Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-06-21
HOW TO GAIN FRIENDS.

The true policy of the South should be
to make friends, not enemies. The latter
she already has, the former she can com
mand In proportion as man is friend
less, be is weak. Every dog, who by
some unaccounisble mistake of nature
was reared upon only two legs instead OF
four, feels at liberty to bark at him, and,
when the signs of life are distant and
dim, to bite him. But the moment the
currents of strength come pouring back,
the muscles begin to swell and the veins
to expand, the dog on two legs instead
of four, begins to whine and wag his tail
in token of respect We beg the pardon
of the dog on four legs for introducing
him to illustrate the meanness of men
and society We mean no manner of
ofiense to that noble animal We call
his name because conventionality,
though founded on ignorance, has intro
duced il to illustrate the meanness of
the meane- class of men.
We say the true policy Of the South
should be to make friends, not to hatter
power, nor become abject in the presence
of authority. That would never secure
friends, because those whose good opin-
ion is worth having, would turn from us
as from things to be loathed. There is
only one mode by which We can com
mand friendship. Generally, we must
deserve it, and that goes on the sole
ground of merit But merit does not
win prizes, unless it can command the
auxiliary aid of power. Whether from
one source or another, the South should
acquire poper. Money, land, cotton,
tobacco, manufa ctures, are power.
These we have, or may have. Through
the influence Of our resources, we
can command all the necessa-
ries, and even the Injuries of
life. Men do not despise those who
are capable of bestowing benefits upon
lUtu. ut HtCtSollitS vi OuI udluIc
compel respect and Difference to those
who can feed and clothe US. With our
unrivaled resources, little time only is
requisite TO enable us to offer induce
ments to emigration that will not fail to
bring us friends from all parts of the
world. Now that slavery is dead, it is
not the interest Of our great landholders
to monopolise real estate. Let it be cut
up into small farms, and placed within
the reach of the honest laborer from the |
North and Europe Such policy would |
nearly double our population within the
next twenty years. Then, we should |
have no lack of friends, and would sell |
dom hear such terms applied TO us as
rebel and traitor"
We have always thought the South has
shown too much anxiety to get into Con-
gress This has proven a positive in
jury. 1t is not graceful to go when one
is not wanted We are not wanted in |
Congress, and should not go there ex-
cept when invited, and then upon equal
terms with the Northern States. We
make no friends oy attempts to hurry up |
the work Of reconstruction. We must be |
loyal to our character and reputation as
people, for people we are and so re-
cognized by the Government. Rather
let us cease this knocking at the doors of
Congress, gather together the elements
of our strength, and, by a judicious en-
plOyment of them, compel respect,
friendship and position in the Govern
ment This, we suggest, should be the
policy of the South. 1t is only when we
are powerful that we will be respected
The applications of weakness are ever
held in contempt