The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-06
CHI A r ES TON.
TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL 6, 1869.
Forney In z New Light.

lasting and sincere; but it will be long ere
the South has any faith in the newborn
love and gushing admiration of John ".
Forney.
This person was our bitter and unscru-
pulous enemy. The columns of his two
pspers-the Washington Chronicle and
Philadelphia Press-were filed with SIAN
der and abuse. Facts we're garbled and
twisted in every conceivable way. Every
foible was magnifed until it became crime,
and every merit was hidden out of sight.
The whole aim of ."my two papers-both
"daily," was to spur on the Radicals to
greater excesses by declaring that South
ern man was deeper dyed villain than
ever graced the scaffold, and that Southern
society was one sweltering mass of impu'
rity and corruption. Each new enormity
received his cordial support. Of every de-
fender of the law and the constitution he
was the implacable foe, and the profusion
of Bllingsgate which year after year was
hesped on President johnson is not oil
forgotten. And yet within the last few
months Forney has turned over a new
leaf, and now cannot say too much to cheer
and console the South.
In leading article, one Of many, which
lies before us, Forney says that the South
will start next year upon the career Of gen.
ersl prosperity which is in store for her.
The superior intelligence, greater energy
and increased motives of interest of the
former Shareholders, will carry the whole
section forward and upward. The people
says Forney-have awakened from their
lethargy, their energies have been brought
into vigorous play, and they seem to work
under the inspiring conviction that they have
q brilliant future before them. Romantic
tendencies have been cast aside and the facts
of every day life taken up. The surplus
profits of the year will reach sixty or sew
enty millions, Sand the extent of leverage
"thst such sum can anord is past our
''powers Of approximation, when places. liz. in
"to succeed and willing to diligently work
"for success"
This is the strain in which Forney writes
at this moment, and this is his picture of
our future:
s.But the inevitable result of this success
"must be Southern independence Of the
"North to large extent, and this the North
''nust expect. The South, under the new
"order of things, will seon manufacture for
"herself. She will also out loose from
"Northern ports, and establish direct steam
''interoourse with Europe for herself Even
'sn- This has been done to great extent,
"suficiently 30 to show what increased ef-
s'fort is capable Of doing. We know that
.just as soon as the business Of the section
"will call for and warrant the increase of
.sthe means Of European communication,
"the necessary capital will be forthcoming
"Let plenty Of cotton and breadstuffs be
s'produced, let railroads multiply where
'they are needed, then steamship lines for
"foreign ports will follow, and the hum Of
ssbusy factories will soon be heard in local
s'ities where deep silence has reigned; and
ssthe result of sll these will be overrunning
ssprosperity. This is no exaggerated pic
esture. The signs Of the times are signif-
''cant; and there is deep prophecy in
.'some Of the changes now going on that
smost of US will live to SEQ fulfilled in the
'sbright future Of one section, destined to
sshed q benefit over all others embraced
"within the national domain. Let the
"Southern people be not discouraged by
ssany temporary drawback. Patience, per-
"severance, well directed industry and
s'time-these are agencies which, when
ssoombined, no drawback can Withstand"
This is no more than the truth, whatever
the source whence it comes, and it is sig
nifcant in this instance, because it proves
that Forney is convinced that more is to be
made by praising than by abusing the
South. The profits of his land agency are
more to him than any abstract idea. What
he desires is to be on the strong side, be-
cause il is the strong side which controls
the almighty dollar. Aud we med no more
satisfactory evidence that the shrewd
Northern Radicals begin to see in the South
ern sky the harbingers Of an une1ampled
prosperity, than is found in the circum-
stance that the most thorough and persis-
tent of them all paints all things roseate
hue, and predicts for the whole South brill
liant and happy future.
We care but little what Forney's notions
may be. We have no fear that he will
throw dust in the eyes Of our people. All
that concerns US is the fact that, for once,
what he says is true, and that our goal is
and shall be Southern commercial inde-
pendence. Whether he is guided by self
interest or unmixed philanthropy, Forney
is helping us on. The glowing words which
he utters will be heard where our voices
could not reach. They will aid in convert
ing the North from its pet theory that the
Southerner cannot and will not work, and
they will 60 far to convince the radical Re-
publioans that honesty is, after all, the best