New-York tribune., 1866-12-26
THE OLD AND NEW SOUTh

1t is almost vain to expect that this generation
of Southern men can be taught to understand TIC
North the negroes, themselves. The suddenneSd
of the change has bewildcred them, and their effort
seems TO DO to reconcile by labor laws and penalties
the traditions of Slavery with the living facts of free
DOM Their children may learn tho useessneSs OF such
attempts but it is evident that the leading men OF the
South look back with fond regret to the days when
few thousand gentlemen the masters Of millions
of labOrers
Ex-Goy Vance Of North Carolina, in & recent lee
ture expressed these feelings with a sad sincerity.
He told his bearers that tho country gentlemen who
"owned large number Of slaves aud thousands of
acres of land had disappeared with the Southern
Confcderacy." They were gone to return no more
and he mourned over their departure He pltied the
negroes; they the happiest race upon earth
when hey-were slaves; but now hc feared they would
take their departure with their masters. They are dis
appearing as race very fast. "The nygorating Bound
Of the old banjo said the eloquent Governor. "is
no longer heard and the old double shuttle is fast
fading away and will soon bo gone lost to the pros
"ent and unknown 10 coming generations" Herecalled
with touching effect the days when the slaves taught
him TO twist q rabbit out of hollow and build
bird-trap on Sunday Nor did he fail to lament over
the happy condition Of the Southern kitchens, when
he fused TO bother the old cook, and sometimes
received a slap followed with Git out O. here, do
"'gio folks waitin for do wittel" But IN grieying
over such terrible losses the Governor did not have
one word to say for what the coiored has found
There were pleasant things in Slavery as there are in
monarchy aristocracy and other general evils IL must
be delightful to be king even in these days of
| IL of arl. no
men who would Ike to bo the traditional nobeman,
with a castle park and few hundred tenants to
paironzc. kingdom is good thing for the king.
We used to be told before 1861 that the Shareholders
were kind TO their slaves, and that cruelty was an
exception. 1t was useless TO Sply that mercy could
never be substitute for Justice As this suppostious
kindness was then made an excuse for denying the
negroes their freedom il is prctex for refusing
them the rights without which freedom is but
name. A former slayehoder writes TO us from
Lynohburg, Va, that he has "more kindly and truly
sympathzing feelings for the unfortunate race than
" any Abolitonist in the North, and would to-day
" contribute, according 10 his means, more toward
their comfort than any in the present Congress
Z" Of the United States, including Sumner and Wade;
but at the same time, would submit to any inilic
ton that could be imposed rather than be brought
''to equality in every sense with the negro" No
doubt this gentleman has benevolent feelings for his
dogs and would do great deal for his horses, but
this kind Of sympathy is not fit for men to offer or ac
cept viii the old lords of the land learn thatit
not kindness but justice that the negro needs Giyehm
his rights and he will find his friends. II is precisely
this equality before tho law which the Southern ariso
crat would refuse, that the negro wants, and ciyza
ton sustains his demand. The blessings Of absolute
freedom will make charities unnecessary the negro is
immeasuraby better off having the right to use all
legal means to support himself, than in dependence
upon generosity which may be withdrawn. These
are truisms in the North, but mysteries to men like
Gov Vance whose eyes dazzled with the sunburst Of
the future turns fondly the familiar twilight Of the