New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-11
POLITICAL.
CONDITION OF TIE SOUTH.


| QUEsTED.
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNBI
| WINCHESTER, Va Oct. 5.-The Fair of the
shenandoah Valley Agricultural Society, which was
10 nave commenced yesterday, was postponed on ac
count OF the heavy rains the previous day monday
until to-day. The weather is now pleasant and the
crowd In attendance, for the first or opening day.
was large. The most important feature to-day was
the annual address before the Society by the Hon.
IL. NJ 1. Hunter ex-United States Senator from Vir-
gInia and in the Congress of the late Confederate
states and also Secretary of State for Foreign Al
fairs Of the late "so-called" Southern Confederaey
AS nc gave expression to some remarkable views,
| give you a fair abstract Of his speech
Mr.. Hunter said he glad 10 meet his brother
farmers Of the valley, and rejoced that they be-
ginning TO recover from the depression in which agr
culture as well the other interests of the State,
LETT at the close of the late He would like to tell
them Of successful experiment to animate their
hopes, or some and rational theory 10 develop
which might open up fairer prospect Of
Than had yet been presented. But there
short cut TO relief from such difficulties those in
which they plunged by the war, and
it upon time and themselves that they must rest
Their hopes OF relief No mean dependence would do
II may truly say he continued, THAT people
had TO discharge the daily and usual duties OF
life under greater difficulties, with less assistance
from those from whom they had perhaps right to ex
pect it, than has been case since the war" The
whole country was nearly stripped of its cattle and
stock the negroes emancipaed without cent OF
pensatOn, the whole system OF labor disOrganzed
capital OF the country lost and nothing left but debts and
the naked land. Scarcely dollar 20 be borrowed
abroad for there security TO oder but land Of
little value No aid could be obtained from the State,
itself poor and in debit The Federal Government
which emancpated the slaves, offered compensation,
other governments had done when trying the expert
ment "Indecd" Mr. Hunter said, at seemed to be
Their purpose 20 make all these changes operate on us as
harshy possible, and II 1t had been their design to
depTess still further the and the people, already
poor enough their of action could have been
much better suited TO that end. Such were the
difficulties under which had to begin the work
Of reconstructng our entire system OF industry and
production Deeply as were in debt our Govern
ment debarred by certain clauses in the Constitu
ton OF the United States from attempting to readust
the contracts Of the country TO adapt their
Torrance easily the changes OF the times and
the true spirit of the original agreement in the contem
platoon OF parties to it," He referred to the action
OF other for the relief Of the debtor class
after and called attention TO the United States
Constitution to show that such relief deemed just
and necessary other countries was impossible In this.
Here the poor citizens had been forced to pay heavy
taxes upon their productions, especially OF tobacco,
from the cultivation OF which the people OF Virginia
hoped to derive the means to resuscitate their az
rcultural industries He had it recently
reported that Virginia had paid in internal
taxes since the f3OOOOOO0, OF which by far the
greater part had been paid tobacco Such fund as
this udicOusy distributed in loans among the people,
would have done much TO build up the industrial inter
ests Of the State.
Fcllowcitizens" Mr.. Hunter continued, Iiwell recol
lect that in the interview at Old Point Comfort between
Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward the one hand, and Com
mssioners OF tie Confederate states (of whom was
ono the other that this subject OF compensation for
the emancipaed slaves was introduced by Mr.. Lincoln
himself He said that prominent citizen OF the North
whose NAME II gwen would probably surprise us had
written TO him to say that If the slaves emanci-
pated the OF S400,0)00O0 ought TO be dis
tributed among their former owners by way OF
compensation. The money, as well as re-
member was proposed to be to the state In pro-
portion to number OF negroes freed within their boz
ders and by them to be distributed among the midi
ydua owners That this wond have been very made
quate compensation for 100000 slaves is evident TO all
But who can estimate the relief which 1t would have
afforded to the despoed and stricken South II dstrb-
ued among them just after the war; 1t would have been
OF uesttmabie value MI Lincoln said he had no
authority TO speak for any but himself but he him
self was In favor Of it. Upon this, Mr. Seward ex-
pressed some impatience saying that the Govern
Inent paid enough in the expenses OF the
war, which 1 suppose no felt TO have been waged Tor
negro emancpatiOn-a poor excuse to be MADE III re-
gard 10 the claims of any OF the States, but none GER
tanly, the or kcuLlcky AaSouIl'
and Delaware, which seeded, and were never
even called rcbelious To this Mr.. Lincoln replied with
equal earnestness: know You all say that 1t was
SINFUL to hold slaves and, there was no right 10 DO
So there Is no Justice the claims for compensation
Now said he "if 1t was sin in the South to hold
slaves it was in the North to sell Them which they
did to a very great extent, as we all know"
The orator then spoke at some length TO prove this
last assertion OF Mr. Lincoln quoting in its support from
Dr. Dabney's Defense OF Virginia and Of the South"
and said: "There no point OF view In which we
could be considered deprived OF the claim TO com
pensation II we still citizens, and states WITHIN |
the Union the spoliaon unconstitutional, and we
were certainly entitled to some compensation TOT Dam
age sustained II we separate and independent |
begerents such an OF plumber was not justified by
the laws of war, and were entitled to COM
pensaon upon the precedens OF Doth wars WIN ureat
Britain. She solemnly bound herself by the treaty
of 1873 10 nav for all slaves whom she carried away
and she was found liable 10 do the same tnng Tor those
she took away in the last by an award OF the En-
pero Of Russia decision made upon the very terms OF
the Treaty of Ghent" NewEngland, he continued, Is
mistaken II she hopes TO escape all moral responsibility
az the bar of public opinion for what she acknowledges
to have been great wrong, by throwing the whole loss
punishment upon those whom she accuses oi oens
the recipients Of the stolen goods
The United states may yet do something, he THINKS
for the relief OF the South and to remove the stain which
must otherwise rest upon its reputation Tor justice anu
fair dealing It can deposit the amount OF s~ocoO"'
mentioned by Mr. Lincoln, the principle on which the
surplus revenue was deposited with the states IL IL
should never be returned no injustice would be done TOT
those who would retain IL were Justly ehttled 10 IT,
This opd bring great relief the people of the South
and benefit the whole country by increasing the tax
paving of the South and the trade OF the whole
land II this or something like 1t is not DONE then the
South will have to work out s own salvation under I'M
paralleed difficulties. And shall we not 10 IL = hn-
al car a
ces and believe our people possess all these qualities"
The remainder of Mr. Hunters speech was devoted to