The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
SOUTHERN NATIONALIST.
Prof. MitcheI's Paper ON the Awak-
enfng of Dixie.

enfng of Dixie.
From the Boston Herald.
The South Atlantic Quarterly (ApriD
has an article on "The Nationalism Of
Southern Sentiment, by the professor
of history in Richmond College. Prof.
IS. c. Mitchell, which deserves attention.
It comes from the pen Of one Of the
leaders of the educational awakening
which the South is enjoying and from a
man whose courage to face sectional
prejudiees squarely and condemn them
has been shown repeatedly. Hs speaks
for the progressive, unembittered, hber-
ally-educated new Southerners.
The increasing spirit OF nationeIism in
the South is due to several causes. ac-
cording 10 Prof. Mitchell It is being
recalled that the South did very much
TO make the nation; that three out Of
the five men of the Revolutionary era,
whom Lord Acton said belonged to the
history of the worlG, We're Virginians
and that nationality IN the South is not
an innovation but return to an original
course, from which II was temporarily
diverted IN the fog Of the controversy
over slavery" A second cause contrib
uttng to the rising spirit Of natiOnalism
has been the relatively speedy reconcilia-
tion between the North and the South,
made the easier by the frank acknowl-
edgment upon the part of the North of
the biunder-crime of reconstruction.
Then. again. according TO Prof Mitchell
the Limitation Of negro suffrage by con-
stitutlonal changes has removed the fear
OF negro domination and has opened the
way for increasing independence Of
thought and action. Consequently South
ern men "are breathing more freely and
are growing restive under the isolation
Of the South from national politics"
This is welcome negs. No longer having
to hold a wolf by the ear" no longer
inevitably held to support Of the Demo-
cratic party. Prof. Mitchell counts upon
the South as likely, in the near future
10 enjoy three marked advantages over
her recent past, They are; THE edu-
cative effect OF frank and full discussion
OF political issues before the people; a
larger participation In national response
bilities by our ablest men, and the po-
tent influences of the South upon national
affairs"
Studying the history Of the nineteenth
century, with its record OF the national
ization OF Germany, Italy Servia, Monte
negro and Roumania, and Norway since
the new century opened. the SoutheTneT.
who is impressionable to the philosophy
Of history, realizes. so says Prof Mitchell
that AppOmattox was mot an isolated
event but only one battle in a series
that includes Navarino. Brussels. Ln-
cerne. Solferino, Sadowa, Sedan. and
Plevna. As the city state was regnant
in antiquity. and as the world state.
papal and imperial, was dominant In the
medieval age, so the rational state has
proved to be supreme IN modern times.
We have simply found out Gods plan
in our generation and have fallen in line ="
Acquiescence in the decree Of war has
been the easier because it is seen to
have been only a phase Of a great move
ment of the time that foreordaiEed the
downfall of the particularist, sectional
Southern point OF view. There bad 70
be ''an indestructible union OF indestructi-
bic States.