing Sucn feelings rs tIeSS thal, turning
20 those who. once our foes. are now more than
ever before our brethren. give to them in turn,
not a repetition of those words of affection, too
tender for any but our own heroes, but the one
word Of concession which. on the plane we of
the South occupy today, we can speak without
abating by the weight Of a hair our perfect man
hood Englishmen do not change their opin-
ions 20 readily as Americans and yet our Anglo
Saxon brethren across the Atlantic soon con
ccded the justice of the American Nations
cause in its War of Independence waged against
themselves. Why, then, should withhold my
acknowledgment when grasp in cordial recon-
citation the hand of brother, NE justice Of
irlosc cause has become M co7plete connection
The right TO do this Mr.. Mckay aceords one,
on the single condition that win consent to be
counted on; of the South, the best Off, He
does not even assert that ! stand alone in the
attitude. He merely insists that "the south,
the best of it, has arrived at no such position.
He and those who think with him are still
dwelling on the old question of constitutional
rights while 1cc of the SOUTH must insist
upon The pronoun- have come down to the more