The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-05
WE BEG TO DIFFER.

Speculatlng on what might nave been" is always an uncertain busi- ness. We know what was, but no one can tell what would have been the result if a different course had been pursued. or if different condi- tions had intervened. Republican contemporary, The Knoxville Jour nal and Tribune, discussing the posi- tion taken by General Longstreet af- ter the war, says:
 There Is good reason for saying that if more influential Southern men had street, the the south, the country would tbs qne in our S sory Johnson in North Carolina, men who had the confidence, of the people of the might. we would not have to write the history, of the reconstruetion gay Gays which Is history we would all glad would have won the confidence of that part, of the country from which came the bulk of the defenders of the flag, and we would have escaped the rule or the adventurous carpet-Daggers who came to this section for no other pur- pose than to hold office. and who were a curse to the country and great curse to the newly emancipated race
 In plain words, the leaders In war and peace in the South should have turned their backs on their section, their people and all tho glorious mem- ories and traditions of the past; should have repudiated the cause for which they fought and shamed the brave men who fought under them, all to gain favor with boasting and triumphant conoueror. We decline to take stock in The Journal and Tribune's position
 We have no harsh words for Gen eraI Longstreet. He was gallant Confederate soldier and fine officer- and he Is dead. That we have never approved the position he took goes without saying, but that need not be discussed. What we can discuss is the opinion held by our contemporary which is virtually that the leaders of Southern thought and sentiment-or many of thenl-should have gone over to the 1nemy when the war was over' and that this course would have avert ed the evils of reconstruction. We do not believe It. The sensible people or the North and especially the soldiers would have looked with contempt and suspicion on such a surrender on the part of our best and greatest men. It would have been looked on as a cowardly plea for mercy or a hypo- critical bid for gain. Few Southern men of note were made of that kind of stuff.
 Nor do we believe the Knoxville pa per is any nearer right when it argues that this second surrender of the South would have averted. or prevented the damnable outrages of the reconstruc- tion era. The supposition is no: a reasonable one The North immediate ly after the close of hostilities was under the domination of men insptr- ed by the joy of victory hatred of the shareholders and desire to punish the South. to which must be added the greed of avarlce No second surrender on the part of our best men would have placated the sentiment of the rul- Ing spirits of the North at that time. Our leaders would have dishonored themselves by going over to the ene- my and no good to the South or the Southern people could have come of such a course.
 Let General Longstreet rest in peace hut do not maligp the other leaders by savine that they should have followed his example.