The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-29
The SentIme Of tho South.

Senator T1LLMAN Of South Carolina has
complained that the newspapers OF his
State are In a conspiracy Of silence"
against him, but since his recent remarks
In the Senate concerning the existing feel
ing in the South az to the Civil War and It's
issues he has had no reason for the acousa-
ton. since those papers have come to his
defence very emphatically.
Last week Senator McCrMBER Of North
debate In the Senate:
1.-THE erea, majority Of tnsss same people THE South
ern people, who, without their consent, were forced 70
yield 10 our Laws forced to return TO our sovereignty.
forced 10 come back to the arms that In fact and In
reality ever would shield and guard their real and
their true interests, now almost without exception ap
plaud the nj hteousness OF our own course and admit
the error OF their own course In that great conflict"
Thereupon Mr.. McCuMBER was inter-
rupted by the South Carolina Senator, who
said:
The feeling In the South Is that the Inevitable set
Element OF the question OF secession by the war Is no
longer one that need be dlscu ssed. and that Il Is fruit
less even to think about what might have happened.
but II the Senator considers for a moment that 10 per
cent. OF the Southern people who fought In the Con.
fedsrate amy. or their descendants, rejoice at the
defeat Of the Southern Coniederacy. he Is wofully
mistaken In the feeling and the sentiment OF that
people. We really that We belong to the Union. and
we are willing 10 do our duty under the flag. as We
have shown In the Spanish war We are proud Of our
common country, and love II, but there are not 5 per
cent Of the Southern Confedera'es willing % consen.
now that We were wrong or that we are happy b..
cause Of our defeat"
The State Of Columbia. South Carolina, for
instance, declares that Senator TILLMAN
was only speaking the truth and at the same
time rejecting Southern sentiment as It
exists to-day" and undoubtedly such Il the
case, every indication Of the present feel
ing In the old secession States being that.
through a not unnatural pride Of opinion.
they continue 10 be OF that sentiment. The
raising oHthe question, however. Is Justly rep
rotated by the South Carolina paper rs USE
less and unwise. "Todiscuss whetheri il would
have been better for the South had the Con
federacy succeeded Is TO argue acadcmi-
cally and to no practical purpose, IL says:
but the question having been raised, the
State proudly declares that 50 far from
tho Southern people believing that their
course in the Civil War was mot right and
was not justified, "thare will never come a
time when the Confcdcrates or their descend
ants will admit that and retain their self
respect. OF course, they do not admit 1t.
nor is there any reason in asking them TO
make the admission that they fought wrong
fully or in expecting it from those who were
actually in the terrible conflict or from their
descendants, II T. enough that they accent
the result as II WIS determined. and that. ne
Senator rILiMAN, rorresentingt the intensest
Southern feeling, declared IN the Senate.
they "are proud Of our common country
and love H."
Nor IL there any reason to find fault with
the South Carolina paper from which wc
have quoted for asserting that " ON orcasipn
we could easily prove that the Southern
people wonld have been inHritclv hrttnr
on ~ an independent nation Cor tho
remark "Xpressns a rlturnl u~nwiliingness
to confess That tho "lost couse vas also 4
bad cause. That actually thcv are inf
nitcly better m in 'hc Union ought to NO
sufficiently demonstrated even to them
selves by tho un"vlmrlAd progress thov
have made siNcc tho civil War. IN spite
~ its long devastation 1hcv are destined
too, 10 still more wouIcrful progress when
n normal political condition ehnll have been
established in th, OH -srrs.ion States.
The coming of such \ condition. howovc-.
has been delayed hv tho general dis'-an-
chisom"ut 90 the negro ]ci'i,,"s which has