The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-13
ECONOMY.

Great changes in national condition are sell
dom duly appreciated by those whom they
most nearly concern. This is an obedience 20
a law rooted in the very nature Of things, and
arising from the essential difference which e1-
lists between the aspect of events as viewed by
the actors therein, and the appearance which
the same facts present to an impartial spectator.
Affairs, individual or otherwise, quorum magma
lars sunus are seldom estimated by US at their
true value. A thousand collateral circum-
stances influence our judgment Of them, and
there are few cases in which we are not held
in leash by the chains of habit and prejudice.
This is exempli6ed in the present condition Of
things The necessities of the times are hardly
realized by those who talk most about them.
Before the war, the Soutberner hardly knew
the meaning of the word which heads this arti-
Gle He led, on the whole, rather useless
POGO. curante existence-the natural result II MS
condition and surroundings. The hardships
incident to the war were borne cheerfully, and
with fortitude scarcely to have been expected
| from his habits and education. Doubtless this
was owing, in some degree, to the pride OF
tanned by the idea that the war was but an
interlude of privation to be followed by an era
of greater luxury and comfort-an idea which
sprang from that power of hope which is peou-
liarly characteristic of the sanguine Southern
temperament.
The result has been very different from
the anticipation; and the effect Of the dis
appointment has been national and Individual
prostration without parallel in history.
But it is difficult for the Southern people to
realize the mighty change which has passed
upon their destinies. The restoration of the
old order Of things is practically impossible.
Old traditions have to be given up-old modes
of living abandoned and the course of the
Southern people for the next half century, at
| least, must be that of men who would build up
new nationality How much depends on
energy at this crisis, we ourselves are, perhaps,
incapable of appreciating. 1t will not do to
sit down with folded hands, chanting, mourn
fully, "Ichabod Ichabod our glory has de-
partedy' The war-cry needs rather to be
that of the new faith, which recognizes as
practical life-power the truth that the old
things are passed away-that all things are
become new. And as in the crash of individual
fortunes the first duty is private economy, so
in the wreck of our fortunes as people the
necessity of economy in public affairs cannot
be too strongly enforced We want retrench.
ment--national, municipal and individual. We
need economy of money, OF labor, OF time, The
typical man of the future is he who does most
by his own individual effort. None should be
idle among US; none should slumber; for there
is now no room in the lard for sluggards or
drones. If ever there was time in the history
of people when individual exertion, supple
mented by prudence and economy, was impera'
lively demanded, that time is now. We must
lop off the branches to save the tree, and prune
the vine that it may bear more grapes. The
judgment Of posterity will look rather to the
behavior Of the South in the day Of her humi.
liation and trial, than even to her glorious bat
tle-story. We should not leave so brilliant
history half written,