The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-05
WEST Or THE ALLEGHANT NOUN
TAINS, 1867.
LETTER FROM G. W. ".

To ne Editor Of the Ddlty Nelcs:
Your correspondent, last summer and autumn
was looking upon the beautifully cultivated fields
and vine-clad hills OF dear old France-he had for
weeks wandered through the gardens, boulevards,
and picture galleries Of the charming city Of Paris
each day developed new interests, and new charms
to him. Paris is the Paradise of France and
France is the Eden Of the continent of Europe. I
feel quite sure there is no country in the world
where one can get SO much real enjoyment for his
money as in France. To one fond Of travel and
gorgeous scenery, he will find it in the little re-
public Of Switzerland-here are beautiful lakes and
fertile valleys and mountain gorges, and cataracts
] to crafty the most romantic. Crossing the Alps,
you step into Italyiis blue sky and balny tropical
climate sends a thrill into the Southern heart.
There is Germany, with its finely cultivated fields,
its busy worl !ops and grand old cities, crowded
with the most industrious and economical people
in the world England, with its London and Liver
pool its Manchester and Birmingham, little
Island-a perfect hive Of busy bees, is worth q
trip across the Atlantic to see. And dear old
Scotland, with its commercial Glasgow and literary
Edinburg, its honest and frugal people, has charms
that few countries possess. To me, down-trodden
Ireland with its Paddles and potatoes, its peat
and its pigs, was deeply interesting.
But there is new country, discovered recently
by bold adyelIturer- CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
called America After all, there is but one Aneri-
ca. There time when the ten States now
known as territories were the Paradise of Amer- |
ca. Alas four years Of desolating war and two |
years of political anarchy have driven the ADAMS
and Ewes from this Eden. The kissing serpent |
is to be seen all over this once happy land; the |
very ground seems cursed and thorns and thistles |
are fast taking the place Of the lu1uriant cotton
and rice plant. We may expect this state Of things
to continue until the ugly family quarrel is set
tied. There will be no solid prosperity again,
North or South, until the Union is restored and
just, equal and uniform government established
throughout the States. A few months since left
the "City by the Sea" and am making an extensive
tour through the States and portion of Canada.
L had never been farther West than Cincinnati,
and had not seen the immense prairies of this
Western world, or the mother of waters, and was
anxious to visit the valley of the great Mississippi.
From Chicago to st. Louis you pass through the
centre of Illinois, one of the finest Of the Western
States On each side Of theIllinois Central railway,
rs far the eye reach, you see broad fields OF
,orn, and green pastures, on which hundreds and I
thousands of fat cattle are grazing Your readers
will be surprised to learn that these rich prairie
lelds, situated as they are in the heart Of coun
ry boasting of free white labor cultivated
manner that would be disgrace to the disorgan-
zed freed labor of the South. The majority Of the
armers plant their seed, and seem to trust to
Providence to cultivate it. In maAy OF the fields !
he weeds and grass were as high as the corn. I :
IN quite sure the yield Of corn with such slip
hod cultivation will not be one-fourth what
should be. The best cultivated farms
have seen in my tour were in Tennessee and
'irginia. Generally in the Western States the
and is very imperfecty cultivated. Large barns
nd neat farm houses are few and tar between.
his state Of things is produced mainly by the 4
estiess spirit of emigration Nearly every farmer
ready to sell out and move farther West. AS the c
de of emigration is coming in from the Pacific, it
to be hoped 9gr people may soms day have an y
10 labor of the wes1 nal sall home. Wistakee aat
ed by the war as that Of the South. Under the old
,stem we had the best organized labor in the N
nd. This labor should be improved by the new j
&c ,ntives introduced and education. l
elieve, however, that educated men are more in ii
ined to live by their wits than by the sweat Of lie
,e brow. But here is st. Louis. When 1 have
,sted may have something to say Of this great
'estern city. 1t. W. W. y