The national Republican., 1868-12-25

To THE REPUBLICANS: The subject on which
wrote you yesterday is pregnant with Interests
the problem OF the regeneration OF the South
from the consequences OF Its adherence to the
relies Of feudalisim. Slavery, as II existed at
the North, biased the minds OF Southern so
ciety in favor OF the wornout ideas Of the |
middle ages, which exploded at the North |
when slavery was abolished there as nomi- |
nslly lawful phase Of societyj though at no |
period Of our history did 1t gain a practical |
foothold anywhere north OF Mason and DIX
on's line. The transition of the Northern |
popular mind from Europe's then current
ideas OF the superior rights of the so.called
superior classes, was easy and natural. The
difference in the tpecuniary) means OF the
original emigration to our non-slavc-holding
states was less than existed In any other So
ciety ofthe times. I may write that nearly all
who came there from Europe in colonial times
were poor, and also humble; for nearly all
who came emigrated to escape persecution, or
to work out OF the straits OF poverty. The cir
cumstances surrounding them 10 their new
homes tended, as no where else on the face OF
the globe, to teach society the true value OF
honorable and useful manhood. All com
menced life In the colonies north Of Mason and
Dixon's line, nearer on level than any
where else; and the contest for public and pri-
vate influence was thus necessarily fair one,
He who was most entcrprising, Intelligent,
| useful, and energetic, of course came out
| aheadi for every incident OF life there tended
to make enterprise, utility, intelligence, and
energy more honored by all, than aught else
| conceivable.
| 1t 10 not remarkable, therefore. that the
result OF these facts and circumstances have
filled the non.slsveholding States with the
best educated, most intelligent, most thrifty,
most successful and most effective population
In this "mundanc sphere" OF ours. As the
| prevalence OF the ideas OF feuialism, and the
| fact that slavery was the foundation OF labor
at the South, made that section poor and igno.
| rant In 1850, so the existence Of the state OF
| things at the North describ ed above advanced
that section In wealth, enterprise, intelligence,
and liberalism, even further than the South
retrograded. A few statistics tell the tale OF
the relative energy, industry and capability
OF the two sections OF which Iwrite, with con-
| vincing force. Thus, In Secretary Guthrie's
i report of 1855 and 1857, he states the annual
per capita products Of Massachusetts at slo6
| per annum, of Louisiana at sos per annum, OF
Rhode Island at sl6t per Annum, OF Alabama
s5j per annum, of Connecticut at $3.50 per
annum. of Mississippi at t67 per annum, Of
New Hampshire at sllT per aunun, OF North
Carolina at 80 per annum, Of New Jersey AT
sl20 per annum, of Georgia at s6l per Annum,
of New York at sl2o per annum, Of Virginia
d, at so per annum, of Vermont at 500 per an.
mum, of South Carolina at s5j per annum, OF
Illinois at $50 per annum, OF Arkansas at t52
per aunum, OF Missouri at ssS per annum, oi
Texas at sjl per annum, of Maryland at ts3
per annum, of Florida at s52 per annum, and OF
Delaware at ss5 per annun.
This remarkable disparity In the relative an.
uual products, per edpiiG, OF the populations Of
the different States in 1850 was but the result
Of the different ideas pervading society in the
| two sections. The spirit OF feudslism and th'
: profits and privileges Ito the governing few
1fslsveholding g, ,disdsined labor, and dlscounte
nanced its diversihcstion. Throughout tn
south, ignorant and unskilled agriculture
labor produced, literally, all the South pro-
duced. Throughout the North, labor, intelli
gent, skilled, free, independent aud thrifty
was diverted into thousand channels. Day
and night, all worked there, with head o
hands. with hardly atithe Of the natural sd
lvautagcs, of soil, climate, minerals, &c, &c.
| possessed by the South, the North added Al
nually to the means Of society At large, thre'
, lines as much, per capita, AS the South.
the North the gains OF labor were emphsi
u cslly its own property. At the South tn
| gains OF labor were the property OF its own
| prs, hardly more numerous than the owners
l. tne soil In Great Britain. But may not oc
u cupy too much Of your space upon such a sub
ject. My purpose Is, II possible, to open th'
| eyes of the people of the South to the betteI
u economy OF Northern methods and modes
i An original slaveholier, a Southerner BY
: birth and by the associations of more thar
{ half n century, l firmly believe that the lat
= | Nyl all ita cnnapnuencpA O far yiAlbl
-" to the minds eye, is destined to prove as grea
blessing to the South, as Providence, in III
:, | iuhnite wisdom, ever vouehssfed to a peop pie
- In no other way than through the riot Of tn
> imperious pride, the inordinatc self-conhdcnc
and the utter ignorance OF the relative n
. sources (mech hanical, financial, intellectus
: | and physically OF the North, which formed tn
chief characteristics of the leaders OF the rt
bellion, could the South have been 500
,r prepared to compete successfully with tn
- North In the race OF our great country's fu
turc. In the affairs of nations, more especi
ally Of nation progressing as fast as ours
and occupying so vast and diversified a CONT
nent, the loss OF few hundred thousand live
n and few thousand millions OF money 10
- mere bagatellc 10 the long run. 1t has bee
the penalty paid by maakind in every age an,
a | cline where civilization, and, consequent
70 hourly increasing aspirations for freedom an
,r empire, have been for ages working out In
IN provements In the conditions of peoples.
IA write on Christmas eve, and am therefor
,e more forcibly reminded OF how much man
NJ progress In all attainsble good things are du
,s to the incidents and Influence Of the rise an
II. progress of Christianity, Christianity, phi
osophically speaking, was but the birth
he new ideas OF mans rights, mans duties, an
ed mans responsibilities. II taught from III
u start that the great King of all, regards maj
q. kind as being on an equal footingi rewardin
to and Furnishing all alike for deeds done In III
body. Christianity Grst proclaimed the pc
10 feet equality OF all classes, ranks, races an
ST colors of men before Gods throne and undG
10 the government OF His ordinances, II was nc
d. strange, therefore, that all those who accepte
le Christianity should gradually come to sigh fC
~ and strive to establish on earth what all ii
European and American world at length adm
~, to be the one Inevitable and just rule In III
q. Kingdom OF Heaven. Nevertheless, Christ
1T anity has had hard task, Indeed Ia the wor
~ ~ OF breaking the pride and conqucring the pr
I'd judiccs OF mankind. 1t existed at least thrt
a. hundred and twenty five years before beIr
~ even tolerated by dI:ect sanction Of the Roma
,e law, as a religion and rule Of life, fit to |
RI taught In the realm in which 1t had Ito brit
G. In all that time It hardly enjoyed a sing
,e ecade free from such Atrocious pCFsccutlO
~ as has not been paralleled ia modern II moi