Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-29
lFor The Ellsworth American. |
A Defense Of the South.

Soui "'iNuy SdHtltO,
and my most amable opponent, for being
generous enough to admit, after his long
search through so vast a territory, THAI
there may be some that cling to the old
stars and stripes How can the minority
of so impulsive and high tempered race
evolve into the majority as long as there
exists that cold unhruding haue uehtiness uf
the Northern conqneror and as long as
! such articles as his meet their gaze in al
most every northern newspaper? How
can they have the same enthusiasm a
their northern cousins for a flag which
discrimiuates between them and their
(, former opponents? If you desire the
same patriotism, give the same laws.
, Inde epeudent of these facts, and of the
contradictions Of a comparatively few, it
! is an acknowledged idea, among te better
disposed, that the war feelings are fast dy-
ing out.
, think your espoudent scarcely com
preho nds the full scope Of his remarks, and
it seems to NE he takes a great response
! bility upon himself in accusing an entire
4, section of disloyalty. He seems to have
/ lost sight of the fact that the Carolinas
| form only part, very small part and an
uupropti ious portion, from Which to draw
! conclusions of the rest of the south.
Sectional feelings eau exist only where
travel is seldom and difficult, and in all
probability your correspondent obtained
most of the food for his letter in some
dark corner Of the Caroluas reached by
OK carts and dirt roads only. where they
still vote for ]. c. Calhoun, and, Judging
from his knowledge of the south, where
he spent his considerable time for the last
ten years"
The reception which President Harrison
received in The ~oulh was evidence that such
feelings toward the government as your
correspondent mentions, exist in the minis
of those who dream. and not in tie minds
Of those Who realize the stern verify Do
you think Mr.. Harrison would have found
the south 50 agreeable had he thought it
necessary to utter such sentences A. are to
be found in Your correspondents letter?
lie seemed u has, found the south quite
different. Somebody has made mis,tate
ment.
II your CORE, pendent thinks the feel
ings as bitter a, shey were the day Lee
surrendered at ippomatry" it is obvious
that he did not occupy, between 1850 ana
lsGj, the position essential to the support
Of such char ge and this will probably
explain WHY y" II giving vent to his sec
tional feeling At such an unreasonable
mc,-when ole soldiers have ceased to
hate,
He seems to have thought it unneces-
sary to support his assertions by proofs.
He furnishes case Of political cheating,
which has no part in the subject on which
he attempted to write 1t is doubtful if
the cheating ever took place, as he says he
heard one man tell another, and, in my
opinion, the man who would stoop to *
ult and brag of such deed would not con
slider it degrading to lie Of such a deed
Cured. Suppose it did take place, pJliti-
cal cheating is confined to no political par
ty or section.
II is impossible for me 10 >ay whether
10 his ignorance he supposed this cheating
an instance of the display of that feeling
which lie says, ''is as bitter-as they were
the day Lee surrendered at Appomatox.
or whether he maliciously published it
merely because ii occurred in section,
which his letter plainly shows, he bitterly
hates. In either case he is not the person
from whom To learn The true state of af-
fairs in the south. and am quite sure if |
desired 10 learn the sentiment Of the north
would not ask the person who mad such
sweeping statements Of that section as
your spondent has made Of the south.
His letter is badly mixed with politics
Ny letter treated " sectional feelings and
made no reference. whatever. to political
feelings or opposition. He writes HAY
aud South Carolina (the hot bed of seces-
sion) for the last ten ycsrs have made it
an object to ind out what the feelings
were with the people in general ami |
found that nothing can be done to suit
them under a Republican, administration
and they long for the time when the Dem
ocrats will have rule from lie ST. Croix
to the Rio Grande."
-.
what preceded it in his letter | should
judge that those treasonous feelings.
which he found in the south, consist chief
ly in adherence u the Democratic party.
May be so bold as to inquire if most Re
pubiicans have not similar "longing' for
the triumph of their own party, which
would be perfectly natural?
| am very sorry your correspondent
found it necessary to bring the southern
woman into this controversy, and to ac-
cuse her of either dlsloyalty or bitterness
toward the government. Is he sure ne
has not mistaken her love and defence of
the south as hate of the northI Woman
has in every age been the root of true pa
trotism. The Spartan woman as her son
marched to battle was wont to command
him to return with his shield or on 1t, and
the southern woman is no less patriotic.
The true, patriotic southern woman pos-
sesses an open heart and deep feeling,
which exalt her above the narrow limits
of hate, bitterness and sectional feelings
into the purer realms of love and forgive
ness.
She is usually a woman of culture and
therefore capable Of judging the situation
correctly. While she recognizes the war
as the sacrifice required for the future
prosperity of her country as sacrifices
have ever been required of man, and also
recognizes the advantage of the present
union, still she loves the southern cause
(Which she still upholds was constitutional
at the time of its origin) and supports it
with the vivacity of thirty years ago; not
with love hoping for its resurrection, but
as mother loves lost and wayward
child-a child which has caused her much
pain and suffering, whom she loves, there
fore, all the more and for whom she
mourns, though cognizant his death is
best.
She measures her love for her country
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