The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-30

the growing of grain, that you cannot do with
ont 1t, and that IL was the cotton fields Won
were proposing TO put in grass Alas young
man, that old system of farming which re-
suited in demands for Western Territories
which resulted in war, and finally in the negro
being, as you say, good for nothing is pre-
cisely what is the matter with your cotton
crop this year. You raised corn and wheat
on your fresh land, and your old cotton fields
barren and dusty and worn into gulleys-
did the best they could, but they were unable
to bring something out of nothing.
The dilemma in which Southern soil and
the planters are placed is appalling, and we
rejoice to see faint appreciation of a remedy.
We have said before, and we repeat, that we
are in favor of good round appropriation by
Congress for the establishment of model farms,
in various parts of the South, which shall
teach the peOple-many of whom never saw a
soythe-hOw to grow grass and to establish
more varied industries. There are millions
of acres Of hilly land, supposed to be worth
less, but which can be put into luxuriant blue
grass, and add untold millions to the wealth
of the country. Besides these, there are
large bodies Of upland valleys or marshes
which, If drained, would produce heavy
timothy grass. But the people are too poor
to invest capital and to wait, and, worse
than all, they do not know how to go to
work Now inasmuch as the two sections,
North and South, must stand or fall together,
it is the duty of the North, with its greater
capital and experience in farming, to help the
South rise to a position which shall make her
an equal. But the South must try to be in
better humor with the poor oolored people.
We know they are ignorant, superstitious,
and have some bad habits; still, they do know
how to work, and this is worth millions be-
sides, they are your people, they have your
habits and customs, and if you treat them
fairly they will like you much better than
they do Northern people. Both OF you think
Northern folks have queer ways. But they
want friends, and they reach out their hands
to those whom they think their friends
Let us consider that the blacks are in the
South for wise purpose. Laying aside the
old statements belonging to anti-slavery dis
| cussions, we will agree that a hot climate is
most suited to the black man. For few
years the white man works well beneath that
fiercely blazing sun, but after awhile he droOps
and longs for the icy air and cooling streams,
| while he of the black skin sweats, and laughs,
and shines. The idea that the Irish, German,
or any other white man can, as a general
/ thing, do fair work, year after year, in that
| climate, and withstand the malaria, epidemics,
and depressing influences, is chimerical. The
| whites had better turn their attention to small
farms, to commercial pursuits and the trades,
leaving the blacks, under wise guidance, to re-
store the soil to its original fertility 1t would
not De a Dad plan TO Try experiments Oy selllng
to the most industrious five or ten acres, and
see what they will do. 1t is hardly fair to say
that people deprived of land are utterly un-
worthy. There are no trusty and valued mer
anywhere in the world who are destitute o.
land and home. Let us be calm and look at a
whole country. Liberty has taken final refuge
in America. On our soil all the nations of the
earth are destined to be partakers of hei
precious gifts. Providence has placed the
| African in the burning South and along with
him the European, that he may teach and ele
vate him. Duty is to be done. The more
northern parts of our country are fitted foi
the people of Northern Europe. Hence the
Swede finds a congenial home in Wisconsin,
| the Norwegian in Minnesota. That Asia, the
nursery of the human race may also share in
the blessings of liberty thousands crowd from
China to our distant Pacific shore. All these
| people have rights and occupancy from which
they cannot be dispossessed.