The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-10-05
!. .,LUMBI-A, s.. G.
Thurs lay darn,ne, October 8 1871.

Thurs lay EARNING, October O.: 1871.
An Impartial View Of soE:M=== Affairs.
We invite public attention to the arti-
ole taken from the New York Journal. OF
The FAREWELL SOUTHERN LETTER.
To-day appears the fortieth and last. OF
the letters from our commissioner at the
South. It reviews the general situation
OF that part OF the country, oompac.ly
summing up the strongest Impressions
left upon the mind of the writer after
calm reflection upon the crowded expo
riences Of his trip. These letters have
admirably fulfilled the purpose that we
: had in view. They have portrayed the
manufactures, agricultural industries,
and social state of the South in plain
white and black. For romance, rheto-
rio, political bias. and wild guess-work,
the lover of such too common stuff hns
had to search elsewhere than in these
columns. And, unfortunately. he has
not had far to hunt, for the files of the
political press at the North have been
full of prejudiced statements and specu-
latious about Southern affairs. We but
repeat the abundant testimony of South
ern journals, in saying that from these
letters the North has had the frat op-
portunity since the war to learn the real
status of the South. The great extent
to which they have been copied in that
region, and also in the North and West,
is proof of the wide confidence reposed
in their presentation of facts. Those
portions relating to the present debt and
prospect of payment, and 6nancinl re-
sources Of the South, have been espe-
cially valuable, and have had material
influence upon Northern capitalists and
investors.
The record of observations on the
negro and the Chinaman has been pnins-
taking and full, and may be trusted as a
ba-is for any amount of humanitarian
and philosophical disquisitions. Manu-
faotures have received particular atten-
tion, and those honest good words have
been spoken for them which they merit
Relative to the feeling of the South
touching the dreadful past-now happily
fading out of memory-and her attitude
toward the rest of the Union and toward
the General Government. our commits
sioner oorroborates, by multitude of
incidents, the opinion which wise and
just observers had agreed in forming.
The Southern people. with few excep-
tions. are peaceable. orderly, content to
live under the old flag. are as ready as
any at the North are to forgive and for
get. and will not abuse the fullest resto
ration to national confidence. and to all
the privileges of unhampered citizenship.
This is the great lesson derivable from
the letters, and for that alone, now that
it ia we'll taught, we grudge not the
space that we have given to them. It ie
lesson which has already had its effect
all over the North in inoiting now de-
mands for that general amnesty which
will be the Immediate precursor of re-
TURN of the good old times of brother
hood and common prosperity. Politics
is the one thing left out OF this cores
pondenoe-exoept 80 far as it could not
he avoided in speaking of State Govern
ments-omitted by our specific instruc.
tions and by general request" This
may be loss to the bigoted partisan,
but it is a gain to truth and to the inte-
rest of the letters. Our representative,
in bidding his farewell to the people
who have treated him with so much
courtesy and kindness. pays but the
honest debt of gratitude To the mea-
sure Of thanks which he returns, we add
our own, unstintedly.
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