The weekly union record., 1864-08-13
The Poor Whites Of the South.

We 6nd an able article with the above cap
,ion IN the June number Of HarpeF's NagA-
ziue, which was evidently written by ore VINO
possessed thorough and experimental kno~l-
edge OF the suhiec; treated. We would rec
ommend lis pefusal at length to Cur readers
but ouly have space ior few Of the sensible
and humane reflections which close the article:
As the Southern farmer cannot read. be =
forced TO derive his knoviedce Of curfelt
events aud political affairs from his weather.
peishhov who can read and who Is sure 10 oe
A slave owne- Ata political baroacle, or
court day gathering. he may bear ouce or
twice IN YEAR Two sides 70 every national
question. but to him the all important one OF
slavery. Il that Snbjeci Is al oil. touched upon
such occasions It Is shown 10 be OF divine on
ein-dajiuC back to the time when Ham uFs'
east . black shadow across his looking g4aSs,
aud only 10 5oi when the skins oi ms deScen-
dauts 20 longer wear mourning Tor 'heH io,e-
fathers sins. Thus instgaccd, Is II strange the
Son,burn farmer deems slavery altogether
lovelier than freedom2 What does he know
of real freedom? What does he know OF what
il has done for The poor man al the North
Nothing. He never saw Northern man ID
an his life, except. it may be. Y aBkee peddeF
/ II the Southern woskngman knew What Tree
dom is If he knew how 1t has ouiit &c"
school at every Northern croSs-road how the
Northern lab0Tcr Is comparatively Hch' Wh'ie
be IS wTetcheily poor; how the NorineIn iaF
mer has a comfortable house for himself and
ouibuildincs for his cattle while 8s lodges 10
mud chincked howell and stables his COWS in
The woods how the y ortbern farmer Is res
pec;ed and houo7ed because be la6ors, while
he is looked down upon and deSpised ioF doing
/ the same thing if be knew all this. would be
not crush slavery and eul the rebellion 10 q
dav? He would And slavery viii not be
efaciually crushed, or the rebellion ended uli
be does know il. We may overrun the South
we NAV make is fields dcsolation, and its
cities heaps of ruins. but until We reach the
reason aud hearts Of these men, we shall stand
ever on the crater Of a volcano, whose red ho'
lava may at any hour burst forth and deiGge
the land NTH blood and h5e.
Bat how-while every able bodied South
ern man is in the army-can we re@Sh these
+ people? By fighting them with sword 10 one
hard ard a Union newspaper IN the other-hy
giving them ideas as well as bullets. By scat
tering loyal publications broadcast over the
conquered districts and by starting free
press wherever we hold foot OF Southern SOL.
II the men are away in the army, the women
will be at home. and viii read these things and
that will be enough. If we convert them, the
country is saved Woman in this century ls
everywhere the power behind the throne,
which is mighlier than the throne ITSELF and
the Southern women have been, and are ihe|
handspring of this rebellion. Every d7llsr|
thus planted in the South would spring up N
man in tattered hat and ragged buiteTnuis u
might be. but still man, hardy earnest, bravo
who for what he thought was right would
have marched straight up TO the cannon 4
mouth and met death "as il he loved IL.
| have failed Of my purpose IN writing M
article if have not shown that the great bodJj
of poor Southern whites" are an honest, M
dustrous, enterprisiug, brave and liberty low
ing people, who need not only 20 know the tru'l
ISSUES OF this contest to become the firm tr.endt
aud supporters Of the Union. Hencetorih the
must be the real South. We must enlgh,e'
and elevate them Only in that way eau VI
up7oot the despotic power of the aristocrae1
and plant in the South a loyal element whic |
will make it one with The North in interes
and in feeling Ooly in that way can we secur
lasting peace, and freedom and Union, 10 ou
distracted country.