Smyrna times., 1865-12-20
The Southern Whites,

Edmund Kirke"--J. r. Gilmore-dclivcr
ed lecture on THE Southern Whites il
Philadelphia last week The following is al
extract:
MIR. Gilmore said that he intended dividini
the subject OF his lecture into three agriculture
classes, viz the planter, the small farmer an
the yeoman. The latter compose the elias
known rs the mean whites They are lower
down in the scale Of life than the slaves of the
chlyalry. They number at least half million
OF souls
This class of people are subdivided into diff.
| tercnt districts. In the mountainous section,
| Of Virginia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, they
gain livelihood by fishing and cunning, living
IN squalid huts in the narrow valleys among
the mountains of those States. In the more
| southern districts i'll Georgia, Alabama, and
Louisiana they hover around the plantations
OF the chiyalry, and exc ont miserable exist
ence by stealing whatever they can lay their
hands upon. The buildings in which they
| dwell are generally cone-sEapcd hutS. similar to
those used by the Indians on the frontier.
Their staple article Of diet is whisky peo-
pie OF the North generally suppose that there
are no small farmers in the South. He begged
leave to correct the wrong impression They
are. IN fact, very numerous, and are most
valuable class to the chivalry. They have done.
more than the latter to advance slavery having
always stood shoulder to shoulder with them in
all their acts and dOinga The yeomcn or poor
men, who have 50 brayely fought in the cause
Of secession, who were led into their error by
the slave Olgarchy, and who, if taught would
readily appreciate the value Of free nstitu-
sionS, were Ill the opinion Of the speaker, the
only class III the South upon which we could
rely III the future of our country. Speaking of
the Southern farmers he said that he thoupht
1t might prove interesting to the audience to
give them an idea Of the extent of their do
mains. Their farms usually contain from 100
to 200 acres. The farmer leads an inlolent
LIE in comparison with our Northern tillers Of
the soil; the former merely throws his seed
upon the ground and it comes up almost ,pnn
tancouSlyi his manner Of rcapiug is iii similar
to ours
lie thrashes his wheat out in the open air.
gathers his corn from the stalk as it stands in
the held and heaps 1t into rude, Open-work log
cribs: The whites and blacks generally work
side by side with these farmers, and annear 10
3e 3 happy and contentcd in their equal positions
Generally the white men of this class know but
; ;;,',e oi tne worlds doings, but they always
i,'''', thaC Ihcy arc OF great Importance and
kho" more than they can be learned G,''',.
any when speaking of themselves. they rap
run raster, 90 more work, eat more and foLt
harder than amy men in creation. The s,aaL
er related several amusing anecdotes. re|at;r,,
to the belief of the ycOman in the great merits
and superiority over all fellow beings, cr.ating
great laughter. Nevertheless, the speaker
SAID that we would have to admit that there
were many brave and daring ones. Among
them he adverted to the campaign of General
Garfed III Kentucky against the guerriilas;
the General was praised greatly for his perse-
Ferahcc and success in driving out the prowling
bands from the State 70 10 Sewers n Caro-
hhlan and Federal scout, who was convicted
ana sentenced to be shot for the murder of
Judge carter and who escaped from the pri-
son IN winch he was confined, Kentucky owes
a debt of gratitude. '"0'
Although knowing his fate if delivered over
to the officials on either side, LOVING his cnnn-
try withal, he stood night after night at the
outer line OF our picket, giving them hourly in
formation Of the dOings of our enemies
In referring to the planters, the speaker said
that they numbered something over LOG. 900
representing but small ratio Of the actual |
population of the South. Nevertheless tbov |
owned three -f0urths Of the property, and ali If
its political power; that the time had arrived |
for the overthrow Of such unevenly balanced |
In the North the white citizen enjoys equal |
rights in representation, but in the South they |
enjoy none at all the governing power was in |
the hands Of the chivalry, who are dangerous
and untrustworthy class. 1t is our duty to |
overthrow this barrier to the march Of Ameri- |
can freedom. Their doom had been sealed, |
and ere many years the rights Of the majority |
in the South would be respected as they were |
in the North.
The speaker was frequently applauded dur !
ing. his reuIarks, and the audience appeared to |
be highly delighted with the address.
i