Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-17
DIR CHESTS.


New York with her four ard a half
millions of population, has well been
styled the Empire State. While Eu.
rope sends out yearly its thousands of
emigrants, forced by famine and mis-
rule, our older States like New York
are also furnishing emigrants driven by
no such dire distress, but intelligently
seeking their own profit by the devel-
opment of the native richness of the
interior. Slavery, war, and the linger-
ing prejudiees have barred the South
in a great measure from her share In
this double stream of immigration. 1t
was a rational expectation that of the
hundreds of thousands Northern SOL
diers who followed the banners of
Rosecranz, Thomas and Sherman,
through the Sunny South, very many
would return to locate among US on
the advent of peace. But true peace
was postponed by years of poll
teal chaos from which some of
our Southern sisters have not
emerged even yet. Tennessee was among
the first to recover self-government.
Our commercial and business rela-
tons with New York and other empori-
ums was speedily restored to the old
ante ellum basis of solidity Our
social relations also are rapidly assum-
ing their old aspect, so far as oppor-
tunity is given. 1t has been often
noted that a hundred Southerners
travel North, for one Northerner who
makes tour Of the South. A partial
explanation of this is that wealth cult
Yates art in all its forms, adorns cities
and builds beautiful villas. In other
words the North attracts the Southern
tourist, by the same rule that Europe
attracts the New Yorker. The tourist
is wealthy, and the life Of such is arti-
fetal. But if we revert to nature, the
South is richer in attractions than
either. Italy cannot boast softer skies
or more beautiful verdure. With the
dolce far niellte of the Tuscan we might
enjoy the same beatitude of laziness.
Here is the real obstacle to the progress
of the negro race, and it is one reason
why our Northern friends fail to appre-
ciate the problem. In the North the
negro is forced by circumstances to
look out for himself, labor closely, and
provide for the future. His wits are
sharpened, like those of the Puritans
were by settling On bare rock. His
Northern neighbors think he makes a
very good citizen, and argue that ali
his race are ike him. But the sunny
soils of the South make him vastly diff
ferent. No long winters force habits of
foresight and economy. In thousand
ways he depends On the white man still
for everything that involves fore
thought. His life Is too easy and i'm
provident to develop the self-reliance of
his Northern brother.
We have been led into these refec-.
tions by the presence in our city to-day
of a large editorial delegation
from New York State, ON their
way to Alabama. 1t has been re-
marked, as though in disparagement,
that they are all ruralists, and do not
include any of the big guns of the me-
tropolis. In our view, this fact makes
them more truly representative of their
people. An honest yeomanry is the
only bulwark of free institutions, and
the country press represents more ac-
curately the honest sentiments of the
disinterested masses than the journals
of overgrown cities that often cater to
the tastes of the gutter snipes. There
is a hot-bed growth of intellect that is
as forced and unhealthy as it is I'M
natural. The city press can remain
pure only by drawing frequent inspira-
tons Of the country air.
We owe it to ourselves and the ira
ditiOns of Tennessee hospitality to make
the soiourn of these gentlemen and the
Indies accompanying them as pleasant
90 ,NoSSihla that on their return they
have reason to scatter good mention of
our city and section. The members of
the Nashville press, without regard to
party, have united TO do their best.
Our merchants, manufacturers, capt.
talists and other public spirited citi-
zens will appreciate the occasion, and