National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-06-27

auy man, II would be manlfcstly unfair
when the life had been an active one or the
writings numerous to form an opinion
upon q single act or a sluglo publication.
Thus, If Noltaire after his volumlnOus
writings IN defense Of infdellty had written
religious book, or II Col Lngersoll after
his multimdinous lectures against the
Christian theology were TO enter the pulpit
of an orthodox church aud there preach
sermon unfolding the immaculate conccp-
tlon and the divinity Of Christ, every reader
of the book and every listener to the SER
mon would at once compare the one to the
formcr writings Of the author and the other
10 theprcvlouslo lectures Of the preacher. Vol
tnirc's religious book aud lngersoll's sermon
would be analysed In the light Of the former
works and lectures Of these men. Inquiry
would naturally follow as to why. this
change OF mind, and such an inquiry Is
legitimate when the opinions expressed are
so widely apart.
And so when read the "New South by
Gen. Carl Schur2 my mind naturally re-
vcrtCd to former opinions expressed by the
author particularly as he himself, In the
preface, nlludes to his previous visit to the
south, though lac does not ulludO to the re-
port which hc made as consequence Of that
visit,
MNODoRoU5 MR.. sCHuRz.
MIR. Schura is not an unknown man,
Epiuging suddenly into prominence, but
one who has history and has been writer
and speaker Of his opinions, so that he can
be measured by himself, and IN considering
his present work shall use no other meas
IlTc but his own statements, and n standard
which fear, from his writings, Mr.. Schurz
hardly uses, and that IS truth.
At times when roses and other sweet
scented flowers are in bloom there Is an
aroma which pervades the air and Is grateful
to the senses, and among the flowers there
is none which adds to this air a more deli
cate perfume than the magnolia. But in
the swamps of southern Louisiana there are
groves Of immense magnolia trees, and In
the spring, when they are covered with
blooms, one or two Of which give an exquisite
perfume, the odor from these trees Is over
powcring and siCkcning.
And so IL Is or may be with opinions or
expressions when the causes for these Opin-
lens and expressions are analysed.
Mr.. schurz has been q somewhat promi-
neut figure In American life and American
politics for number Of years. and his last
appearance In the "New South has more
OF the odor Of the magnolia grove than the
delicate perfume Of the honeysuckle, par
tICulGrly If we look behind the apparent
aud seek for the real motive Of the author
TIE NEW AND 'OLD SOUTH
While Mr. Schwz has been voluminous
writer for the press, besides having large
number Of speeches in print, In reviewing
his "New South shall use none of these
ephGmera for comparisons, but shall only
refer to one previous work of his, and that
might be properly called his "Old South, -
II being n report made by him TO President
Andrew johnson Of the visit made by Mr..
Schurz TO the south in 1865, under the di-
ct 1,, 1.,,N
Of the government This report, which
Fhall call the "Old South, ~ is executive doc
mnent No, 2, first session, thirty-ninth Con
gees
The war Of the rebellion had Just closed.
President johnson had not as yet severed
himself from his party aud started upon the
road which finally led him into the Demo-
cratic camp. Gen. Schurz was q citizen Of
Missouri, with political aspirations, and
Missouri at that time, under its laws, was
Tie most radically Republican state In the
Union. The President requested Gen.
Schuiz and some other gentlemen to visit
the Estates lately in rebellion" and give
..tlcir views upon "the situation" Under
these circumstances Gen. schurz wrote the
"Old SCuth.n
Not long after, Gen. Schurz became sem
ator Of the United States from Missouri, and
since that time lis political career and his
opinions have been checkered by many
colors, until in the last presidential cam
paign he figured rs leading "mugwump,n
and after Mr.. Cleveland's election again
visited the south in that character.
Under these circumstances, and nearly
twenty years apart, the "Oldp and New
South" were written by Gen. Schurz. In
the first he was giving as nearly q truthful
history Of the situation as his projudices
aud his desire to cater to an extreme radi-
cal sentiment TO further his political ambi-
"a In loaf In Jag
departed as far from the truth to further
his political IDEAS as twas possible to do,
as ! shall endeavoT to demonstrate. The
Gold South" was ayowedly q political
work, with incidental mention of the ma
tcIial situation. The "New Southn Is
ayOwediy financial work, with the political
condition as an incident. In each the
dcavor TO cater 10 what the author at these
different periods Of time believed to be the
prcponderatlng public sentiment.
A little more than the first page OF the
'New South" is devoted to review Of the
condition Of the country THE south) In
1865, so that comparison can be drawn
between the past and the present. On that
page are several Misrepresentation and an
GndeavOr to discredit the source from which
the author received most of the infOrma-
tion upon which the "Old South was
written.
] shall not attempt to follow Gen. schurz
consecutlvely through the "New South" OF
his creation and which exists only in his
imagination, naturally strong, and in thi;
instance heightened by desire to lay
'peace offerings upon the affairs erected
by his present political allies.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON vILLFRD.
In the sod Southn the effort was made
TO propitiate President johnson and the
most violent extremists of the north; now
IL Is to propitiate President Cleveland and
the most violent extremists Of the south
while all the woes which fell upon the
heads Of southern men are laid to the action
OF President johnson.
OF him Gen. SChurz says that his desire
was to turn the state governments of TIT
south over to men whom Il short time be
fore she had denounced as traitors ut TO b,
hanged.n Bythis conduct Of the President
Schurz says, "the minds OF southern mer
were turned away from the only thing tina
could put them on the road TO peace, order
aud new prosperity, namely, prompt aut
sincere accommodation Of their thought
and endeavors TO the new order OF things, >
lie also says that "Mr. johnson, by intem
perate utterances, stirred up opposition II
the south to the measures enacted by Con
press," and that he 'irritatedn Congress, 81
That II went "faster and furtheTn Ito pro
7ect the rights Of the freedman than the
might have thought necessarily but fol
this action.
While inditing this TRADE against Nj
Johnston, Mr.. Schurz remembered him
self and injected the following as to John
son, ellis Unbalanced mind was Incapable
of seeing that what might be wisdom som
time afterward was folly then"
The action Of Greeley, Sumner Gchurz
and the men who acted with them ha,
plainly the effect on the southern min,
which schurz imputos to the actlonof John
son; hence Mr. sGhurZ, In the sentenc