The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-13
Let Him Have fair Play!

Let MIN 'dsC ds
II is high time to cal, a halt in tie
rough treatment viii b a portion pf
newspapers have bestowed upon TIE
Hon. Anthony IT Kelley, lately Minis-
ter.of the United States in the court oil
Italy. and now Minister TO the 1mpe-
rial-Royal our Of Austro-Hungary. tie
court Of the Hap burgs. Several OF our
contemporaries seem TO regard the ap-
pointment OF Mr.. Kelley TO these tn"
distinguished posts. II after the other,
as a kind Of injury to themselves aud
they ieer at him and denounce him in a
manner that IS quite unexpected, to say
the least.
In his denunciatIOn we are sorry to
say that some esteemed influential
Catholics appear to be ready to take a
part Mr.. Kelley" We are told by
one is not in good standing in the Cath
Ole Church. He put himself outside Of
the mother Church BY marrying q jew
ess, a very estimable lady, but withal
not "a Catholic; and he has not been re-
cognized by the Church since" The
Mirror declares that some OF his words
may be passed as a political rhaps-
odv
This is harsh language, especially
when it comes from a Journal OF such
high character, with whose religious at
tatchments Mr.. Kelley is believed to be
in sympathy. The remark about poll
teal rhapsody is peculiarly cutting, and
it has led US to make a more careful
study OF the recent u~tterances OF our
new diplomatist. The most interesting
Of his later speeches is probably that
delivered at the public banquet given IN
his honor at Richmond on Wednesday,
April -. 4 good deal of it has been
telegraphed over the country. But no
one can peruse it with attention without
beng impressed with the conviction that
Mr.. Kelley is a mar of feeling and elo-
quence. His thoughts and emotions
IRE expressed not merely with faculty,
but with fire and Imagination. There
is nothing commonplace about him |
have been accredited,' he says, 'to the
mightiest Of the young mOnarchles OF
Christendom-tO a people thrilling with
the marvellous spirit with a new national
life, which bids far to restore the golden
| DAYS when the sons of Italy adorned
the p%ortionless earth with the sublimest
manifestations Of human genius; to a
sovereign whose wisdom and skill are
rapidly urging his young kingdom to the
foremost place at the council chamber
of the nations, and who, as we have all
been we'll reminded tonight, earned the
! homage of all men who honor a true
kingliness, by facing in the interest OF
the humblest Of his subjects the dread
spectre of pestllence with a calm fortl-
tude and a contagious courage more
chivalrous than that which illumines
battles and makes up the splendors OF
history" This is a fine passage, a lit
tie perfervid, perhaps, and there are few
of our public men who could rival it in
an after-dinner speech.
1t was in the same speech that Mr..
Kelley pronounced a sentence which has
already become famous. 81 am to-day
he said, las are millions of my country.
men, recognizing with the fullest loyalty
the authority of a Government over my
own State founded on what | consider a
gross and bloody violation of public
rights committed against myself anC
them, but an authority fixed and made
unallerably secure in the acquiescence
of the people-an acquiescence which
IoLlNIudCo LiC lluOlIt 1ubShlCIt VI tIlt
whole world" This has been quoted
widely as expressing the essence of Sc,
cession and of rebellion; and Northern
journals have gone the length of declar.
ing that for saying 1t Nj. Kelley should
be deprived ofhis mission aud compelled
to remain in Richmond in the obscurity
of private life. Such, however, is not
our opinion; and we can see no reason
for ~exacting from Mr.. Kelley. or from
any other gentleman who was a Con
tederate, any hypocrical and Ostenta-
tious remuneration of the convictions anC
principles which led him to take that
side.
1t was not from any narrow concep
ton of public duty, nor from an, super.
fetal impulse Of political passion, tina
the sinners and intelligent men of the
Southern Contederacy attempted The
dread experiment of Instruction in thi,
republic and confronted the horrors anC
sutteriugs of civil war. When it wa:
over, they submitted to necessity anC
received the law of the conquerer; auC
ever since then they have Loyalty dis
charged the duties thus accepted Yel
there is not a nan among them all who
will not say, or who ought not to say, as
Mr.. Kelley says, that this necessity
imposed by the result OF war and will
the imperious force of conquest was il
his honest judgment" a gross and bloody
violation of public rights He believ'
ed the C~onfederacy was right, audit was
suppressed in blood. His words are
only the genuine expression of his opin'
ion, and we who were on the other side
ought not to require that the Confeder,
ates should now become frauds and liars
All that we ask, all that we have a righr
to ask, IS that they shall be loyal, faith
full and devoted to our common country
AS citizens of the United States they
must support the only Government tina.
is possible; and, re sag it to their honor
m all these tcenty gears there has no
been a stn9le instance OF nfdeHty to thu
obligation. Not L Confederate, sine,
the war ended, has shown himself am
other than a patriotic and upright citi
zen OF the United States; and with such
fact as this.n mind. we certainly need no
insist that they should counterfeit thei
views as to historical events, or expires.
any other judgment upon the question.
OF the past than that which their priLci
pies and their experience shall dictate
NY Sun.
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