New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-24
CROPPING IN THE DARK.

*
difference between the character of the
Northern and Southern people. They re-
mind US OF a celebrated meeting Of Lon
don pundits. called many years ago fol
the purpose Of finding out why vessel
Of water weighed no more after adding q
| live fish than it did before. without loss
Of water. OF course there was spirited
discussion, and much learning and ability
were displayed all around. During the
debate one OF the gentlemen present re-
NAMED silent. until he was finally asked
70 favor the meeting with his views.
Upon this. he moiestly remarked that
before expressing an opinion he wished
to make sure Of his facts. He asked for
a practical test. This rather astonished
the learned council: but as the request
seemed u reasonable one and was insisted
upon, bowl Of water was obtained and
weighed. and a live fish put into it. which
] had also been weighed, when it was found
the weigh. of the bowl was increased by
the. exact weight Of the lisa. This ended
that discussion.
SO it is W it'll those Northern men who
employ superficial correspondents to come
down South and inquire into causes for
conditions which exist only in the imagi-
nations Of politica! empires. MIR. King
was sent as o special messenger to find
that the received opinions were correct.
He was instructed to take it for granted
that the Southerners are an entirely differ
ent race Of people from the Northerners.
and it never occurred to him to test the
matter. Naturally. there are differences.
but only such as circumstances create.
Human nature is pretty much the same in
Europe. Asia, Africa and America. Circum-
stances modify it, but they rarely change
it. And when it is remembered that the
Southern States are settled by the same
races of people that have built up the
North, and have the same language and
religion, the same forms of government;
that the dominant element in some of the
Southern States is composed Of natives of
the Northern States, it will appear more
wonderful that such notion ever obtained.
Yet not hing is more common than to come
across labored efforts to account for the
difference in tho character of the people of
the two sections respectively. The soil.
climate and habits of the people differ.
certainly. but the average Southerner. like
the Yankee. has an eye open to the main
chance. and does no more work for dol
lar than his Northern brother.
The res ident Of Chattanooga who takes
part in the discussion. preludes his letter
with sta tement that he has lived ten
years in the South. AS his present place
Of abode is not very far down South. he
may be excused for having spent ten years
without knowing that the people living
nearer TO the great Gulf are very much
after the order of those he has been used
to at home. The federal laws in force at
the North apply here. and many Of them
have received the support Ct Southern
members Of Congress. Our State laws
and municipal ordinances also correspond
in their general features with similar pro.
visions for the Northern States. and are
liable to the same objections here. and
susceptible Of the same commentator as
those Of our Northern brethren. Hence.
the follow ng position of the Chattanooga
man is entirely untenabie:
Certainly they must learn that it is one
thing to make q law. and quite another |
thing to Judge rightly OF its etiec.s when |
executed upon people. man may be |
great statesman in Michigan or New York.tor |
his own State. but he must more be than an |
ordinary thinker. an observer. to be able to
make laws which shall do great service to
his own political party. and at the same
time be desirable laws for people SO I'm.
like his own. and OF whose real character
and wants no can have but slight knOwi.
edge.
If tho writer Of the above had really
come TO the South instead of tarrying for
Ten years SO near the border. he would
have seen FOX himself that it is not North.
ern notions and Northern laws that make
he Difficult ty; that the Southern people are
helped to good advice and
'ealIy need material assistance. We want
practical education and confidence in our
It is not the first time in the
history OF the world that demand for
oreign products has been expressed by
local population. Mechanical produc.
ions generally share the same fate as
prophets. artists. preachers. politicians
nd othes humbugs: they are not without
lonor save in their own country. 1t is a
,esetting sin Of the American character
rom Maine to California to prefer
foreign to a homemade article.
The sterility Of New England soil
las stimulated the growth of factories.
10 has the dense populations Of New
'ori and Pennsylvania. But were fertile
ands as cheap and plenty in those locali'
les as they are in the South. We doubt
,hether educated mechanics would be to-
lay much further advanced than in the
'outh. Necessity Of existence has alone
'uilt up the North and East. while the
'outh has had causes. present at all times
p to the close of the war. to keep it back.
We have not yet recovered from that
reat calamity. which left us so poor that
he North. which FOX fifty years bowed its
e:yilc knee to our nabob planters. now
urns up its magnificent nose at the whole |
;outh. because it does not promise to
'ay. for q timc ut least. to court us.