The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-25
from the American Rural Home. ]
.Tl. Prospects at the South. 3.

Some words from us, regarding the pros
poets at the South, may naturally be looked
for, as supplemental to the hasty sketches
of our late excursion which have appeared
in these columns. What we may say will
have no political reference whatever, but
will bear solely upon the practical and
social side of the question. ~
To begin with, believe there are excel
lent openings in Virginia and North Caro-
Ira, for practical men, but they are hedged
in by adverse circumstances. Virginia
offers large areas of good land, or land
that of her own resources can be made to
bear good crops; the Old North State has
thousands of untitled acres which only
want proper usage to become fruitful; and
both States invite Immigration, and avow
most cordial intentions toward men Of all
political faiths, so they come willing and
prepared to help work out the needed new
development. Dwellers there say that the
South wants our industry, our capital, our
enterprise /; and they say it in all sincerity,
realizing what the North is, and what the
South out to be.
But is this statement correct ? Does it
really express the Southern need? We
heard it so often during our trip, from
speakers ito the manor born," and from
our own party, that it seemed to have
force indeed, the popular cry of the peo-
pie and the press, ever since the war, has
been the same and no one has disputed it.
In our opinion, however, the South aoa,sts
not so much our industry, as the spirit of
our industry. 1t has industry of its own,
if properly utilized, or the means of indus
try, better adapted to its purpose and its
peculiar conditions than any we can furnish.
Its freedmen are accustomed to its climate,
and are already on the ground.
Shut they will not work, y is the COM
mon answer. '"They are lazy they shirk;
they can not be depended on"
Testimony from various sources, some
times readily given, sometimes unwillingly
conceded, confirmed this in no greater de-
gree than it would find confirmation con-
cerning our laborers here at the North.-
One of the best known men in Virginia, a
| gentleman who owns and works a large
plantation not far from Charlottesville, said
to us: al
''The negro will work, and work well, if
you oversee him carefully, and pay him
often. Leave him to himself, and he'll shirk,
or let him plan for himself, in his labor, and
he'll fail"
How widely does this differ from testi-
mony which would be borne as to the white
laborer? Is the white laborer never lazy?
Does he never Shirk2 Is he always COM
petent? Is our Northern labor never "eye-
service ?" What has made our fields so
| fruitful, our farmers so well-to-do? Not
dependence upon hired industry, but indus
try dependent upon itself.
And this brings us back to our original
starting point. The spirit of Northern In
dustry is that of individual labor, and of
| respect for labor. In our estimation this is
precisely what the South needs to-day. 1t.
is easy to see how, under the old system of
things, the line of demarcation between
labor and capital in the Southern States
was very broad and distinct. But the old
system has gone by, and the old idea re-
garding labor ought to follow it-must fol-
| low it, if the South would see its hoped-for
prosperity. There can be no worthy pro-
gress where labor is looked upon as de-
'basing. t,,Ie,.. js..-s. ~, ,.qss..,5
That it is largely so looked upon at the
South few will deny. And out of this fact
grow the adverse circumstances which at
tend practical openings there. The man
WHO goes to Virginia or North Carolina,
buys him a farm, and proceeds to work it,
is not admitted to such social privileges as
he has heretofore enjoyed. We said to one
gentleman an intelligent journalist: eve
have young men at the North, of good ed
ucation, the SONS of hard-working farmers,
who are looking for chances to go out and
make homes for themselves. Can they
!! come to North Carolina and be treated as
they have been at home, socially ?'
'if they have .cultufe-if they are gen.
tlemen-yes. They NAV have to wait
awhile for recognition, though" =
/ "A good answer, and perfectly satisfacto-
4 ry, if the Southern definition of the word
gentleman" did not differ so widely from
that commonly accepted at the North, and
if the qualification appended did not imply
waiting too long.