New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-03-12
The Decay of the Planting AristOeracy
In the South


The Decay of the Planting AristOeracy
In the South.
A clever correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Commercial writes as follows:
In trip through the Southern states at
the present time one can see nothing amid
the wreck more salient than the rapid de-
cadence Of the planting nobIesse. Their
spreading mansions oircled by graceful
verandas, and set in little Edens of fade
less hedges and trees, have an air Of de-
cline like woman dressed richly but out
Of fashion. The houses need paint, and
the hedges trimming, The stepping stones
wherein so many dainty feet have pat
tered between the carriage and the gate
have the stains Of disuse upon them. The
fsToTiss creams ere gene, like the slave
who rubbed their glossy coats. The wolf
of poverty fits between the neglected
shrubs and covers behind the ambitious
succeed columns. Il is not hard to iden-
tify one Of the former class Of cotton dar-
llngs. Bitterness and sadness dwell in
their faces. The young man, once aceus-
toned to horses, guns, dogs, slave for
every whim, and spending money in I'M
reckened wads the young woman, lovely
as tropical flower, as languid as q lily On
. blOAtAApuc Haas AlA1 ALuttAc In DcAutV as
either the old planter, with his countless
acres, his feudal pride, his shoals of sleek
slaves, his resembling politics, his hospita-
Bile country palace, and bis pr0digal cheer
all are alike beWildered by the pftiless
revolution that has stricken them with de-
cay, even as the huabandman deadens the
forest that he may have fields instead Of
numbering groves. We need net doubt
fbaf tl,a c,,ce ho,,,,At,y n,,a ,,nv-o~e,l 49,.
arislecraey is passing away. Emancipation
gfrdled that tree. @The woodEaan does not
walt to see the leaves Wither on the oak
around which be has cut the fatal notch.
BE knows that his work is done.p
When the war ended, a delusfve pros
perity arose In the Soath. A good deal Of
Gotten had been saved from the tsrch, and
II sold for three times e. much then as now.
Many Of the recent slaves had not learned
even the alphabet Of freedom, and con
tinusd 70 ton is Of cid. Ths paarieians
then may have hoped to retain mach Of
their ascendemCy and wealth. That hone
has BEEN blasted, and thousands Of lives
are shipWreeked. The piRch ID infexible;
and grows tighter month By month. On
this Journey i have met hundreds Of nm
happy men who have lost their
fortunes, and who, with dazsa brains,
are wondering BY Whist sort Of labor
they must earn thslF bread Some
Of than will 'sit dawn and break into
q savage ralIieR 81 iEts That IS ohildish. III
though not unnatural Two men enc6un-
tered struck me as Raensmanincal. Their
talk was more Ike aolfioQdy, sometimes
deeply sad someeme1 intensely hittef,
and always rambling and inpuialse. Bat
he large majority 81 ne hhl11iunats claag
choke down he esfr0dlug emelions that an
t1e s5aiH1f every maH who has aeeu better
6gs ana f1ais lIat hI1 lall1A lqGianez are
Ana z,lg b sEil lack and partly e BIB
9Fn Eanag '1ne an ehar6h last sun
e49 Aear1 Ne preacher pray for sfhc very
4yAJ ia ou1 eollmunsly whose prosperity
aaE A4es 1nl 1eTa, and Who now eounuis
H'lIh AAa'k elaepIaN psII8Wg. rendering bow
fAaT mag rt nn ne har4shiD8 tat
ssAa& sM nut IN hia sermon ~
SAG tizf ''l aHHT q e8 cid order
q e4lA WEI 44 Me4 q az
HeHfh = notitl of nartood.
ana provides 1H ll N8 + ..n,us
A VII atQs t11H 1tla s t.r.D q. p 1I|ii
well for Wanl O. NOES a s11 a1s1.
VIII sag utter Ia2ines1