Year: 1866

Of course very few of our readers


have opportunity to see the iourpals


published in the Southern States, and


whatever they learn Of the temper O!


these papers is gathered from partial


and stlnted extracts When the great


rebellion ended by the surrender OF


Lee and johnson, We all hoped that


the experience Of four years would have


had some appreciable effect upon the


so-called exponents Of public opinion


in the South. we faucied that the ster-


eotyped expressions of hate against the


North would al least be modified, If not


silenced We could not expect an ex-


uberance of love; but we did think


that ordinary courtesy was not too much


70 look for that we might no more


hear the coarse VituperatiOn with which


the Southern tar-and-f feather writers


before the war sssailed everything that


came from the North


As regards large number of the


newly-reviyed papers in the South, we


are sorry to say that We are disappoint-


ed. They are quite as truculent and rs


yindictive as in the most prosperous era


of pride and hate Nearly every issue


from the great cotton section furnishes


some evidence of this undying malice.


Northern, and especially Esstern men,


are crucIhed in rhetoric as extravagant,
and with spite as malignant as in the
palmiest days Of Women-Whipping glory


What is 70 be gained? The North


we speak advisedly-has treated the
rua trar naHs M
sual as il is magnanimOUs. Saving here
and there an exception, which might
have been expected, (tor the atiiictiou is
very oonhrmedly chronic, the North
ern press has been respectful, kind and
mot meaning Otfence) We may say for
giving There has been no bowling for
blood, no raying for conhscation, no
elamOring for that punishment which,
in an earlier age, would have been |
deemed the inevitable corollary OF |
victory.


We do not claim special merit for |
this; but We consider that after the |
bloody terrors Of the grand conflict |
there is no incompetence of opinion j
here TO compare with the utterances OF !
Southern tre-eating editOrs These foO.-
lsh instructors argue, as of yore, from
the mouth of the pistol and the point OF
the boWle-knile; Weresist with cool argu-
ment They brand with opprObious
epithets and threaten with personal
violence; We reply with oilers of pardon
and facilities for return TO the Union.
They elect the most bitter enemies OF
the government TO office, We simply
ask these enemies 10 promise ordinary
fealty. They hunt Federal officers, as
ssssinate Federal soldiers, and make
the presence of Federal civil agents
most uncomfortable, if not dangerous.
To al. this our rejoinder is. Come
back, give your word to be truly loyal,
and all shall be forgiven


In ordinary cases the press is suppos-
ed to reflect the tone of the people.
but in this instance we are willing 70
believe that the reverse is the fact For
if the tone of certain leading journals
in the Southern States may be taken
to be reflex of the popular sentiment,
reconciliation is not so near
as We had hoped for. There is a vein
of ill-will apparently running through
these journals, which does not betoken
good for the Union; the covert sneer
Is giving place TO open defiance, and
the names of some of our best men are
used in way calculated 70 estranRe
and ALLEVIATE rather than 10 assimilate
and Teunite;


Certainly this IS to be regretted The
results OF the war are positive, the con-
clusiOns are definite the changes there
by effected are complete and final
there can be no possible gain in oursing,
while much may be achieved by mod
GRAFTON. We do not ask the conduct
ors of Southern journals TO admire
public man who may have been their
bets R9ir in former years; but one little
fact they cannot shut from their vision
these men are of the victorious side,
they may do and say much that is Of
fensiye TO the losing party, but nothing
can be gained by making faces or call-
ing names Let them be met by sound
by compact logic Dy sincere
patriotism, and there will be, at least,
a chance for the right No cause ever
no cause ever failed 10 lose,
by vituperatiOn. The mover may be
ever so offensive, his conduct ever so
his motives ever so base,
but the oppOser who calls names gives
up the contest and sinks below the
level of respect-N y Times