The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-29
miscellaneous.
Edmund KirIkc ON the Southern
whites.

estern cities turing the present season has
attracted unusual attention and met with
very marked approval, delivered his lecture
on 1.-THE Social and Political Choracteris-
tics Of the Southern Whitss," before the
Jersey City Literary Association, at the now
Tabernacle, last evening. Mr.. "Kirke"
has graceful delivery. his style is pure and
easy, and hi lecture is characterized by that
blending Of humorous and pathetic which
have made his books so popular. He was
heard by the large audience Of ladies and
gentlemen assembled on the occasion with
marked interest, accompanied by frequent
expressions Of pleasure and applause.
Passing over the trading, gambling, and
clerical classes of Southern whites (who, all
told, number less than million) the speak
er confined his attention to the three leading
classes: The ''mean Whitos;" the small
farmers or Yeomon, and the large planters or
'Chivalry"-giving their characteristics and
their relations to each other and to the future
Of the Union.
1t was difficult he said, to estimate the
number Of the first class-ths 'mean whites"
but it was supposed to be about million.
In the mountain districts of Virginia, Upper
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississ ppi, and on
the sand-hills of North Carolina and the
barrens of Tennessee, these people herd to-
gether in sparse communities, and CLEAN a
sorry subsistence from hunting, fishing, and
poaching; but elsewhere throughout the
South they hover around the borders of
large plantations, and quarter themselves
npon the 'chivalry," stealing the deer from
their forests and the hams from their
smoke-honses; but they are tolerated by the
planters for the 100000 votes they give to
slavery. They are far below the slaves in
morals and civilization. They are indolent
shif,iess, thieying, lying giving to whisky
drinking, spuifdipping, clay-eating, incest
and all manner of social vices, Not one in
thousand of them can read, and not one in
to,o0o can write, and the speaker had met
many who had never seen book or a news
paper, and some who had never heard of a
Bible or spelling book. Some of his anec-
dotes, illustrating the peculiarities of his
class were most amusing, and showed in
vivid colors, the effects of Slavery in crushing
out all traces of manly character. These
people were aa essential outgroyth of the
slave system; for Slavery, which makes the
slave the planters blacksmith, and wheel
right, and carpenter, and artizen Of all work,
shuts every avenue Of honest toll upon the
poor white man, and drives him to the barren
sand hills to starye and die.
Mr.. Kirke spoke in high terms of the
great Middle class of small farmers, and gave
some statistics, and made some statements in
regard to them, which were new and striking
ana II true land they no doubt are, for no
one who has read his books can question this
gcnrfeman's knowledge of the Southl, must
DC a mighty influence in determining the
future OF the rebellious States.
This class the speaker believed to be the
true hope ofthe South and the Union. One
great result of the War would be to elevate
them and to emancipate them from the con-
troi OF the "Chiyalry," aud thus make them
the real political South future. They mum.
pered fully five millions, constituting, contra
~ to the popular notion, two-thirds of the
white population of the Slave States. This
statement the lecturer fortified by the census
Vi looo' which showed that one million and
nineteen thousand while males above the aca
OF niteen, then performed out door or a0r;.
cultural labor in the South. The. rat,,rns
Tor 1860 were incomplete, but at that t;,n
the number of males of this class above fifteen
must have have been at least 10000 and
Iney would represent population of over
o'ooo,OOO. These men are brave, industrious
ana loyal to liberty; but ignorant and nre-
JUDGED, and the blind dupes the slav.bold.
Ing aristocracy. The lecturer gave vivid mic.
ture OF this class by portraying ono of its rep.
resentative men--Jehosephat, or Bible Smith
as he, for shortness, was called, whom Mr..
hirke encountered thirteen years ago. and
again met last Spring, captain of scouts in
Hoseorans's army. In delineating this char.
hcter' the speaker used the poor-white yerna.
cular, demonstrating, is the uproarous sat.
isiaction of his audience, that he can talk a,
well as write "suthun like native"
Anese yeomen work in the fields, own five
or SIX slaves, and have only to be better in
formed to see that their real interests demand
not only their loyalty, but their opposition tc
the slaveAholding power. They are thu
small landed pioprietors of Tennessee Ken.
lucky North Carolina, Georgia, and the
other slave States; the bone and sinew Of
the South independent in thought, though
misled by ignorance, forming leaven which
even now is working the ruin of the Rebel
non' and fastening the time when their
ireedom-loving spirit will set the Union ON n
n m aud lasting foundation. The lecturer
urged the Importance of enlighteuing tb;s
class on the great questions that are now
shaking the country. To do this, we shauld
scatter loyal publications, broadcast. over III,
conquered districts; we should wherever w,
hold foot Of Southern soil, start Iowa
newspaper, raise a light that shall enlightei
the whole South. 1.-THE men gre away il
the Rebel ranks the women viii be at home
will read these publications, and bring thei
sons and husbands back to LOYALTY. TIL,