Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-12
SATURDAY. MARCH II, 1898.
MARVELLOUS CHANGES.

The change of heart the Qualification
of vision, and the expansion in the mat
ter of vocabulary, Technology, and
orismology shown by some of our most
radical northern contemporaries in the
last two or three weeks are little short
of marvellous, and afford a striking de-
mODstration Of the fact that the pros
pect of war is a great educator. Yet the
progress of these contemporaries in the
directions indicated puts the South in
very embarrassing position. We do not
know whether to blush, laugh, or get
or q heavy disgust
For some years not few Of the more
reputable and conservative Republican
papers I'm the North have been gradually
adopting a concniatory tone in treating
OF the South, her people, and her affairs
but even these. with rare exceptions
have been very patronzng. Many other
Republican journals, however, have, from
the close OF the civil war up to the pres
ent crisis in our relations with Spain,
never had a kind word for the South.
on the contrary. they were persistent
in abusing everything southern. They
knew no such word as Confederate.
With them IL was rebel" soldiers,
''reber armies. and rebel leaders They
made it point to minimize as far as
they could the achievements of southern
arms. sheer at southern commanders and
statesmen, and even charge that southern
Democracy was a post-bellum manifes-
tation Of the spirit of rebellion.
Now. these papers have not only ex-
perienced. as above noted, extraordinary
moral mental. and vOcabulistic develop
ment, but that development is finding
exuberant expression in 'gush" over the
South. The rebel" has become the
"dauntless southern veteran" the rebel
host of Lee" has become the "matchless
Army of Northern Virginia, under the
leadership of General Robert Il. Lee"
and the spirit of rebellion has given
place to the true American spirit" and
so on. The burden of the song Of these
papers used 10 be that nothing good could
come out OF the South. Now, it is that
nothing is too good TO come out of the
South. The South is being praised as
the most conservative section of the
country, lauded as the centre Of true
patriotism. and overwhelmed with assn
RANGES that the nation trusts her i'm
plicitly.
Well all the nice things that our erst- |
while Nlifiers are saying about us are |
deserved But all their newborn appre- |
ia of nd ne hox
no influence upon the South, one way |
or the other, in case of war. The people |
Of the South are not such fools as not TO |
be able TO see through this radical Re |
publican journalistic somersault. 1t is |
an insult 10 them to suppose that they |
are. If war comes the South will do her /
duty to the full, as she has done it in
which this nation has been involved.
She viii give the usual good account
OF herself. There is no question on that
point. But she will answer the roll-call
none the more promptly because OF having
been patted on the back by the class of
papers under discussion, or. indeed, by
any other class Of papers in the North.
she VIII answer III In obedience to the
dictates of principle. and as the exponent
OF that true Americanlsm" that has
always controlled her.
In saying what we have we would not
be understood as not recognizing that
thero are papers and many persons at
the North that have genuine admira,
tion for The South. and We would make
Ii plain that their good will and words of
appreciation we value highly We simply.
for the sake of our self-respect and the
respect that is due us from others, would
have the world understand in any even
tuality the impotency Of our new
friends" and their honeyed words to
determine our course in the slightest
degree.