Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-14

/ Nor is this visionary or sentimental,
/ but a practical view OF the question.
/ When the nations shall meet next year
I at our vast Centennial celebration, and
( the States OF the Union be there assem-
! bled, it would certainly manifest a
strange feebleness Of character, and q
! fearful demorsliZ alton in point of intel
| lectuai energy, should the people Of the
[ southern States, on an occasion so
/ grand and vital both in moral and
( political effect, content themselves
/ with appearing at Philadelphia as
/ bit little batter than sightseeing
/ strangers and CuriOsity-hunters, snd
/ not as earnest, active, zeal
Gus, indIsputable and powerful pgoprie-
/ t0Ts, in large part, Of the mighty his
/ torical drama sought to be cOmmemO-
/ lated by the unusual assemblag5. Msy
/ It not be asked, without ofiense, in what
i way this historical and reasonable in
/ terest can Ire shown, except as joint
| c0EpoTatOrs and owners OF q proper por-
/ [ on OF the Centennial stock? By virtue
/ OF the first act of congress passed upon
/ this subject, creating the Centennial
/ commission, and described as "an act
/ T. provide for celebrating the one hun
]
pegdence, by holding an international
/ exhibition OF arts, manufactures and pro-
/ ducts Of the soil and mine, in the city
| of Philadelphia and State OF Pennsyl-
/ vania, in the year eighteen hundred and
/ seveHty-EiX,n the broad industrial tea-
/ tuTes Of this celebration are seen. In
| these, the southern States, are, assured
! ", most directly and intimately con-
| cerned. Il is impossible that they can
/ do more than this by any fDrm OF sd
verCi7iUg agency, to bring their extraOr-
binary Il ivantages of soil, and climate,
and productions, on a large and effec.
tive scale. 70 the beneficial observation
Of the capital of the world, much OF
which, we are told, seeks investment
in this country. Their eXhaustless coal
and iron beds, their magical cotton belt,
SO to speak "a treasure held by them
alone Oh the western continent), their
fertile corn, rice, sugar and tobacco
fields, and their unequaled climate and
soil can only thus be seen and valued by
millions as q matter so nearly approx
mating to ocular proof, as to be presented
in the shape of conclusive evidence, un-
less the narrowest and most mistaken
ideas Of State economy shall unbappily
intervene to Obstruct or to prevent it.
Next to quiet self-government, now at.
tanned by mOstOf our States, industrious
and thrifty emigration, to be as rapidly
developed as possible, Is confessed to be
jhs most pressing need OF all others.
We should, and do wish to turn the
hitherto constant and resistiess stream
Of immigration from the uninViting
places Of q comparatively cold and arid
west, so miraculOusly populated as much
Of that unpleasant country has been, to
the rich and productive soils and genial
climate of the southern States. I'm
quostiOnably we should wish to exhibit
to capitalists from all quarters of the
globe specimens Of our rich and various
products, and of cur ineXhaUstible
mountains Ofvaluable metals. For this
purpose nothing could have happened
more opportuuely and providentially
than the amounted throng oftheCente1-
nial gathering; and further, that the cele-
brstion should nave assumed the peace
ful and profitable shape of an exhibition
OF international industries. Whatever
Of ert, manufature, or of soil and climate
Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Lousi-
ana or Tennessee can exhibit on the oc-
casion from their designated places in
the Centennial buildings, will be liter
ally seen and examined carefully by
hundreds OF thousands of visitors. These
States may not be especially attractive
for arts and N lnufsctures, but for soil,
climate, and their natural productions
they aEe certainly unequaled. Not
only, therefore, should Alabama and
Georgia and their sister southern COM
m0nwealths make liberal appropriations
to show their resources ia the best light
at Philadelphia, as it is presumed they
will do, unless their governors and leg.
isla' ures what we do not anticipated are
sluek with judicial blindness, and seek
10 settle heavy account with an cut.
ragged people hereafter, and may unfOr-
tunateiy hinder them, but the people
themselves should testify warm inter-
est and sympathy in the movement by
readily subscribing, to the extent OF
their means, the stock which the board
Of finance has issued, or is ready TO issue,
under the immediate auspices OF con-
gress. IL a strict political sense, we
are invited to assemble in PhiladeI-
phia next year, looking to q thor.
Cugh EenuGCiatiOn OF all bitterness
growing out of the fierce struggle
between the States, on a basis OF State
and popular reconciliation and State
aud popular cO-equslity. II we are 10
live in the American Union, let Us en-
joy as many Of the blessings it can
afford as possible, and escape as many
Of the evils as possible. We have al
ready discovered that the most disas-
trOus and unenviable positions for our
SlStes, is to be rewarded and treated, in
the administration Of the government
by the strongest sections of the Union,
as political enemies. In this condition
We have found, and will always find,
congressional legislation to be too often
q curse apd not benefit. Let US see if
we shall not profit by being friends and
equals. Such q result is certainly to be
strongly desired. 1t is plainly evident
that we must be either virtual slaves IN
cur own cOudtry, or friends with those
vino possess the influence and will to
dominate our destinies, and in this view
nothing could be devised, consulting
the pre- judices, feelings and interests OF
the whole people nf the United States, in
relation to late hostile occurrences, so
vel calculated 70 awaken, to encourage
and to establish the good will and
more or less, estrapged from
US for more than ten wears
past, as the common sympathies, COM
moo giOries, and common fraternities of
the Centennial. No matter what we
may have accomplished In most Of the
southern States in preservation Of liberty
and civilization, we have yet to re-es-
tablish ourselves on principles Of manly
reconciliation and cO-eqUaiity of S ates
aud people in the Union, in order to
avoid unnecessary prejudices, and in or
der that we may enjoy the fayors of
good and equal government, We must
act, then, like men Of common sense on
the facts If the case. In this conviction,
VIC thinkft would be, Of course, en act
OF unconditional folly and shame, il, IN
der the circumstances, the intemperate
and unwise cOunsels Of any should en-
deavor to persuade our citizens to be
willing, with their places assigned, and
even occupied, in the midst of the dis
tiuEUishcd gals1y Of American States
and foreign nations in Philadelphia, in
1876, not only to lose by a mistaken
policy al The apparent advantages Of
which they may avail themselves
through the Centennial, but by present.
ing beggaTly and disgreced aspects there
to subject themselves to the Injurious
criticism Of those whose offers of forget
fulness Of past differences hsd been thus
substantially treated with comparative
Indifference. 1t would be better to have
nOpaTt in the Centennial celebration Of
the Fourth OF July than such part. If,