Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-20
From the Round Table.
THE CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.

HE OUNDi11UN or HE SUI AHs
Partisans, whose opinions throughout
the momentous struggle from which this
country has lately emerged have retained
an unchanged bias, preserved the same
monotone Of color. are not always safe
guides in matters either of fact or proba-
bility which have a direct relation to their
cherished theories. Starting with this pro-
position, and coupling with the statement
that we have ever been steadfast opponents
of slavery and staunch supporters of Ia
tiOnal unity, we submit some reflections
and circumstances relating to the present
condition of our Southern section, asking
for them the consideration which this pre-
factory explanation may seem to justify
From whateverpoint ofview-moral, fnan-
cial, or political-we may regard the South
ern States, their situation is unspeakably
deplorable. The effect of subjugation is
always demoralizing. Men lose heart and
hope and self-reliance. Energies are para
lyzed. Self-respect is lowered. From the
inspiration of battling for cause men sink
to mere vulgar self-seeking and greed and
oftenest it happens that, the nobler OBJ
jects of life being abandoned, they plunge
recklessly into base pleasures and degrad-
ing sensualities. Vte Uictis If the VIC
tors be not, what the victors seldom are,
magnanimous 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 well as at the
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ern armies would be followed by a guerilla
warfare Of years, yet from the day of John
ston's surrender not one outrage has occur
red such as had with reason been anticipa-
ted The cause of this is twofold. The
Southern people were always martial peo-
pie ; and thowever we may sheer at their
chivalry-which doubtless was an element
both of weakness and of strength-we must
at least concede that they possessed the viz
tues as we'll as the defects of the martial ma
ture If they were proud, impetuous, i'm
patient, they were also brave, enduring,
resolute and since the war they have
proved that they possess beyond all prece-
dent in history the soldierly characteristic
of fidelity to their pledged word. Never
were such numbers of soldiers let loose in
a conquered country on their bare parole
of honor. And surely never was parole
more truly kept. The men of the South
were chained as by chain of adamant
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
iudicious counsels and the more judicious
silence of their public men. Heretofore
the leading statesmen of the country have
been generally from the South and though
the race of giants has long passed away
from both the alienated sections of the
country, it is difficult to conceive q course
of calmer or more dignifed discretion than
has been pursued by Southern public men
in their late unhappy circumstances. Here
and there a Pollard may have vapored some
what, and his vaporings have always been
extensively circulated at the North. Here
and there, too, on our own side of the line
some tenth rate newspaper has set itself up
as par excellence the advocate of Southern
rights but it is not from such sources that
we learn the course of Southern men of
note. 1t is from a Lee in his college, a
Stephens or Bragg on his plantation, or
a Johnston on his railroad, that we truly
learn it, Even the crowd OF insignificant
nobodies that filled the Confederate Con
gress have behaved with unexpected wis
dom and the press, notwithstanding its
temptation to cater to the excitable ten
denotes of the people. has uniformly dis
couraged all resistance to the powers that
be. Thousands of soldiers could never by
any conceivable system of repression have
maintained the quiet, order, and submits.
sive resignation which prevail in the subju-
gated States. These things are due to the
intelligence of the people and the fidelity
of their late soldiers.
Yet the morals Of the people are very fan
from being untouched and untainted bJ
their great disasters. 1t is trite but true
saying that poverty brings crime and IL
the towns and cities of the South, particu
larly those whose manufactures have IL
times past given employment to the poor
it is well-known fact that prostitution ha:
been frightfully increased. How are we tx
condemn the wretched woman thus forced
into misery, disease, and early death to ge
bread for her starving children ? HEAVIER
pity her ! The man who has a heart t.
sheer at her ought to have been much pure
in his life and conversation than most mel
whose private history is known to us ant
the oc0nadn who would judge her harshl.
must be one who owes her superciliou
chastity to frozen blood. Such cases as WI
speak OF are not rare. we meullOu nelLll6
States nor cities, but we say what there i
ample evidence to prove, when we affirm
that thousands of poor women have beer
forced to lives of shame to save their help
less little ones from perishing by hunger
To every deep there is lower deep, ant
this abyss of sin and misery is no exception
| to the rule.
We have heard much of the equality 0
the negro with the white man. In tn
name of justice and mercy, let our politica
negrophilists at the North begin to d.
something to show that they still believ'
the white man to be equal to the negro
The whole course of our government ha
for months past been calculated to degrade
our own blood in the Southern States il
order to exalt the negro population. Al
/ our charities have been devoted to TIL
negro. Only a few generous-hearted per
sons have turned their iberality to the poo
whites. It is well known that the schoo
fund in more than one of tue Southern
States has been, during the last year, di
verted from its object to buy bread to feeC
the starving Yet while freedmen s school,
are dotted all over the South and Yankee
schoolmistresses are everywhere-ands some
OF them most laudably-engaged in teach
ing negroes. not one school has it yet en-
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