Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-25
COMMUNICATED

ROUTHERN SEAVTsHNESS. Es
Rant as they will against the yankees,
there is in reality an under current Of
opinion amongst certain southerners
which is one of the veriest slavishness.
The northern man is not by any means
an object Of blind dislike, so far as we
personally are concerned, but be is not,
on the other hand, an object Of blind
admiration. Southern men can, we
firmly believe, be found perfectly equal
to northern men in any OF the walks OF
life. Our statesmanship has, we are Of
the opinion, been always broader, more
far. .seeing-in short, higher and nobler
than theirs. Our jurists have had no
superiors in the north, as has been shown
since the foundation of the government,
when the two sets came together, face to
face, in the supreme court. Our soldiers
have been masters of the best of theirs,
and have declared the fact in the
old days, when northern officers had
the opportunity of measuring intellect
fairly with the Harrisons, the TaylOrs,
the SCOTS. Ii in the higher pursuits OF
intellect we have proved the equals OF
these Yankees, how can it beheld that IN
the less lofty walks Of mind we are their
interiors;
The literature of the north blows the
northern trumpet. 1t boasts and parades
the greatness of the New England
genius. Southern intellect finds no
voice to sound its praise. Its real merit
is films tepreciated by default. YailOw
kivered y literature has the field to
itself and so with the "Harpers," the
a Godevs.U the " Notions" the ''Phunny
Phellers.h y and all such exeerable trash.
The southern people have, after while,
10 do the yankees an Involuntary hom-
age. Let who will, make peoples
lavs.D said Sheridan, " II you only per-
nit me to make their ballads" And so
with US. What matters It II we struck
with arms in our hands, for indepen-
dence, if the north, after ALL hold their
necks upon our shoulders. The Har-
laers u would have kept the field, IN any
event, in the teeth of hundred yieto-
ries of the Lees.
Southern intellect does not find its
proper level until il goes north, Physi-
eiaps of emipenee in New York and
RnlAA0HlDDAA
ever in low repute amongst us had they
not emigrated from their native soutn.
So it is with southern minds following
tba maths Of literature. Miss Evans, the
writer of - Beulahu confessed knowi-
edge of southern slavishness, when she
concluded that to reach the zenith OF
success amongst her own people, she
should not only publish hut live amongst
the YANKEES. Southern inferiority will
have been rubbed from her genius
in the opinions of her kindred, after she
shall have fiourished a few years amongst
the lights of yankee intellect. Subluga-
tioh? Here is a subjugation never rep
resented by an armed surrender-a SUD-
iugation, or slavish, unfOunded, subluga-
tion Of our souls!
Wedicine and literature are not the
only instances Of this southern slavlsh-
ness. Believing, from frequent repeti-
tion. the impudence of the Harpers, f"
the Scientific Americans, u and all such
emauations of northern hippsnce, our
peopIe appear to think we have no en-
gineers Last Tuesdays proceedings OF
our own city council show this
fact to q demonstration. The water
works commissioners made a report
To the board of mayor and aldermen
announcing that they had employed a
consulting and also an acting engineer
st Joint salary of $1,000 per annum.
Phe commissioners had gone north for
the purpose and came back, after con-
tracing to pay this amount Of our taxes
to two northern men They made their
selections. we believe, from Chicago-a
city not older than our Own-but accord
ing to their insOlent award, more ad'
vanced in the walks of science. We re-
pudiate Shis impudent assumption on the
part of the intelligence of our fellow
citizens of Memphis. We repudiate II
on the part of the south as gross
outrage. Who are these wonderful
lights of engineering skill that are
about to burst upon us from
the land of the Long John WentwOrths
Are they known TO fame so that they
pale the duller glories Of the JOhnstonsi
| the Lees, the Beauregards? Could nc
engineer, whether with an empty sleeve
or wooden leg, or ruined fortune, be
| found in all the broGd land of the south
to do his duty as consulting engineer fol
| the water works committee Of the city
of Memphis? Speak of submission
/ Subiugation Never before was heard
of such servile submission, such slavist
/ subiugatiOn as this