Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-11
THE SUNNY SOUTH.

It's not necessary that one should
have been a close observer Of the wealth
er to discover that during six weeks of
February and March the sun was seen
only at intervals. Dreariness overspread
the earth, which sobbed back to clouds
that wept as if they never would and
never could be comforted. 1t was at
this time that green Yankee from New
England, intent on viewing the famous
land OF Dixie, stepped off the cars with
a carpet.sack in one hand and green
umbrella in the other. Depositing his
baggage at hotel, he sailed forth TO
view the town. Wandering through the
Iake-like streets for several weeks with
out percieying any prospect OF fair
weather, or of getting into employment,
to which all loyal persons are entitled,
his feelings began to dispond. His high
flown ideas Of the South underwent a
sensible modification. The climate was
the worst in the world, and if there
really existed among us the thing called
"haryest of gold" he could not find an
appropriate place to thrust in bis sickle.
Meeting citizen during q shower, un-
der an awning, he asked him why the
South was called the Sunny South =
The citizen replied, that before the war
the designation was correct, but
that the inundation of the Yankees
had not only ruined the peo-
pie, but had so poisoned the earth
that it will not produce, and so changed
the climate, that the South can no
longer be correctly styled the Sunny
South." Another effect of the invasion
was the uncorking of Africa, and gen.
eral diffusion over the South of mists
that ascend into the air, settle on trees,
meet the clouds half way, and roll
horrid veil over the sun. An hour after,
our Disguised Yankee was seen with
carpet sack in one hand, green umbrella
in the other, and his pants stuffed in his
boots, fighting his way to the depot
Seriously, there is little doubt that our
climate, from what cause we do not pre-
tend to say, has undergone some serious
notifications. The crop statistics of
former years do not show general fam
inc, nor does the history of the South
since its settlement show seasons SO re-
markable for sudden and violent changes
as those we had during and since the
war. Never have the streams ia such
quick succession been SO oyercharged,
and never have the drouths been so long
and destructive. We have been in
formed by planters that land, to be relied
on with all but certainty before the war,
failed last year to produce 1t is said
that those peerless children Of the sun,
the flowers, were pale and sickly last
year and the year before, and dropped
away and died in their first unfolding.
We do not know that this is true,
not being at present in the flower
line. Certainly there has been
change. Explosion of saltpeter may or
may not have had something to dc with
it Even the passions Of men, developed
on the field Of battle; the gore that
streamed from wounds; the onset, the
victory and the rout the despair of
bright and glorious beauty the silence
that took the place OF noise and din
may have worked some chemical changes.
The machinery of society was out Of con-
cord, and nature and human laws, long
accustomed to harmonious blending,
cannot be violently torn apart without
producing confusion to both Whatever
the causes may be, we are changed.
Our Yankee greenhorn, without compre-
hending the philosophy of the fact ad-
mitted its existence, and governed him
self accordingly. Reunion of laws,
climatic and human, may restore the
ancient equilibrium and rescue US from
our present glooms. The fresh Southern
earth, turned up to the sun, may catch
vitality and renew to commerce its rela-
tons, as the plowman renews his to the
Government But our neighbors Of the
North must await the reconciliation of
industry and nature. Not till then can
they thrust in their sickles and reap the
golden ingots down. We are sorry for
them. To the vietors belong the spoils /;
but where are they? Other hordes have
appropriated them. 1t is too late for
fresh expeditions
SALT IN TENNESSEE.
The Knoxville Commercial says; eve