Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-08-14
DIR CONDITION..

To all intents and purposes, the South is a
new country. 1t is not new in the sense that
it has recently been discovered, or that it is
an uninhabted wilderness; but it is new in
that the condition ofthings which once existed,
have been entirely changed. This change is
fundamental. 1t is not a change simply in
the mode of conducting the affairs of life; but
the channels of thought have been changed
and the social civil and moral aspect of the
country, has assumed different appearance
This change is not voluntary one. The peo-
pie have not brought it about by their own
free choice. 1t, has been forced upon them
The difficulty in our way is to adapt ourselves
to the circumstances by which we are sur
rounded.
The history of the world teaches us that in
all such conditions of society, several changes
take place before permanancy is established.
To illustrate this, we need 60 back no farther
than the first settlement of the different States
of the United States. Great changes took
place between the first attempts to settle the
several States, and their permanent occupan-
cy. The same thing is taking place still in
the settling of the Territories. Thesame thing
took place in England, Ireland, Scotland and
in the German States. Whenever the foun-
dation of society is broken up, series of
changes takes place before another permanent
foundation can be laid upon which to rear a
different feature of the social fabric. Revo-
lutions are like waves Of the sea. Large
waves of the ocean are followed by many
smaller ones, each decreasing in size and vol
ume until the surface becomes smooth and
placid. The reverse is also true. What at
first appears only ripple, assumes huge pro-
portions in the end. So it is in human society.
Martial revolutions are followed by social and
moral revolutions. But recently, our country
has passed through martial revolution. This
has already been followed by several social
revolutions, and calm and placid sea has
not yet been discovered. 1t is more than
probable that before the end is reached greater
changes will take place than we have as yet
experienced.
Judging from what has taken place in the
past, it is almost morally certain that when
permanency takes place in the Southern socie'
ty, not one trace of the present features of so,
ciety will remain. When Massachusetts, was
first settled, every feature of the society was
Puritan. Gradually. the Puritan feature
wore of, and at the time of the Revolutionary
war, it was stigmatized as fogyism. Not a
trace of Puritansm can be found to-day in
New England civilization. Similar social
waves passed over Virginia and South Caro-
lima, and all the thirteen original colonies
We may expect similar changes to be effected
in our future history.
1t is curious fact, and one worthy to be
remembered, that results bear no resemblance
often to the means which are used to produce
them. The attempt was made in real earnest
to establish national religion in the New
England colonies. The result was religious
freedom. The object of the first settlers Of
South Carolina was to establish an arstocracy
of the European style. The result was very
different To effect these changes, it took con
siderable time, and caused much suffering or
the part of those who passed through these so
cial waves. So it will be with US during oul
future history. Great and elementary change:
| will take place, and permanent state of so