The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-22
SOUTHERN PRESS,
TUESDAY. JULY "a. 1851.


Ssuthern and Hsrthern.
There il no greater fallacy than that which
many men entertain, respecting the inferiority,
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-
derate? Why, unquestionably, it can show
hundred enterprising, energetic, powerful ma
tons, where the North can hardly show one.
The Northern superiority--what superiority
il has-is of modern growth, and the result of
circumstances of a most accidental character
But indeed, 1t is contrary to the commonest
evidences Of nature, to suppose that regions pos
sessing an inferior climate and a limited vege-
tstion. should produce races Of men more per-
feet than the aunny, 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
empiress On which side has ever been the VIC
toryf 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 flour
ishing, and is there to be found the greatest nat
ural capacitys Why, on that of the South.
The moral and the intellectual capacity of
nations may sleep, as it does sometimes in indi-
viduals, and their physical power may be no.
thing for want of the iuvigorating energy of the
former But just as much as vegetation is Wig
GUS, brilliant and luxuriant, 30 is the man under
favorable moral influences, superior mentally
and 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
has the 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-
fected 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 Gaul, 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
9uered Rome! 1t is more correct to say the,
overwhelmed her by degrees, divided as sh
was by internal broils, and miserable, degrad
ing tyranny, that left her frontiers OPEN The
conquered her, having first learned to profit b
her civilization. They conquered her--for ty
ranny had destroyed the moral force that is tn
strength of nations. They conquered her-ft
degraded people dread scarcely more the Pref
ence of the savage than the oppression of tn
tyrant.
The Egyptians were southern race in wha
respect were they inferior to northerners TIL
Assyrian, the Persian, and other great nation.
distinguished for their civilization and thei
MISUNDERSTANDING countries among tn
warmest richest and most productive on tn
earth-did they not also carry their victoriou
arms from the shores of the Bosphorous to tn
banks of the Gauges, and from the steppes {
Asia to the Lybian desert?
When these came in contact with Tartar, G
Scythian hordes, they drove them back into the
inhospitable regions, inaccessible from cold 9
much as from unproductiveness.
In contact with the Greek, whom a NOR
liberty had ennob)ed, the Asiatic failed, for b
was still under restraint. As an energetic mai
he was morally inferior. Yet the Greek, Xix
the. Roman and the Carthagensan, were Q
Asiatic origin.
Can the Greeks be called northern people
or the Romans Were they wanting in energy
Was not the Mediterranean surrounded by in
dustrious commercial nations, whose ships trade'
TO the British isles, circumnayigated Africa
visited the coasts of southern Asia, and, with lii
tie doubt, reached America!
The followers of MAHoMEr were southerners
and yet they conquered almost the who'll
world-from the Indies to the central and Yves
tern parts of Africa, and from Tartary to tn
gates of Paris.
All the great movements of Humanity, whetbe
for good or evil, have sprung up in the south
The southern mind the longest civilized, the
longest in state Of activity, even in its forced
ignorance, its present dormancy, displays ma
tonal capacity which more fortunate times will
bring forth in all its vigor.
Now what have northerners done The Tar
tars once imposed their rule on the Chinese
Hordes have occasionally sailed forth upo
Persia, Messopotamia, and Asia Minor; AND
united with the discontented the poor, and tn
traitor, have for while carried destruction an