New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-10
The True Aims of the south.

tuen all lefe may be an absolute sLanudId vi "a
celIence, model of perfecton-it is unquestion'
ably true that people have risen to power and
greatness under almost every system which the
ingenuity Of man has devised.
When, then, we look over the tract Of history, or
survey the contemporary condition of mankind,
the conviction is forced upon our minds that forms
Of government have less positive influence upon
the real welfare of people than partisan poll
ticians or abstractonist in political science would
have us believe.
Where has there been more vigorous de-
velopment Of all the capacities of people, al
greater display of expansive and unresistible
force, more substantial progress, than under
the vigorous sway of the Romanoffs-of power
which cast aside the appliances Of republicanism
and began its career of prosperity only when it'll
felt the reins and spur Of the empire? Upon what
fields have greener laurels been won than by the
Prussan state, while under the leadership of al
dynasty that seeks to absorb an power, and un-
der which, within a brief period, has been de-
veloped society road-based, symmetrical, edu-
Gated, inventive progressive and decorated with
ali the graces Of the sciences, arts and letters
1t may be that America is indebted to her re-
publican system for her wonderful advancement,
the story of which diversifes the prosaic records
|
how many states within the last century have dis
covered, even under the most liberal forms Of
government and with the fairest prospects, an ut-
ter incapacity to preserve peace and order, pro-
lection to life and property; and, after passing
through the most wretched phases of existence,
have finally reapsed into anarchy, alternated by
despotism, have Shifted from the radical licenous
ness of popular assemblies to the tickle restraints
of military chiefs-from corrupt demagogues to
incompetent satraps.
The truth is that important as is the structure
of government the social and moral agencies set
at work in the economy Of society, the character
of the people, theirintelligence their virtues, their
energies, are questions of infinitely higher import.
OF what avail are ancient charters, without the
power to defend or the virtues to sustain? Why
lift dome and spire and turret and chseed pillar
to the sky for untutored and happy tribes of wan
dering heperds ignorant of the art of architecture
and of the principles of christianity? Governments
atSnot matters of speculative choce-w0rk5 Of the
fine arts-but assume their form from the
necessities and wants of the people; they are
practical results wrought out of the operation OF
positive social and moral causes.
If these premises be true, how idle is it for the
South to expcnd her energies in the maelstrom Of
partisan politics! OF how much greater momen,
tile task of repairing the rayages of the war, OF
developing her vast material resources, Of cult
va ing spirit of harmony throughout all classes
ana Of encouraging by the amplest rewards the
enterprise the education and the industry Of hel
whole people, and above all, as pearls beyond all
price those noble characteristics Of her race, q
high sense Of honor and Above Of truth These are
tile true and never failing springs of individual
happiness and prosperity, and Of national great
ness With fertile soil and genial climate, viii
: an area in square miles and in every source o
wealth unequalled on the face Of tile globe, why
should her sons permit themselves tolong for othe
t skies, or to give way to unmanly discouragemen
or to indulge vain regrets or bitter criminatio
True it is that the world had never wtne Lex
f the spectacle of a people so suddenly reduced
rom boundless wealth and happiness to a cordi
ton of insecurity, distress and poverty, that eX
cited the compassion of every generous mind
I But how could it have been otherwise after
e struggle so gigantic, so absorbing and SO disas
d trous? And now, when calmly considered, hay
f losses been greater than we multiplication
e than we periled in the contest? And has not tn
advance of law and justice, even under militar
! rule, been more steady and triumphant, than
when considering the nature of man and the col
! dition Of affairs, we had just reason to hope
- What hindrances are there to enterprise? VIII
= force may Danish you from any chosen field
Il industry or can any longer deprive you of i
~ fruits?
le But did our wealth consist alone in slaves,
= large crops of cotton, sugar, rice and tobacco
n No; it was in our men and women, and in Il
Ne natural resources of the country. And these r
"a main. We are indeed, richer to-day than v
- were before the mighty struggle, in all the ell
s ments of grand character and in the justtbop
1t of enduring greatness. To what tests of fOrtul
ST has not Southern society been subjected? And
tn has come forth from the burning ordeal stronge
as purer, brighter, and more cohesive and vital tht
before. Corrupt Adventures and base miscrear
:, may, in the confusion and by means of SUGGEST
speculations in our best blood, have been lift
= for a moment to the surface, and they have Il
- failed to cry out as if 10 account for themsey'
~ that there had been an universal shpwreck
us honor and principle-that money was everythir
q character nothing. These miserable creatuI
tie constitute no part Of that noble people to ht
he virtues and misfortunes they are alike strange
ith and who, if true to themselves, no matter VI
IA governmental changes may occur, will for
i, most part control their own destiny.
tba Although for time there may be a falling
~ in production, and in our exports and imports
~ could hardly have been reasonably expected
20 the fact would be otherwise. 1t was unjust
e9S suppose that radicalreyolution should have b
ere wrought in an hereditary system of labor ant
ex- the organization of society--that untold MILL
to of values should have disappeared under the $
My den stroke of the pen and sword without g
on loss and sacrifeeto individuals, and much disol
five in the State.
mo Nor can we look, under the new conditions,
.. precisely the same mode Of development,
same kind of business and enterprise that cha
III terized our former pursuits. There can be
question but that slavery, as it existed witt
Tere presented that community of interest, that der
titu- Of population which give compaetness to thu
this cal body and necessitate diversified labor
me- tended to the distribution Of population oT
don't wide extent Of country, and seats of wealth,
o,o fnement and learning were in remote dist
- IF while large portion of its profit escaped be.
:: our limits. Free society is concentration 1t
TO the building up of great ceners, and dlrec
I'M efforts to those manifold occupations whie
II we aggregation of masses within narrower circ
not evitably create. Instead, therefore, of tht
h to mense estates of the old propretors, We sha