The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-27
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
HDTToBIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPICs-CoMPILED EVERY
DAY FOB THR EVENING TELEGRAPH.
Southern Distress.

IRON U6 ~. T. IItOUtc.
That there should be suffering from destitu-
lion in the South throughout the year follow
ing the close of our civil war, surprised no
one. The Rebellion collapsed after the proper
season for planting and sowing had passed,
and the farmers were most meagrely supplied
with implements and animals; so that they
grew less than half a crop. Drouth, acting on
imperfect shallow tillage, fearfully shortened
the crops of 1885, and especially the yield of
Indian corn, which is the chief basis of South
ern food, whether OF bread or meat. But the
product of 1857, though impaired by floods,
worms, and yellsw fever, was thought to be
generally good; so that the North now hears
with surprise that the South is once more on
the brink Of famine. The statement is too
broad, since Tennessee, Texas, and extensive
districts of other States, have food enough;
still, there is truth enough in the cry to justify
apprehension and provoke inquiry. What are
the real causes Of existing Southern want
We answer
l. War. The South devoted all her energies
and means, throughout four weary years. to
the prosecution OF her most unequal struggle.
Her able-bodied white males were driven or
dragged, almost en- mdSSe, into the Rebel armies.
Heads of families were pounced upon and car
ried off to the front, with hardly opportunity
to bid adieu to their wives. Boys of fifteen
and men of fifty were swept in. The
whites made war their business; the blacks
grew food and served in households. Hardly
anything was added to the abiding wealth of
the country throughout those four years,
while stocks of food, clothing, ETC., ETC., were
gradually exhausted. War required Aide
voured all.
ii. Devastation was rife, especially in the
later years. The Rebels burned cotton, rice,
sugar, and almost everything else that was
combustible, to save them from the Yankees;
who burned in turn to preclude its recapture
by the Rebels. Fences and other rude wooden
structures were extensively consumed for fuel.
Buildings were often burned-sOmetimes neces-
sarily; at others, wantonly. Domestic animals
of all kinds were generally Impressed" or
swept off by one side or the other. If the
South had been full-handed, her industry
must have been sadly inefficient since the
war But
III. Able-bodied men were likewise swept.
Not less than three hundred thousand South
rons lie in their graves, who, but for the war,
would now be in vigorous, effective life.
They generally left widows and children, who
are unable to work the lands left them or which
they tenant, save very inefhciently, These
are consequently suffering from want, while
the aggregate product of their section is
lessened.
We presume that the North has lost as
many men in battle as the South did-perhaps
lation of at least twenty millions, while theirs
were drawn from hardly more than six mil
lions (of whites); so that bereavement is far
more general in the South than in the North.
And though our lesses in actual battle may
have been the greater, our hospital accommo-
dations and medical service were far superior,
and, thanks, in good part, to our Sanitary and
Christian Commissions, with the intelligent
real, and wise liberality which persistently
sustained them we saved many lives where
the Rebel sick and wounded proved in parallel
cases incurable.
". Not only during the war; but since the
war, our improved implements and machinery
have greatly increased the effectiveness of our
industry. Ohio and Illinois grow thrice the
corn to the hand that the South does, or can,
till her planters shall be able and willing to
employ the very best labor-saving implements.
V. Industry was never so prevalent among
the whites of the South as among those of the
North; while slaves, as a rule, do the least
amount of work they can do and escape the
whip. And the habits formed under the influ-
ence of slavery-the aversion to labor lnstllled
by it's but slowly overcome.
VI. Social anarchy now comes in, to aggra-
Vate evils already appalling. The whites and
blacks of the South have not yet learned reci-
procal confidence. The whites still dream OF
negro insurrection and outrage, and any moon
shine story of negro conspiracy to plunder
and massacre secures their implicit credence.
The blacks feel sure that the whites would re-
enslave them if they could. Hence, they
desert the rural districts and throng the cities,
where they derive confidence from their mum
bers and from the presence of Federal authority
and force. The fact that the planters fail
often from sheer inability-to pay what the
blacks say they have fairly earned strengthens
the blacks in their apprehension that they will
have to fight against reinstatement whenever
''the Bureau" shall have vanished, leaving
them without external protection.
Most certainly, we do not deny, nor seek
to ignore, the alleged Incidence and IMPROVE
dence of the blacks. We suspect that few o
them prefer work to play at the same price
They would be singular race if there were
not inveterate drones idlers, vagrants, anC
sots among them. We presume they have i'm
bibed from whites the false notion that it i
more respectable to get living by schemint
than by work. Yet we have asked quite
number who have conducted extensive bust
ness operations in the South, "Have you an
trouble as to hands 2' and the reply has uni
formly been, ''None, while we have money t
pay each man his wages every Saturda
night" And the all but uniform testimon
Ahfrms that the blacks work diligently an
vigorously. Inability to pay for labor put
the employer in false position. He is n
longer master. He cannot say, "Do this,
and see it done he must negotiate and pals
yer, and often entreat, when he should be abl
to command. A pauper employer is a sell
contradiction.
This article is so long that we must posi-
pone our suggestion of remedies to another.