Year: 1868

4 3 d 4 y : .


The following article, strongly condemn.
ing the outrages daily trauspiring in the
South, and the threatening language CON
stantly INDUCED in by Southern speakers
and writers, is from the Philadelphia
Ledger. Although the Ledger is not party
paper, it is well known that its Ieanings are.
decidedly Democratic-a fact which gives
the greater significance to these honest and
truthful words:


THE INSANITY OF fPoLITIcs- Every good
citizen must look with profound regret upon
a great deal that is now going on in the
Southern States. There was room for the
belief, after the rebellion was suppressed,
and when the Southern people were
brought face to face with the widespread
ruin that was brought upon them by that
Gigantic blunder," as some of their states
men called it, and crime as the nation re-
garded it, that they would never more give
countenance to the hot-headed and hair
Drained orators and writer's who had
dragged them into that terrible desolation.
| But, Notwithstanding the bitter expe-
rience of the past seven years, that fruitful
section of our country is still cursed with
the influence and the active agency of the
same classes of men. But short time ago
it was the belief of an unquestionable ma
jority of the people of the old free States
that the planters, farmers, merchants, man
ufacturers, and all others in the South en-
gagged in the industrial and productive pur-
suits, were heartily sick of all the memo
| ries of the late rebellion, and were anxious
to put them aside, so that they might get
| their business affairs into successful action
once more, and go on with the necessary
| operations OF life. There can be but little
doubt that such was the case, and we
cherish the belief that it still remains true
of the masses of the people Of that section
Of our country. Yet what wonder is it
that many plain, good people in the North
and West believe that the rebellious spirit
still prevails, only waiting for another op-
portunity to break out atresh They are
told SO day after day, and week after week,
by those who are put forward or who put
themselves forward as the representative
| spokesmen ofthe old slave States. This comes
to us from conventions from meetings,
and through the partisan press. The utter
ances on these occasions are of the most
mischevous character, damaging to the
people of the South, and exasperating
the people of the rest of the country. They
are naturally looked upon as showing the
temper of the great mass of the Southern
people, and the inference quite as naturally
follows that those who show such a spirit
of glorification over the events of 1861 to
1865 will not be slow to repeat them if the
chance presents itself. and that they are
therefore not to be trusted They boast of
the achievements of the rebellion; they
apostrophize the rebellious flag; they de-
clare that the " lost cause y is to be resur-
recled they speak lightly Of numbering


the Northern Huns !" they Edeclare that


their former comrades in arms are ready to


rise again when the signal is given, and


they deal generally in grand round of


the same style of exasperating oratory that


/" fred the Southern heart" " before the re-


bellion, and which at last fired the North


ern heart also. There is great danger that


both may be fired again-and the worst


enemy to the South can hardly desire a


worse fate to befall that unhappy country.


Now, as we have already said, we believe


that majority of the Southern people are
not truly represented by these scandalous
proceedings, but unfortunately for their
peace and quietness, and for the tranquility
and prosperity OF the whole country, there


is no effective or emphatic reputation ci
them on their part. Some Of the more
sagacious of the Southern newspapers, it is


true, have deprecated such speeches and


publications as injurious to the canvass for


the Presidency, and on this ground have


tried to muzzle the slahgwhanging speech
makers and editors. But this is not salts


factory ground to put the case upon at all.


What is said and done is not condemned


because it is wrong and bad in itself, but


because it is impolitie. Now, although this


may 60 down with party men, it will not
satisfy those whom the Southern people


ought to be studious to retain as their


friends. 1t will not satisfy those who de-
sire to be generous to the South, because


they wish to see the people of the South
rescued from the ruin of the rebellion, but
who at the same time hold their country
above party, and will not associate them


selves with any movement that keeps alive
the spirit Of the rebellion. It will not satisfy
those thinking and independent voters who
are not blindly bound to follow the dictates
of party, and who in these days hold bal
ance Of power among allthe parties The:
are the men who, since the war Is ovels
have tried to exercise restraining influ-
ence over the ultra men of the Republican
party, and the masses Of the Southern peo-
pie ought to see that they are not repelled
from the circle of those who wish them
: well. But they toiu be driven off unless
such utterances as those we have referred
to are not only condemned, because they
are impolitic, but because they are out


rageously wrong. Some months ago a
; number of the former military officers Of


the rebellion took occasion to make public


and emphatic declarations to the effect that,
having been beaten In their efforts to dis
{ unite the country, they would. never more


engage in politics, but conflne themselves
} entirely to their business pursuits. It
( would have been well if they had all been
, of that way of thinking, and if those who
made such promises had kept them, and


would be better if the Southern people
would now insist on keeping them all in


the background.