Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-06
The Dawn of New Era for the South.

Johnson opening the southern ports, and remoV-
ing nearly all restriction, on trade with the re-
gion 80 recently in Rebellion, are the commence
ment Of new era far the insurgent States. The
area Of territory thus reclaimed from the deva'-
tation Of war and given to the pc ceful compitl-
tons Of free industry and enterprise, embraces
more than four hundred thousand square miles.
1t 10 rich in every element Of producliveness and
in every source Of wealth. Its rice aud cotton
and sugar fields are waiting the advent Of skilled
labor to produce harvests exceling in richnes
any which they have hitherto yielded. lts fertile
and now vacant farms are inviting the toll Of the
husbandmaD, and promlilng the iaireSt returns
for his work. Its favorable sites for mills and
furnaces solicit capital and energy to come and
occupy and possess,
And these invitations will not be UNDECIDED or
fall on unwilling ears. The inhabitants OF the
Southern States have not been energetic or en-
terprising except in politics and in the defense Of
slavery. Their genius has never yentured on in
Ventions and experiments except in state-cratt.
They have left the business OF making money to
the "ped1ling YankeSs," to the industrious,
scheming hard working millions Of the North.
They have reproached us as selfish and mer-
censry people, because we seized on every natural
advantage Of soil and climate and power, and
through the alchemy of our industry turned them
into gold. They have sneered at US as a race Of
miserable, grubbng, grOveling utilitsrians, whose
god was the almighty dollar and whose heaven
was only found in the marts of trade or the buck
,tsr's stand while they were race Of chivalrous,
hgh-toned gentlemen, Of elegant leisure, rare cul-
ture, generous Inequalities and refined tastes
Under their political philosophy and political econ
omy they built their States wasting their soil
plralyting labor by taking from it The vital 'tim
illus Of reward and hope, and conc enirating al
power 10 the few who hated democracy, desplsed
work, and sneered at industry. The result wa
inevitable, The South grew strong every day il
the arts which they cultivated and practced, be
came con,ummats masters Of the tricks OF poll
toans. became, so far as slavery would allow them
praclicsd and polished gentlemen, and we're mas
ters Of the aristocratic arts OF leadership and nso
lent dOmiueering authority but in every essen
tisl element OF free, republican State, they wen
rapidly to decay. Their soil dteTiorated, unit
some Of the older States became producers, moi
of corn and wheat and cattle, but Of men snc
women raised and sold as slaves. Immigration
was not invited, and scarcely permitted, and ac
complshed mechanics, cunning artisans, indus
triou, laborers, seldom crossed Mason and Dxon'
line. North Of that line cities, towns and villages
multiplied and grew with a rapidily unparalleled
while south of the line a wicked civilization, ar
ilberal prejudice, and false iitica IDEAS chaineC
every limb Of industry, depressed every aspiration
Of labor, stopped the march Of every advancing
and liberal principle, and blighted every fa
growth Of free institutions. The desolitions o
war have only, with a slightly increased rapidity
completed the work which these southern archi
tects Of ruin bad Tor generations been bringing
about, and exposed the rottenness Of Southern
institutions, the poverty Of its political economy
and the fatal errors Of It's theories OF Z vernmenI
But this vast area, which has hitherto beel
given up to the wastefuI, blightng and paralylnl
experiments of worse than odworld cilvlliza
ton has now, by the crime Of it, pos essors, bee
rescued from the men, and, let us hope from th
false ideas which have for so many year, governe
: it. The war has shown to its remaining inhab
tants, 10 terrible letters Of FIRE and blood, tn
truths upon which its future prosperity and great
ness may be built and they will be wise il the
heed the lesson The South may learn throug
the discipline Of the war that it the North hav
the skill TO amass wealth, they yet withhold non
o. it when il is called for to save thir govern
ment il they excel n the contentious of trad
and commerce, their workshops, their farms, thei
= counting rooms aniwer the summons TO the ssl
with sodery unmatched in the coLAict OF arms
il they are gifted with the faculty OF Away, gel
ting the best of bargain, they yet pour out the
- wealth the most abundant stream, TO bless an
minister consolation and comfort to the defender
, Of their coun ry il they love money, they low
- educalion freedom, nationality, infinitely more
, and il, while at peace, they permit themselves t
be surpassed by no people in the pursuit Of a
the industries and the agencies which make
nation rich and great, in war they shrink at n
E sacrifice to maintain the supremacy OF their hiI
and oheeriully give wealth aud life to make tbs
Dag still not only the emblem o an unbroken nj
, tionaly, but ofa new and better national life.
= II the people Of the South putting aside tn
now wholly to their former lie--An era closed i
, the Aimes and deyastations aud mourning OF
!. gigantic rebeoa-wil let the dead past bur
r. it, dead, and arise and follow tie teachers Of Il
n new era which opeis before them, they shall ye
r and at no distant day, see reason to bless Il
, sonvuson through which the demon that HI
until now perverted all their ensrgie, and 7
sources has been cast out Thus few yea
only shall pass, and the clpaciou, southern ha
=, bou shall grow white with the myriad wing,
n commerce southern fields shall start into ne
life, and the desert places shall blossom as Il
rs rose the click and hun OF thousand mills ,hl
n miugle with the sound Of streams rejoicing tn
ri their currents are at length permitted to becou
the helps of man the neat cottages Of the pea
70 sntry shall bear cheerful evidence that labor
lie recevi, Z il. just reward aud, better than
IN this, the mind shall be emancpted from Il
be slavery which has held in ignorance so ma