The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-28
Put Yourself in His Place,
the Springfield, Mass, Republican.

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The resentments of the war are dying out,
yet feeling fingers at the north that the men WHO
rebelled against the government were guilty Of n
crime, and that they ought TO rel ent of 1t. That
feeling grows weaker there a disposition to give
" solth the benefit Of a sort Of moral statute of
limitations and forgive what YVES done so long ago;
but Whatever Vyidly recalls the events of the war
is liable to revive feeling that the southernerg re-
bclled wickcdly and without any excuse. Now
why did the southerners fight? Let the northern
reader try to put himslin the place of the average
white southcrner of 1860 and see how things looked
to HIM Slavery was part of his whole social life
AS child he had been nursed by a black imam
N.Y. Tho servants in his house belonged TO him.
II he was planter, his laborers were his property
This Was the state oftGings he had grown up in
lie believed II right he read In his Bible how Jews
and Christians owned slaves, and Christ and the
aIo,ties said not word against it, He knew that
there was great deal of kindness and fidelity in
the actual relations Of masters and slayes-and
let the northern reader who doubts this re-
member that MS the WEI went on the blacks were
len unSunrded on every plantation by the with
drawa Of the whites TO the army, vet nowhere did
they rise for revolt or revenge. The whole indus
trial system was built on slavery The slaves rep
resented commercial value Of over q thousand
millions We'll the southerner had for many wears
heard this system assailed throughout the north
and himself denounced as a criminal. He was
barred from what lie considered his clear rights of
property. If his slave ran away the northern neo
pie would not let him be reclaimed though const
tuition and law required 1t. fho wanted to 20 into
territory, and to take with him his house-servants
and feld-hands, he told he could not keep them
there. On just that point, the right to take slaves
into the territories, the republicans and democrats
battled it, until at last the republicans won in the
election of Lincoln. Now the southerner saw the
national government in the control of party whose
nyowed purpose was to exclude from the territories
and to limit and discourage, wherever possible the
rtrlf tFH ntd lola Al.
the north; "Since youhGte our system of industry
and mean to restrict 1t, and hope ty and by 10
abolish il, it is time we parted company. Good
bycr
Hold on" said the north, ''this union is not a
partnership termnable at will. II is a marriage
and there can be no divorce" But the south had
long held that in effect the union was voluntary
alliance of states. The southern people had little
expectation that the north would oppose it by arms
ana at the north and among republicans the ri ,ht
and expectancy of "coercing a state" was very
much III doubt I'LL debate was cut short by the can
non of sumter SO, first, the gulf states seeded;
then, when blood was sned and passion reused the
other southern states went too
Up TO this point many southerncrs had opposed
secession and in the border states had made some
head against the passion of the hour and the tyr
amy of public sentiment But when once state
had voted t. leave the union, almost every south
errot believed that his state had right to his allie
giance. Even if disappearing of secession, he
felt himself in the POSITION of any
citizen whose country goes to war
contrary to his Judgment but
with the right TO command his services After ALL
vely few men reason out the right and wrong of
things clearly especially amid great social excite
ments. They catch FIRE from the feeling in the air
North and south alike men enlisted under an I'M
pulse 70 fight for their homes aud along with their
neghbors and in defense of. their country. To a
Massachusetts IN N, his country meant the United
States; to Nrginian his country meant Nirginia or
the south. George Washington in his letters dur
ing the revolution, wrote "my country when he
meant Virginia. Then the war became TO the
south, what il never was to the north war of de.
Tense The home and ire-Side were threatened.
Who blCmcS tie men who took arms against that?
Who has no feeling for the women who sent their
husbands aud sons TO keep back the hosts of Grant
ana ShcrmRn, whose coming meant fire and sword?
Who wonders If they found it hard to forgive?
This is the southcruers side. If we do not give
the norherncrs side here, IL IS because our readers
have hcard 1t for many years We need not repca-
10 them that slavery was gigantic evil or that to
Keep this people one nation WINS worth all it cost
But We Would 10 justice 20 our fellow countrymen
OF the south. They were mistaken and they paid a
tremendous penalty. Think how men love the las
they have fought under for four long years and
measure The anguish when that flag sank 10 rise no
morel lcaton, thinuel. impoverished, the men of
the south had 90 face and make wholly new nl-
ture. They accepted the overthrow Of slavery aud
the indiss3luhe ua,ty of these states MS facts: as
facts they made the hest of them, until they grew
reconried 30 The result glad slavery was gone and
attached to t'e union they la fought to break In
pudding mp their waste places, in looking forward
and MT back, III joining bands to create a new
America They have shown themselves drawer men
than On the battle field. We are proud OF them as
ouc tol'ow-countyymcn and we would not ask them
70 repent OF to be ashamed of their past.