The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-01-18

burg, Va. one OF the SOuth's fOremOo.
educators, writers and orators. re-
Gently delivered an address before the
New England Society of New York,
which strikingly recalls both in the
manner of its reception and in the
spirit of its appeal the address de-
livered before that body by Henry W.
Grady i'll 1886. Prof. McCabe was at
his best and his effort was notable in
many respects. But even more nota-
BILE is the conciliatory attitude and
temper Of the comment adopted by
the newspapers of the North in uni
! formly accepting the address of Prof.
McCabe as the vocal expression of the
general sentiment which exists today
i'll the South. We are specially struck
with the language of the Providence
journal, which editorializes upon the
address as follows:
The address of Professor William
Gordon McCabe, of Virginia. delivered
last Friday evening at the New Eng
land dinner in New York. caused the
greatest enthusiasm of the evening"
1t was an eloquent tribute to the
South and to the possession by the
people Of that section of the country
of the same spirit of unbending con
viction that characterized the New
Eng land pilgrims. Professor McCabe
declared that when the civil war was
over the South accepted the stern ar
bitrament of the sword, the pitiless
| lOgi ic of the heavier battalions, as set
| I tlinfr at nd 20 bo ,l
Interpretation of the constitution, ;
but refused to declare that it had
consciously done wrong in opposing
the North. 1t had its own ideals, its
own notion of the significance Of the
union between the states. 1t supported
these on the battlefield and gave most
literally of its blood and money to
enforce its position. When it was
compelled to desist, its farms and
towns were in ruins and it's industrial
system was DESTROYED. The North
forced it to remain within the union
and to acquiesce in the opinion of the
majority as to the binding power of
the republic, one and inseparable
But we could not make it admit bat
its attempted secession was wrong
4 wiser generation has agreed to let
the past be past. If the South wishes
to Justify its action to itself, it is at
liberty to do SO. We at the North
may say, at this distance from the
heated discussions of the sixties, that
one section of the country was moved
as much by patriotic impulses as the
other. The difference was that the
North took wider view and made
the whole country the patriotic unit,
while the South was loval te seq
ment of the whole, lying on one side
Of Mason and Dixon's line.
Considerate northerners are careful,
at least in the presence of southerners,
not to speak of the ''rebellion." 1t is
as easy to say the .'civil war;" and
there is no reason why we should not
grant so much to the defeated section
1t would be unreasonable to expect
men like Professor McCabe, who
fought in gray uniform, to look upon
themselves as traitors, or to do other
wise than cherish the memory of the
heroes of their lost cause Professor
McCahe said at New York:
1t may well be, that when this
generation shall have passed away,
and the motives and convictions of
men shall be apprehended without
passion, that the young American
treading some one of those stately
avenues that lead to our national
capitol, shall pause opposite the pre-
sentiment in bronze of Grant and of
Sherman, to gaze upon the heroic
figures of Lee and Jackson"
This may seem an impossible dream
to those notherners who participated
| in the civil war, but in the early wears
of the twentieth century such thing
may come to pass. 1t is the old ques-
ing generations that rebellion against
the flag is right and honorable? On
the other hand, shall we withhold
! from conscientious American soldiers,
who earnestly defended great prin-
ciple, recognition OF their valor and
sincerity? 1t is perhaps too soon to
solve a problem like that. But of one
thing we can be assured The South
is loyal now, and would support the
government valiantlv in time of need.
Professor McCabe told his audience
at New York that ..ere the first call
to arms of our common country shall
have died upon the breeze, you shall
hear the tramp of our legions as the '
wheel into line to touch elbows with
the stalwart sons Of New England,
eager to keep time with the cadenced
step to the music of the unon-ave.
to hedge round with stubborn steel
that starry banner that symboIizes
once more to Us as 10 you the ma jest Y
of American citizenship and the in
destructibility of republican institu-
tions." When we remem Der the deeds
Of men like Hobson, Blue. Wheeler,
Lee. Bagiey and other loyal southern
ers. since the declaration of war
against Spain, we feel that Professor
McCabe was speaking truly. and not
for mere rhetorical effect.
Following in the wake OF the ad-
dresses recently delivered bv ex-Gov-
ernor William J. Northern. in Boston.
and by Mr.. Clark Howell. in Buffalo,
this magnificent speech Of Professor
McCabe before the New England
Society Of New York is calculated II
accelerate the good work which is be-
ing done by southern orators at the
North to establish between the two
sections of the country that mutual
understanding which is so vitally
necessary to the complete restoration
OF fraternal good viii. Such speeches
cannot be made too often. Without
seeking to apologize for the South ;
conduct in times past in lova!ly ad-