The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-06-14
Restoration Of Agriculture.

Restoration Of Agriculture.
The representative families OF the late Con-
federate States were prompt, upon tue restora-
ton of peace in setting good example Tor the
whole people to follow" Laying aside their
arms, the men at once returned TO the piow, tue
woman to the distaff Especially was this the
case in Virginia, where, not only good biooa'
but good practical sense was always to be found.
The late abortire attempt at revolution she
withstood longest and tirmest; nor could she be
drawn into it by any arllhce, till, III the mad
ness of the hour, 1.-THE worse WAS made to ap-
near the better reason" And then, with UNI
doubted sincerity on the part of the masses, she
plunged into the vortex with slngieness OF
nnrpose and self sacrifice rarely recorded IN
history.
Good old mother Of States and of statesmen
Holding the bridges of war," as Homer would
say, she was the first to return to peace, ana Is
now first in the work OF regeneration. General
Robert E. Lee and the numerous members OF
his family have returned to their old furms, and
are now engaged in the genial work belonging
thereto-turning up the soil, preparing for the
seed and the harvest-plo wing, sowing, planting,
roaming how blest the farmers life And
many other representatives families OF the Old
Dominion are following or setting the same
good example, as, we are informed, are the peo-
nle'aU through the State, Underwater, valley and
mountains and may the coming autumn bless
their labors with an abundant harvest. The
productions of Virginia are, beside tobacco,
wheat, corn, rye oats, potatoes-eereals, Vege-
tables and especially fruits OF every variety be-
longing to the temperate zone-the apple, pear,
plum, apricot. and grapes the most delleious, 10
saw nothing of whole fields OF newly moWn
Interpretation OF the greatest richness and
variety for sustaining life and cheering the
heart of man Wonderful change! Fields,
whereon butsa few months since tramped hosts,
never before narshaled in battle array, are now
said to be green with the promise of a rich har-
vest while cattle Craze undisturbed on her hun
dred hills, and the humble cottage sleeps quiet
~ in the valley.
peace hath her victories
Not less renowned than war
And the women of Virginia, they, too, but
not last have caught the blessed spirit OF peace,
and daily and hourly are deyoting themselves to
its slfar holer works than war, cheering up the
downcast soothing the unfortunate, encouraging
the young, feeding the poor, and doing other
good works of womans hand, even to the low
est services of the domestic household. They
have been called proud, but the pride of Fir-
ginians is to be industrious and to do good, and
nothing that mans or woman's hand can do to
restore prosperity to their people or State will
be left undone.
And so in the Caroinas and Georgia. we I'M
derstand that the people, of every class and
condition, are putting their hands to the plough,
and doing all that can be done to restore their
States to their former prosperity and abundance.
The later close of the war therein. especially IN
the Caronas, will, no doubt, operate materially
against them. As for Georgia, we are told, the
early and apparently final withdrawal OF the
armies therefrom, and perhaps the personal
presence and counsel of Alexander Stephens,
renewed confidence many months ago, and
caused the masses of the people to return to
their peaceful avocations. The staples OF Geor-
gia are rice cotton, wheat, corn sorghum, etc.
and these crops, especially the cereals, were
well cotton in, ard promise well. Especially
the rice OF the Savannah bottom, the best and
richest of the world, is well up and overfowed,
and will go far towards supplying the people
with food, even if the wheat and corn crops
should fail The clothing factories also, are
most of them at work again, and will, before
the winter sets in, provide the people with
abundant rament.
As for the west, Kentucky held on to the
Union so firmly from the first, and Tennessee
was, so early IN the season, renewed from the
presence of the contending armies, that We have
none but good accounts from that direction.-
A large portion of the soil, the last four years
untitled or disturbed, has been restored to eul
tivation, and the people, accepting the situation,
even the inevitable revolution in labor, have
gone TO work with a will. The fall will not only
see the people there amply provided for with
the necessaries of life, but, almost as in the
good old days of yore, with a surplus for ship
ment herewith to supply themselves with com
forts or even Injuries. With this, also, will
begin the return the former prosperity of the
river towns and the profits Of legitimate and
lucrative trade Herewith.
Everywhere, indeed, the people are quietly,
and with their welI-known good sense, accept
ing the situation and returning to their peace
full avocations, especially that of Agriculture
And this is the true source of their wealth and
prosperity, that which once made our people
rich and powerful, alas, perhaps, too rich and
powerful for their own good Under misguid-
ed counsels they thirsted for independence and
dominion, not content with that which they en-
loved under the constitution and laws of our
forefathers, and that has been, for the last four
disastrous years, their undoing. Possessed of
the richest soil and enjoying the finest climate
in the world, with the most valuable produc-
tons, they will quickly recover from it, and
then, will enter upon a future, in common with
the people of the Union, with which, in wealth,
health and happiness, the past can scarcely be