Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1864-08-06
NUMBER 80.
The Poor Whites Of the south.

We find an able article with the above caption
in the June number of Hdrper's Magazine, which
was evidently written by one who possessed a
thorough and experimental knowledge of the
subject treated. We would recommend its De-
rusal at length to our readers, but only have
space for few of the sensible and humane re-
Elections which close the article:
As the Southern farmer cannot read, he is
forced to derive his knowledge of current events
and political affairs from his weather neighbor
who can read, and who is sure to be slave
owner. AT political barbecue, or a court.day
gathering, he may hear or twice in the
year, two sides to every national question, but
| the, to him, all-important one of slavery IL
that subject is at all touched upon such occa-
sons, it is shown to be of divine origin-dating
back to the time when Ham first cast black
shadow across his looking-gass and only to end
when the skins of his descendants no longer
wear mourning for their fOrefathers sins. Thus
instructed, is it strange the Southern farmer
deems slavery altogether lovelier than freedom
What does he know of real freedom? What
does he know of what it has done for the poor
man at the North ? Nothing. He never a
Northern man in all his life, except, it may be,
Yankee peddler. # the Southern workingman
knew what freedom is /; if he knew how it has
built a new school at every Northern cross-roadi
how the Northern laborer is comparatively rich,
while he is wretchedly poor; how the Northern
farmer has a comfortable house for himself and
outbnildings for his cattle, while he lodges in
undermined hovel, and stables his cows in the
woods how the Northern farmer is respected
and honored because he labors while he is looked
down upon and despised for doing the same
thing if he knew all this, would he not crush
slavery and end the rebellion in day? He
would And slavery will not be effectualy
crushed, or the rebellion ended, until he does
know it. We may overrun the South, We may
make its fields desoation, and its cities heaps
| of ruins, but until reach the reason and the
hearts of these men, we shall stand ever on the
crater of volcano, whose red-hot lava may at
any hour again burst forth and deluge the land
with blood and fire
But how-whe every able-bodied Southern
man is in the army-can we reach these people
BY fighting them with a sword in one hand and
a Union newspaper in the other-by giving them
ideas well bullets. BY scattering loyal
publications broadcast over the conquered dis
tricts, and by starting free press wherever we
hold foot of Southern soil. If the men are
away in the army, the women will be at home,
and will read these things, and that will be
enough. If we convert them, the country is
saved. Woman, in this century, is everywhere
that power behind the throne" which is
mghtier than the throne ITSELF and the Southern
women have been, and the handspring of
this rebellion. Every dollar thus planted in the
South would spring up man in tattered hat and
ragged butternuts, it might be, but still man,
hardy earnest, brave-who for what he thought
was right would have marched straight up to
to the cannon 8 mouth, and met death % as if he
loved it,
| have failed of my purpose in writing this
article if have not shown that the great body
of poor Southern whites - honest, in
dustrious, enterprisng brave, and liberty-loving
people, who need only to know the true issues
of this contest to become the firm friends and
supporters of the Union. Henceforth they must
be the real South We must enlghten and ele-
vate them. Only in that way can we uproot the
despotic power OF the aristocracy, and plant in
the South loyal element which will make it
one with the North in interest and in feeling
Only in that way secure lasting peace
and freedom and Union, to our distracted coun-