New-York tribune., 1868-12-22
yBOGRESs IN THE SOUTH

iROGKEOS IN IHU cOt III
Whatever has been said Of the horrors OF
war cannot be otherwise than true still, 1t VIII
| be difficult TO point to any great forward move
| ment marking human progress which, either
| directly OF indirectly, has not grown out Oh
war. After our lato war, the Southern jour
| malls began to teach that varied industries
bring greater wealth tl.an few special ones.
! however certain of reward, and tho people, or
| at least the agricultural portion, accepted the
| doctrine and acted accordingly, for they have
not only raised their own bread, which they
had not done for many years before, but they
have added largely 20 tic list of farm products,
and as result their affairs ar6 approximatng
TO most hopeful condition, whilo families and
individuals, generally have more varied, or,
what is the same thing, better food. 1t is true
that coarse and scanty food may secure or re-
store health, and impart intellectual vigor to
those enervated by luxury, by idloness, or
sedontaIy employment; but when such IA the
diet Of tho masses, it is not true, for no civil
lied peOplo over lived on palmer food than
they ia the South, willie certain class usually
had no more than few days supply on hand,
and often they were without the means with
which il could be bought. Without going into
any argument on this subject, it Is sufficient to
Say that az general thing, tho better the
whole of the common people Of any country
live, tho moro advanced are they In education,
in art, and in refinement. and the greater IA
the average wealth, and the more evenly is it
distributed BY good living we do not mean
what fashionable people would understand il
to be, nof diet which ia as coarse as 1t Is
l. - it, md W
ricty, is grateful TO the unpcrverted taste OF
| childhood, Of maturity, and Of old age. There
| fore. no wiser COUNSEL conld hayo been given
20 tho Southern people than that they should
produce, within tho boundaries of their own
homesteads, "a great a variety Of food az the
climate and soil would permit.
AS time shfl pass, other results will follow
of 10 small Importance pocuniarily. More skill
in the cultivation OF the soil will bo required,
the intellect win be exercised and one OF the
first needs will be seen 10 be both to restore
tho fertility TO those fields Of which il has been
exhausted, and 10 retain it with those in which
it remains. Intimately connected with these
attempts will DO the growing of fruit. IL is
boast that their climate il eminently adapted TO
fruit growing, but the actual demonstration is
required even on majority Of plantations,
not with such varieties as have succeeded in
the North but with such as are natives of their
cline, or such az have been tried.
Progress Is Characteristic Of extended, or at
least OF certain periods of time but whether
after their relapse barbarism Is to return is not
q question for US TO consider until we have
done what we can to disprove it. From the
condition OF independence in which the South
Is placing herself by these means, progress
certain to follow in many other respects than
in those indicated, for their industry will not
fail to develop many resources now not sus-
pccted, and among these manufactures, which
not only double wealth but keep it at homo.
viii have great prominence. rl..I t..tJ
There IL much to admire In the domestic
habits Of the middle and even OF the upper
classes Of the Southern people, and this is most
admired by those who, by q residence, have
learned what those habits arc. We refer to
their simplicity, hospitality, and natural kind
ness of heart Perhaps there is no portion OF the
Caucasian race 80 little elevated above what
daily concerns the common masses OF man
kind, either by fortune or station, or whose
native goodness Ia less obscurcd by tho fash
ions and manners Of the day. When wealth,
education, and whatever modern progress is
capable Of bestowing, shall come TO these peo-
ple, mainly as O fruit OF present and future
endeavors, may these amiablo traits be re-
tanned, that the American people may be taught,
IL it is capable Of learning 80 much, that the
greatest happiness arises from uniting an In
telligent regard for the common affairs OF life
with learning and skill.