The union Democrat., 1869-02-06
35.
'Oid Taisgs Have Passed Away"

With the people Of the South, in whatever
pertains 10 their material welfare, "ola
things have passed away" They ere entire
~ upon o new career. With the close of the
war they began life anew. They had to
ccmmence az the stump and build up Sfresh.
as much so as the primative settlers of y
country. With their wealth swept away.
their labor system destroyed; they had
nothing left on which tn rely but the right arm
of industry and the gracious soil W hich God has
given them rs heritage. Under this changed
condition, 1t is impossible To adhere to past
theories and systems ef economy and prosper.
They dot the old and don the new. They
must adapt themselves 10 the circumstances
by which they are surrounded, it they would
make the mos, Of the situation. They must
divide large farms into small ones. msnaro
and cultivate the soil, so that one acre may
be made To produce rs much ~ ten hereto
fore. This can be done by the proper appli-
ances. We are not wanting in examples.
They may he had of every section, and coun-
trv, whose populations are dcnser than ours.
We must ADAPT not only a thorough SYSTEM
ct improved agriculture. hIt through the me
dunn ut direct trade and other channels; ws
must encourage foreign immigration into our
midst. Ii is contended by seine that we can
not utilize white labor IN the South, conse-
qnentlv, that we nCst depend entirely upon
that of the blacks. The argument is IN
fnurded. Ii will oot apply to the major part
oF either of the Snu,hrn States live had
sufficient black labor to cultivate the lande
of the South the case might lie different.
But we have not to-day the nnc-,wentieth
part of the working pnpI latiou, demanded hy
our rich productive sMl. Wa have in a3ii-
tinn to this. in Middle and \ r,h Georgia, .
climate, which is h,ghiy favorable 10 tarN
labor by the white man, AMI one which IN
'rstIned, 1" the course ui time, Ia he occupied
almost exclusively by II white p"pulatlon.
The same may Id said of post # the other
Southern States. Wprs thn enure prescott
negro population of the South. gathered 10
itself exclusively. nn II territory NOT larger
than th- State of Florida. il wound not ha
more than commensurate in the way vi labor
supply. 10 the productive waits ol IL ssction
To that extent.
N"w we Lave hut to wake up. view the sit
uat'"n as 1t really is. adapt ourselves to the
wants ut the hour, and make the most us them,
1t we would retrieve our lnst f,rtunes, aud
keep pacc with the march of improy emens
elsewhere. 1t we attempt To follow in old
heaten paths, we will ind ourselves ~ fur be-
hind the living present. as Rip Van Winkle
after his long sleep. We will find that cYeu-
the Holland beer has changed. the old evil
lage inn gone" the sign ot King George Civ.
en- way to that of Washington. and all the
N'chaids Vedicrs places supplied bv faces
new and strange. They must at once re
alize ~ Rip did that "every,hing's chang
ed, and I'm changed" and will not long
be able ito tell WHAT'S nv name. or who I
am, without quick and rapid strides in this
new career, on which We haze just entered.
In adj. ,tr~
new order of things. wo do not imply any
change in either our social. or political con.
dition. Although the relation Of master and
slave TO longer exists, the change places thu
two races farther apart socially, than they
were before the war. Our political opinions
having been founded upon Constitutional
Government, of course will undergo nu
change, so long as the Government exists
atlanta (Gd.) Constitution.