The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-11
The South-What should Be tn
Policy Of tho Administration.


1t was announced recently that the Presi-
dent proposed to visit the Southern States as
soon as business at Washington would permit
his absence. The understanding was that he
W. uld go in the early Spring, after the inau-
guration, the adjournment of the Senate ana
the necessary work of his new term OF once
| should be adjusted. Some movements were
made in the South to welcome the President.
Then we heard that his proposed journey had
been postponed on account OF Official duties at
| the capital We hope the President will not
| rive I'D his purpose, and we think it would be
well were he to make an extended tour through
most or all of the Southern States. Let him
minge with the people of all classes and par
ties freely, and learn their views and wishes.
Above all let him hear what the old Southern
planters, merchants and plantation negroes
have to say, and not trust to tho partisan or
professional politicians white or black. AS
the President Of the whole Republic and the
head of the party which has overwhelming
power in Congress he is in a position either to
keep the South crushed or to lift it up and
give it new life and prosperity. Let him see.
and generously help them to overcome the
difficulties they labor under. He would GER
tainly be well received, and we know of no
| journey more agreeable in early Spring or
better calculated to afford relief to his minds and
| health to his body. AS far as he has power
let him proclaim amnesty, peace and good will
through Virginia. the Carolinas, Georgia and
Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico, in Louisiana,
and then as he journeys back by Mississippi,
Arkansas and Tennessee; and that would
prove as beneficial to the South as commend
able in him.
People generally at the North have not con
sidered the immense Value of the Southern
States in an economical and commercial point
of view. Were it not for their products the
country would be hopelessly bankrupt Our
foreign commerce would be very limited.
The cotton crop enables us to liquidate
our debts abroad as well as to pay
for the vast amount of luxuries we import,
and goes further than anything else to create
and stimulate the enormous wholesale and retail
commercial cities. 1t gives wings to the
mighty fleets of vessels that traverse the
ocean and crowd our wharves. It sets myriads
of spindles at work and gives employment to
vast numbers of people in the United States.
What do the forty to fifty millions of gold and
silver raised annually, or the surplus bread
stuffs and other things we export, amount to,
compared with the cotton product and exporta-
ton? This single product of the South is OF
more value in foreign trade and in paying our
indebtedness abroad than all other products,
and is three or four times of more value than
that of the precious metals. In addition to
this, the other special productions of the
South, such as tobacco, sugar and rice, are
very valuable both for foreign commerce and
home consumption. But the capabilities of
this, the fairest, most productive and genial
section of our common country, are almost
unlimited. 1t has raised nearly all the neces-
saries of life for its own population, besides
surplus of the staple products named for
commerce to the amount Of two hundred
millions or more of dollars a year, and with
proper encouragement the surplus would
be augmented in few years to three
or four hundred millions. No nation
before ever had such valuable
heritage. What folly, then, to neglect
it! What suicidal policy, econom-
cally, politically, and in every way, is that
which has been pursued towards the South
The policy of neglect and repression is in
furious to the whole country as well as to the
South Lift up that section, and all will feel
the benefit.
We have admired the astonishing resources
and recuperative power of France under and
after the terrible war with Germany and the
Commune; but the recovery of the South after
our civil war is more surprising still. The
country was devastated and utterly bankrupt
A thousand millions of property was swept
away by the abolition of slavery. The whole
system of labor was disorganized. In fact,
the people had nothing left but their lands.
We know Of no parallel in history to this fear
full wreck. Yet this brave, though erring,
people, when they laid down their arms, i'm
mediately went to work with good will to
repair their misfortunes. And here we re-
cognize with pleasure the good disposition
and good conduct generally of the negroes in
returning to labor and aiding their former
masters in the work of industrial res
toration. If they did not do as
much work as formerly, and if
some of them became demoralized under the
teaching of bad men, they were, for the most
part, industrious and helped to restore the
country. Had the federal government been
more liberal to the conquered Southerners
and they had not beer the victims of political
measures and a horde Of unprincipled specu-
lators from the North they would have re-
covered much sooner STILL with all the
repressve influences their cotton fields, their