The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-23


There is no greater fallacy than that which
many men entertain, respecting the inferiorlty,
physical, moral, or intellectual, Of the Southern
people generally to those Of the North. Every
historical fact is in favor of the South; and TAX
ing the nations Of the world in the mass, on
which side does the numerical evidence prepon-
derateg Why, unquestionabIy, it can show a
hundred enterprising, energetic, powerful ma
tons, where the North can hardly show one.
The Northern superiority what superiority
II has--is Of modern growth, and the result Of
circumstances of a most accidental character
But, indeed, it is contrary TO the commonest
evidences Of nature, to suppose that regions pos
sessing an inferior climate and limited vege-
tation, should produce races of men more per-
feet than the sunny, vigorous, and luxuriant
South has produced or does produce.
Draw a line through Asia and Europe. On
which side has ever lain the highest civilization?
On which side have existed the most powerful
empires? On which side has ever been. the vic
Z tory? On which does history ever point out
that there has been progress? On which side,
even now, despite unfortunate but temporary
political circumstances, are the arts most -four
y ishng and is there to be found the greatest nat
rural capacity! Why, on that of the South.
The moral and the intellectual capacity Of
nations may sleep, as it does sometimes in indi-
Hiduals, and their physical power may be no.
thing for want of the invigorating energy of the
former But just as mnch as vegetation is Wig
GUS brilliant, and luxuriant, so is the man under
favorable moral influences, superior mentally
ard physically.
If the South had not been favorable to the
mental and physical growth Of man, he would
have been, from the earliest times, planted in
more temperate, or colder regions But what
hasthe North, of itself, ever produced? Can we
find in the whole range Of history proof of one
civilized people having been created there? Ger
tainly not Whatever it enjoys, whatever it
can boast of, is of Southern growth. The arts,
the sciences literature, religion, morals-all
have been created there, carried out there, per-
feated there. And the movement Northward,
which has been going on within the Christian
era, has been movement of the energetic
Southern, whose western course was checked
by the broad waters of the Atlantic He carried
his civilization with him. He conquered the
German, the Gaii, and the Briton, and the thou
sand tribes which passed under those names
cut down the forests which covered northern
Europe, and introduced knowledge and the use
full arts there, among races no less barbarous
than the red Indian--races, history tells US, who
painted their bodies and were dressed in skins
of wild animals
But these races of Northern barbarians con.
qucrei Rome! 1t is more correct to say they
overwhelmed her by degrees. divided as she
was by internal broils, and miserable, degrad
ing tyranny, that left her frontiers open. They
conquered her, having first learned to profit by
her civilization. They conquered her--for ty
ranny bad, destroyed the moral force that is tn,
strength Of nations. They conquered her--fo
degraded people dread scarcely more the rres
ence Of the savage than the oppression of thu
tyrant.
The Egyptians were a southern race; in wha
respect were they inferior to northerners Th'
Assyrian, the Persian, and other great nations
distinguished for their civilization and thei
Notwithstanding countries among thu
warmest, richest. and most productive on tn
arms from the shores of the Bosphorous to thu
banks of the Ganges, and from the steppes o
Asia to the Lybian desert!
When these came in contact with Tartar, o
Scythian hordes, they drove them back into thei
inhospitable regions, inaccessible from cold a
much as from unproductiveness.
In contact with the Greek, whom a mora
liberty had ennobled, the Asiatic failed, for b
was still under restraint As an energetic mar
he was morally inferior. Yet the Greek, Xix
the Roman and the Carthagenean, were o
Asiatic origin.
Can the Greeks be called northern people
or the Romans? Were they wanting ia energy
Was not the Mediterranean surrounded by in
dustnous commercial nations, whose ships trade
TO the British isles, crcumnavigated Aries
tie doutt, reached America?
The followers of MAHoMEr were southerner,
and yet they conquered almost the Who'll
world--from the Indies to the central and wes
tern parts Of Africa, and from Tartary to tn
gates Of Paris
An the great movements ofhumanity, wbethe
for good or evil, have sprung up in the south
The southern mind the longest civilized, tn
longest in n state of activity, even in its force
ignorance, its present dormansy. disrlays n,
tional capacity which more fortunate times wi
bring forth in all its vigor
Nov what have northsruers done 7 The Tai
tara once imposed their rule on the Chimes
Hordes have occasionally sailed forth upo
Persia, Messopotamia, and Asia Minor; an'
united with the discontented, the poor, and III