New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-16
THE, GREAT SOUTH.
CAUSE OF INDUSTRIAL INACTiON.

CAUSE OF INDUSTRIAL INACTiON
DIsrRusr OF NoRTHERSERs-rmE LESSONS OF
SLAVERY BEING NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MEN
HOPEFUL or THE FUTURE.
TO ne Ediior OF The Tribuns
SIR: Attracted by the recent letters of Mr.. Ed
ward King in THE TRIBUNE, upon The Great SOUTH"
am induced to ask the privilege OF yonr space for
statement of views touched upon by Mr. King, ana
To call the attention Of your readers who he inter
ested IN tins subject TO what 10 me TO be the rea
hnderancos TO progress and prosperity In this section of
our country. Ten years Of busy life and close observa
ton in the South have greatly notified il not entirely
changed my own ideas of the country aud ITS people
That tins is the Beautiful Land" and well deserving
most glowing culogytI would stontiy maintain, were
II my OBJECT az this writing But 10 Ia rather my inte-
ton to leave the usual taken by writers
upon this subject, and u trace AZ possible
the causes OF the great waste now going on here,
for waste il is mach is being lost IN consequence
OF idencss and want Of thrift TAerc are surely some
good reasons why the rich and cheap lands Of Tennessee
Georgia and Alabama, endowed with u climate 80
pleasant and hcatLiul, not occupied. Some thing
the development OF the great and coal re-
OF the South. Some force resisting the esab-
lishment OF the great manufacturing interests with
success FAR too evident Taere il for the de-
partuTe OF the thousands OF labOring men VINO leave
this country every Winter ana there is something pre-
venting the incoming Of millions or people here from
other States and countries It that the lands
clcn, NCl5 tNat tNCIt i OF mdlhCt oi
ducts nor from want of material 1t is
not the fault OF the climate, nor is II
indeed from any physical cause. The trouble
is almost wholly of civil or moral nature. No
need be told that the Southern people dler Vastly
character from the people Of the North o. West The
typical SoutberDer has been a. often portrayed Of ate
as the typical Yankee and it well understood that in
the character Of tho SJutherner there exists little IN
harmony with people OF other sections OF the country
These differences are the natural result OF the widely
that every individual character is formed. Tue educa
OF the South Is many generations oid az TINT OF
New-Engllnd, ana We are suffering mere tO-laY IRON
The OF the false teachings OF nearly cen
tury The Government has never und rsf0od the spirit
OF people. Tho reconstrncon Jaws OF the past nave
operated often Opprcsyey and 10 the injury OF the
country greatly rcarjius the new edncation so nuch
making must take place IN certain order No Jaw can
make "a people wise. The state may exert controlling
influence M some particulars. The clergy and other
teachers may modify the action of the MUD, being
Ink III the connection OF circumstances 0ut mere can
be no real embracing aud adoption of new ideas sud
denly by a people, when such new ideas
must reyoluilopize the old declaring aud man.
tanning them faiaccs. Such an event can only
come about by the slow process of education:
Itis to hoped the advancing solution OF this prob
lem will be of value 70 many OF our statesmen
Certainly they must learn that IL Is one thing 10 make
law and quite another thing TO Judge rightly OF ITS
great statesman IN Michigan or New York, for ms own
state but he must be more than an ordinary thinker
and observer be able to make laws which shall do
great to his political party and at the same
time be desirable laws for people so unlike ms own,
slight knowledge. The new education, however, Il
commencing; which is plainly evnccd by the new
spirit industry the increased tolerance or ideas OPP
posed to own, and the growing popularity Ol tle
public school system throughout great portion OF tue
south. This formerly bitterly opposed by large
majority OF the Opsrty0wners ana the free schools
were denounced as "demOrazlnc Institutions " an
outrage upon taxpayers" etc. Now the pubic schools
are everywhere. The system Is more perfect III some
states than others, but II is beng rapidly perfected III
nearly all and mainly by the efforts OF Southern men,
assisted OF course, by Northern men where such are
resident
In the past Southern in many sections have been
unwilling that men from the North should settle III
their ncghbOrhOod, unwilling That northern capita
unless employed by Southern men, should ne uscu Ill
the development OF the resources OF thelr country
They had been taught ali their lives tnat the YANKEE
the SYNONYM of meauuess ana dishonesty. Iney
charged the and their humiliation 10 MN; they
charged him with the loss OF thelr slaves ana paceu
after the war; the oppressive and unnatural reconsiruc
laws Ills account. They have been accustomed
depend upon the slave population for their labor and
10 allowing the laborer no share of the pronts III mas
the labOring entitled to some privileges ana
that they could longer control labor as property
The change coming, and in most locales mas already
come The building up OF such manu- ctullhg ihduS
tries here as needed, Is 20 take place when cap
ta always can be assured that the people are in lar
mony with the spirit of Improvement The manufacture
of has in with surprising yigOr AT Chattanooga
and in neghborhoOd within Tie past TWO years. ana
wi has order of things. Our people are
awake and full OF hope. There may be dull places
i'm The south nOw but the few years next TO come VIII
RAPIDLY. The world must have cotton, corh anu
iron lands now for ale IN many places
for sOng-and very common sOh-nu qi "A lol i
will be made by those who purchase Ouf ron and coal
lands upOn great navigablc can now be purchased
for 80 cents and 81 Oar farms are ar cheap as
the lands Of the Far West among hostile indians we
are all doing well ourselves, and MllhS anu ANXIOUS
that others should come and join Us, e E. b
CHdtdHDOgd, Tenn, Jan. %, 1874