Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-26
THE CONDITION or THE SOUTH.

THE CONDITION or THE SOUTH.
From the Round Table (Rep.)
Partizsns, whose opiniO,ls oughout
the mOmentOus struggle from which this
country has lately emerged have re-
tanned an unchanged bias, preserved the
same monotone of color, are not always
safe guides in matters either of fact or
probability which have a direct relation
to their cherished theories. Starting
with this proposition, and coupling with
il the statement that we have ever been
steadfast opponents of slavery and
stauneh supporters OF national unity, we
submit some reflections and circum-
stances relating to the present condition
Of our southern section, asking for them
the consideration which this predatory
explanation may see m 10 justify. From
whatever point of view--mcral, financial
or political-We may regard the southern
states, their situation is unspeakRhly de-
| plOrable. The effect of subjugatiOn is al
WAYS demOTalizing. Men lose heart and
| hone and relfreliance. Energies are para
| lyzed. Self-respect is lowered. From
| the inspiration of battling for q cause,
men sink 10 mere vulgar self-seeking
and greed and Oftenest il happens
/ that the nObler objects Of life being
abandoned, they plunge recklessly into
base pleasures and degrading sensuali-
| ties. Pts UictiS! II the victOrs be not,
what the vietOrs seldom are, magnani-
nous and generously mindful Of their
/ subject thralls, the lost cause soon
! becomes the least Of the regrets Of the
| more wise among the conquered. A lost
| people is an infinitely wOrthier subject
| of sorrow.
Under their defeat, it cannot be denied
! that the southern people have behaved
with great nObleness. Before the close
Of the war, men at the north as weI as
at the south believed that the surrender
| Of the southern armies would be followed
| by guerrilla warfare Ofyears; yet from
! the day OF JOhnstOn's surrender not one
outrage has occurred such as had with
reason been anticipated The cause Of
this is twOfold. The southern people were
always a martial people; and however
we may sneer at their chivalTy-which
doubtless was an element both Of weak
ness and of streEgth-we must at least
concede that they possessed the virtues
as well a. the defects of the martial ma
ture. If they were proud, impetuOus, i'm
patient, they we're also brave, enduring,
resOlute; and since the war they have
proved that they possess beyond all pre-
"
characteristic of fidelity to their
pledged word. Never were such
numbers Of soldiers let loose in q
conquered country OF their bare pa
role OF honor. And surely never was
parole moie truly kept The men OF the
south were chained as by a chain Of ada
mRnt when they had given their word
OF honor to obey the government that
had subjected them; and this has been
the great cause Of the tranquility which
has prevailed since their surrender.
Another hardly slighter cause lies in the
judieiOus counsels and the more judiciOus
silence of their public men. Heretofore
leading statesmen Of the country have
been generally from the sOGth; and
though the race OF giants has long passed
away from both the alienated sections
of the country, it is difficult to conceive
a course Of calmeT or more diguitied dis
Cretion than has been pursued by
southern public men in their late
unhappy circumstances. Here and
there a Pollard may have vapored
somewhat, and his vapOFings have al
ways been extensively circulated at the
north. Here and there, too, on our own
side Of the line. some tenth-rate newspa-
per has set itself up as par excellence the
advocate Of southern rights; but il is not
from such sources that we learn the
course Of southern men Of note. It is
from = Lee in his college, a Stephens or
a Bragg on his plantation OF Johnston
on his railroad, that we truly ie6rn It.
Even the crowd of Insignificant nObOdiss
that filed the Confederate congress have
behaved with unexpected wisdom and
the press Notwithstanding its tempta-
ton TO cater to the eXeitable tendencies
Of the people, has uniformly discouraged /
all resistance % tue powers that be.
Thousands OF soldiers could never, by
any conceivable system Of repression (
have maintained the quiet, order, and
submissive resignation which everywhere /
prevail IN the subiugRted states. These |
things are due to the intelligence Of the |
people and the fidelity ef their late sol |
diers.
We have heard much Of the equality |
Of the negro with the white msn. In |
the name Of Justice and Of mercy, let our [
political negrOphilists at the north begin |
to do something TO show that they still |
believe the white man to be equal TO the |
negro. The whole course Of our govern |
ment has for months past been cRlcula- !
ted to degrade our own blood in the /
southern states in order 90 eXalt the |
negro population. Allour charities have I
been devoted 10 the negro, Only g few
generous hearted persons have turned |
their liberality 10 the poor whites. IT is /
well known that the school fund in more /.
than one Of the southern states has been, /
during the last year, diverted from its
object to buy bread to feed the starving.
Yet while freedmen's schools are dotted |
all over the south, and yankee school
mistresses are everywhere-and some of
them most laudably-engaged in teach
ing negroes, not one school has it yet en-
tered into northern minds to establish for
the poor white children Of the south.
OF the financial condition Of the south |
it is hardly necessary to speak. THE |
close of the war found the people stripped |
Of everything. Without clothing, with [
out shoes, without tools, destitute OF all /
the ordinary implements Of industry, [
with no money but Confederate rags, /
with little credit here or elsewhere, and /
with the negro population terribly de- /
moralizeG, their chances for prosperity /
and even for existence were poor indeed. /
They met their difficulties with patient I
courage worthy of the highest praise. /
Without idle self-pjtyings they bent their |
shoulders brsvely to the burden, and /
went manfully O. work. Much OF the .
damage sustained by their plantations .
was repaired, anG the end Of the year .
saw them reasonably hopeful of results /
from The ensuing season. Unbapply /
the second season Gid not fully realiz
their hopes. They had staled all on [
heir cotton cTOus, and neglected TO plant /
rain enough for the succeeding year. .
The consequence was mOurnlul. IL
many places the sm0unt of cotton
raised scarcely suiliced to pay the /
cost Of labor and the price of inn
plenents employed I'm cultivation, and .
during The last winter incredible desti 1
tuition fell dpon the poor. The crop now 4
coming to maturity was planted iu the |
midst of dearth, and most of it is mort
its production. Still, the prospect of the /
present crop is fair. Before the war it
aversg ged 4, 200, 600 bales. The yield this |
year viii not be less, if fair weather con-
tinues, than from 2, ,250 600 to 2, 500, 900 I
bales. More grain, too, has been raised /
than last year; so that, though a great 4
part OF the price Of what has been pro-
duced will be Immediately consumed in /
paying debts contracted in producing it,
less outlay will be necessary
to produce the crop of 1865. The country
at large will be Immediately benefited /
by the present crop, which will throw
not much, If any, less than $50, ,000,0 600 /
of dollars into the lap Of the nation,
although Of this sum mere pittance viii
remain in southern hands. Another and |
another equally good year must follow
before southern men begin 10 keep the
wealth which is the product Of their
industry.
But the financial future Of the south is
bound up with the future Of her politics
i L. ulr fNvv nj 4