The Hillsborough recorder., 1874-09-23
SOCIAL PLEASURES SOUTH.


We can well fehehiber how, in the old
! daysbf bitter controversy, we were ac-
customed to make fun OF those Virginia
festivities which are called erournaments'
j--of the s;lf knights fitting alta ring and
! of the Queens or Beauty bestowing gloves,
wreaths And like poeticsl donations. We
confess tliat we, are glad with DIR whole
heart to hear Of such festive golngs on
once more at /" King George Courthouse,
| Va; August 20thf and to be Informed that
e the genial days Of auld lang syne' seem
10 be returning despite.the crippled COM
dition Of the country. Equally pleased are
We tb learn that at "Bufl;Io Springs,
Necklenburg county, there Is yet good
deal Of jollity; that /" dancing goes on
briskly every night 20 the stirring music
or Motley's band, and that last night
after the ball, Colonel +. gave us a
separate performance ofa fine old Vir-
ginia Jig ~ the tune ofa fiddle IN more
serious, but still ina social. way, tits of
good omen that the Agricultural Society
of Virginia is about to celebrate itstwenty
first anniversary and to hold It's iourteenth
annual fair. the said society having been
fortunate enough TO preserve most Of IDS
unimpaired blythe calamities
or var. Such celebration, with itsex-
hibitioas, It's competitions. and Its inter-
change of personal experiences, will be Of
more value than many tournaments;' but
everything which tends To promote
cheerf,llness, hope, general good feeling,
aud philosophical acqliescence in the
new order oftlings il deserving Of hearty
approval and encouragement. ~ 8
While the great controversy was raging
which ended in a sanguinary struggle
disastrous 10 the South, aud feostly and
burdehsonie in all ways TO tie North
willie we were discussing slavery, It's mo-
rality, its economy, and its expediency,
Il was not easy for Us to estimate III . just
and kindly spirit the real merits Of south
ern society. 1t isnot TOO late to admit
ilint in many respects 1t was genial, gen
erous, refined. aud accomplished; that it
was marked by warm hospitality which
the different character OF Northern life
hardly permitted here; and that the
best people of the slave State weie cn>
vironed by difficulties haed 10 be over
come, and Subjected TO criticism which
severely tried the temper. 1t would have
been strange indeed il the planter bad
seen slavery with the eyes of Mas
saehnseits phiIanthropist. The battle Was
too bittera one 10 permit us 70 he Just o.
consileate or charitable. When we were
told of the coinpensations OF slavery, We
refused 10 believe IN them; when We were
asked to contemplate the redeeming
features of the institution, We shut oui
eyes aud fiercesy protested against cons
4 promise; when We were tnll Of Southern
gentlemen Of knightly mature, and %
Southern ladies'. their graccs and iheii
4 courtesIes, we turned away 20 talk ofths
horrors of the barracoon, and 10 weep ovel
\ the bitterness and the bereavement oI
scivitudc. From the inevitable struggle
which followed we emerged victorious
and we can afford 70 be fair' The loss 81
slavery was in i.self gain % all con-
ecrned, but the pecnniary ruin whfel
overlook so many accustomed only &
ease anti affiuence, accompanied as i wa
by radical change Ia social relations, WI.
q hard trial 70 tho strong andutier wretch.
edness 20 the weak. From this the wllnl'
country suffered. Tho best people OF th,
Y south, t0whom the work u Reconstruction
might have been most safely aud spc-
ccssfully confided, fell into acondition 81
morbid inertih and dsurrendered tIlenlselvel
- IN urrcsAtIng despair. solhe field wa
lcfl to a class Of unprincipled aud hungry
adventurers, who perverted the minds D
the negroes, took possession Vfliie Slatt
governments, aud guiding them into .
vortex OF debt aud Insolvency, compiesed
the work Of the war by lnsti.uting q tax
alton which III most eases was hardly
better than coafiscallon itself. When We
ask Shy 20 many OF the best people ofth'
South continue sulky, indoknt, ard NJ
terly disheartened, Il M do no llarm d
put ourselves In their places, AM ~ In
uuire OF ourselves il We too, under sinila
conditions, would have bated no iat 3
heart rof hopes III we would baye beef
much Il, love With q government whlcl
nieddled only to mlsmanage aud den,nge
or course we cannot 60 on Ia this wa.
forever. The Republic viii not alway
submit 10 d Numbering 81 10 aii unfufgiv
Ing policy, persisted ~ merely that thl
prosperity M,d power of a party nay b
oerpegaaleli. But the .Sout1sf8 ni1li VII
SITS with folded hnhts aud 4 bent, brow
. JewaIlIng The past, sweafingat nc pre-.
en,, hopeless q she future, only doinl
sometimes what bad better pe lpgtupdons
u Lpt playing into the hapd of those VIII
10 not love him, howsYar much they ma
love what lItlle money he has LEFT. siasll
SD r1< ---,,s>ss-~ b. bee
, When q fellow goes q a tlg town. an
finds that he can read through The bigge
paper la the place In ten minutes, he nats