Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-08-27
THE WORK BEFORE THE SOUTH.

The people of the South seem to be slow
to learn that their Iecuperation from the
effects of slavery and the war; and their
growth through their new organization is
to be gradual and dependent almost en-
tirely upon their own efforts. Even vast
section of country as fertile and as varied
in its resources as the South; as blest with
| a genial climate and liberal, progressive
government, can not rise in day from the
lethargy thrown over it by the institution of
of slavery. In the march of industrial
progress, the States originally dedicated
to free labor have had and still have an
advantage, the full value of which few of our
people seem to comprehend. We cannot
here enumerate the disadvan tages under
which our section has labored in this stride
for wealth and power. Large plantations
imperfectly cultivated and half worn
out; a system of labor that degraded
the laborer and upheld false aristocracy :;
a refusal TO educate and elevate the masses
of the people by general system of edu-
catiOn-these are some OF the leading
causes that have heretofore crippled the
South. These influences drove the vast
tide of emigration to the fertile plains of
the West, and gave the North all the adj
vantages which superior wealth and popu-
lation, backed by energy and intelligence
always carry with them.
The war ended and left the South levas-
tated and impoverished. Some of her peo-
pie appreciated the folly ofherante-b ellum
days and at once stretched out their arms
for immigration. They thought they had
but to point to their genial climate and va
ried resources and population would come.
But immigration asks more than smiling
skies and fertile soil. The man who takes
his family and his all in his hands to seek
hnnAn iS 1l,-. 80
gence, energy, and ambition. He wants
to go where his children have brighter
future before them, than he had. He
wants to 60, therefore, where the school
house and church doors are open and where
liberal cosmopolitan spirit will welcome
him. He res not care to go where for
years he is to be treated as a stranger and
an intruder. be wants a thriving, grow
ing State, where men are put upon their
merit and the race is to the strong and
swift and worthy, regardless of nativity or
kin. Looking for all these things, the i'm
migrant has heretofore gone Westward
rather than Southwark.
If we want population and capital we
must put ourselves in position to
offer them the inducements they
seek. But this cannot be done in day.
| Our people have run in their old ruts too
| long, TO drive out of them at railroad speed
| We believe the mass of the Southern peo-
| pie now comprehend the situation, and
want to accommodate themselves to the
| new demands Of the age. We are not.
| therefore, finding fault with them now.
We are rather encouraged by their grow
| ing realization Of their wants, and wish to
| point out the difficulties to be overcome,
! that they may not be discouraged at the
! progress made. We are led to do this
| because of an address lately made ina Geor.
! gia by Hon. Ben. Hill which while it con.
tains much reliable advice, is, as we APP
| prehend it, likely 10 discourage many at
the great work he has mapped out for our
| people to do before they can grow indie.
| pendent and prosperous We shall re-
serve for another Article a review of his
address. We merely wish these thoughts
10 he considered as preliminary, to that re-
| view But b fore we leave the bject for the
| present, we can not fail to again urge upon
! our people one necessary step towards put
ting GU selves in the proper POSITION to Sc
! cure additional population. The basis for
J manufacturing and for prosperity of any