The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-06-16
w. j. SLATER a. 60.
The Material Interests Of T"nMcs-
see.

The following article, which we take
from the Nashville EnioR ami .lmert-
An, is Il plain, honest, and we think IT.
r~cfragabIc statement Of the reason why
the material Interests nfOur State are
crippled. We believe, sincerely, that
but for the misr,llc Of Il few radical ia
natics, Tennessee would to-day have
been on the road to wealth and pros
perity and happiness, despite the aw-
full rayages Of the late Il Here IS
what the Union and Imerican says:
At the close Of the war there was no
State which had been the tlcatcr Of
military operations, which had made
so profound an impression upon the
grcatnnmbcrs who, during the war had
PASSED over it for the first time. The
soldiers Of the North rs well as those
of the South were struck with adnira-
ton with our soil, climate, scenery,
products, hospitality and general at
iractivcncss. The people who remain.
ed ut their homes during the turbulence
made sure that upon q return OF peace,
there would be II vast influx of popula-
ton and industry, and that very soon
il would be found that emancipation
and war would have the Indirect effect
of bringing Il largely increased, thrifty
and energetic population within our
borders, aud of the development ofour
resources to a degree, Impossible I'M
der the former order of things. ESpe,
cially was this opinion prevalent in the
minds of those who had adhered to the
Union throughout the troubles. They
refused to sell their lands, or to enter
upon great or promising entcrpri,
scs, until they could set out upon that
Grand tide of private and public pros
perity, which was seemingly SO near Its
flood, and would then lead to assured
fortune. But they have been disap-
pointed. Instead Ola vast milo wing
population and capital. both from the
North and South, we have n steadily
intensyfiing s%tagnation and decline in
the great material interests of the
State.
The sober sense Of our people, asks
why this disappointment? The OBJ
strlctions that impedcd the work OF
development, according to the a5acr
tons of our Northern brethren, was
the institution of slavery. That has
now been removed forever. What
therefore,, now stands in the way
Whilst we were mingling with the South
crn soldiers they were unbounded II
their praises ofthe resources and capa-
bilities of our State. We have since
been told by the Northern soldiers tIa'
the same advantages were equally
strongly impressed uponthem andtheiT
comrades. All, ofboth sides, warmly
EXPRESSED their admiration. and great
numbers asserted their determination
TO make Tennessee their future home.
Why have they not doneso!
We cannot answer the question fully,
but a partial answer is to be found III
the internal political condition OF the
State, and probably a full me-. In the
first place, the State administration as
scrts that it is unsafe for Northern pco
pie to come to Tennessee, and, ut the
same time, set up a system of proscrip-
ton toward Souiherncrs. Both arc 10
titled thatthey cannot live here in hon
or and security and peace. Deprived
ofthese both decline to come. On the
contrary the best men who are here arc
striving to leave, never 10 return. The
Northerncrs is assured that he will be
assassinated personally ortaboocd so
cially ifhe comcs-and the S%outhcrneI
is told that he cannot have the right
Of a citizen orthc mere chances OF
white man, if he comes. Thus bou
arekept away, and we see the cons'an
9ec'ine OF our interests in these respects
an aldstton TO this. our mercantile III
s'e1's are assured that they shall pay