The Ocala banner., 1902-09-19
an DER TRUE TALE.
Prom Louisville Courier Jouru.i.


The Ocala, Florida, Banner repro
duces from its issue of the Goth of July,
1873, some editorial observations upon
the general subject of what it de-
scribes a. the indisposition Of the peo-
pie Of the South to consider and dis
cuss public questions from the stand
point of reason a. distinguished from
| the dicta OF prejudice and passion 1T
/ will be seen" the Editor says ia his
| prefertory note, THAT advocating poll
; cies and commencing enterprises like
/ D. So hrug about Industrial prosperity
sud a. ~trsngle the spirit of intoIer-
/ auce calculated To hinder il, are no
/ fresh fad- with the Ocala Banner -
In this s.reed Of twenty-three years
ago our esteemed contemporary took
| for it, text some contemporary re-
marks OF the Courier journal. These
/ are given a. follows:
! Few thoughtful seuthefu ueH. Z any. o. Ike
! present generation. can look back upon the five
11d twenty years oi poiitica' history II this
| country vIthouta psug IF regret tRst. al the
| moment when the course o: events at the ~luth
! might have been directed toward the gradual
/ eln1ncip patton ei --avc-v. u5 one apoearet upon
| tne stage ol action -tra1s enough 60 set the
riud III tha, direction and % hold II there;
| taat iu~terd cd TIN. the other chute was taken,
leading 20 the formation ot au issue yhicI could
! bring with iton'y lose ana ruin 70 all concerned
| by II, ,he hla-k hardly los than 'hz whites.
'Nr. Clay might have doue this service TO his
| ccuutr. had he bctn a younger man. He passed
/ away. and the question --cUonaiized itself by
| two conflicting agencies the northern dyma-
! sogue aud southern aensgogue wH@ were
| equally to blame io- narrowing to party usaecs
tha; which fairly belonged to mankind.
| The abolition cry was fGu Of blind passion.
| Il hat many misleading voices like the sece~-
| sion movement. II vas largely nased On feeling
| not upar serious estimates and calm rejection
| The ssild,e course would have solved The prob
| lem. would have l3o>eusd the bondage Of the
slack-. would have svertcd The war maintained
-, .,. - -. - ,-o-r,l - -, ~.
ser. uncertainty and trouble Of every kind.
Perusing This quite forgotten emaua-
| tiou of the long age. az one might pc
rIse an old letter to friend, we are
hapnilr able 80 reatFirs it, opinions
and sentiments The "might-bave
b.eue" oC history are innumerable.
| That ijule word .'if' has played
| great part in the world, ana not less in
| the drsms Of Government ihgn in that
Of private lf.. II TIA" puddle men of
the South who flouri>ied between 1920
and $50 had taken counsel 4 the en-
lightencd couscicu-e aud wise human
ity Of the Gentlemen WHO signed the
Declaration Of Independence and
framed the Constitution. the Sy>tem
of African Slavery, which sub>esueut-
ly brought such evils on all concerned
in it, would have been put in the pro-
cess Of gradual extinction. Hind.
sight. are commoner than foresights."
said Andrew johnson: and the States
men who failed to see and to do, when
seeing and doins might have been so
effectusl of good, appear to have been
no more ssgaciouS than the average
run of Statesmen ia other lands, where
blind incompeteucy has mainly ruled,
from the ward heelers who laughed a;
Noah and the Ark until the food sub-
merged them. 10 thu hot gOSpelerS Of
= - "i'i''S S'i' va iN'i->' va" ''i''ou
and twittered down the gIddy maZes
e,.r,....-...
"I the ieF"IutioA L" 'he very steps Oi
the Guillotine la 1851. ,hsr. were
i"f MUS o' 'h gent -N'iie I'''hS VII"
could not believe a war 10 be possible |
., |