The Hillsborough recorder., 1876-06-28
THERELATIvE CONDITION OF
THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
From tIle New York .Smtl,. q.

Z
People have 30 long been accustomed to
regard the South as a poverty-stricken
country while The North was wealthy and
|prosperons that, to say that to-day the
south ,isreally better OF Than tile North,
sounds likean absurd statement. PDba-
bly,, too, the people who would bemost
.ofthe truth Of such m as
seI'tion are the Southerners themselves.
True'it Is that there would appear 70 d
merely ysuperficiaI obsrvertIia the North-
erii people were reyeling in luxury while
THE Southern people were ieeayiny In
poverty. Travellers from the South are
apt 10 misjudge Tile state ,ofafIairs from
their limited scope Of observa:io,l.s They
come North to buy, not to sell, !, 1t Is the
lteverse with Northern commercial
travellers going South. Their objective
plans require strict investigation into
the present resources and future prospects
Of the South. The Southern buyer simply
selects what he wants, and takes them
home. It's Of no special consequence 70
him whether the merchants who have
filled Ills orders or Tie manufacturers
who have supplied them are making
money or on the verge Of bankruptcy. To
know the true condition of the North one
must see more than the always bus.ling
throng In the streets Of New York. Goto
their homes and see tile unpaid bills for
rent, food, and gas That nightly haunt
the stylish New York business man as he
enters his brown stone residence on a
fashionable street on which Is O heavy
mortgage thatis tormenting its owner
Go away frem New York into New Eng
land, The great bee-hive Of the world, and
see the idle lnachinery and idle people
looking To the future with dark forebodings
VI distress, suffering, and starvation. Go
10 the West and one finds every one in
ileUt with nothing to pay them with.
Tile farmers are overburthened with pro-
visions thar the warehouses want bat have
no money 70 tus, and yet are dreading
the sheriff with The foreclosures on their
homes for which they owe some one who
must have his money. Such, In brief, Is
the narrowing picture at the North that Is
presented on going behind the scenes
The worst feature Is that the end II not
yet. From year to year times have been
going from bad to worse. Each year have
the people hoped that next year would
bring better times, bit their hopes have
been disappointed. More depression OF
trade, more failures, and more thrown out
Of employment have followed. There
seems nothing in the Immediate future 20
arrost their progress towards ruin. Tie
next succeeding years are likely to see the
same scenes re-enacted. -
The South, on the contrary, has been
growing better of. Few people there can
mot but say uia. they have more Of the
nccessaries Of life now than they did six
years ago. Thsir ruin came suddenly.
They started from that position 10 retrieve
themselves. They could be no worse;
they might become better; they have be-
come better, although the Improvement
has become 50 gradual as to be impercepti-
BILE to them. They are hardly ready 10 be-
.lieve IL. So long have they been accus-
toned TO feel themselves n ruined people
that any other condition. seemed impos-
sible, 10 the present generation at lesst'
Though the people ut the South do NOT
have tie appearance Of wealth that one
sees at the North, what they do have Is
paid for. The cash system, though IL
came very harl Of FIRST at the South, has
been Of vast benefit. The people can feel
llmt when they do get a little money Il Is
theirs, not their creditors. Then there Is
no va.s army ofldlers at the South threat
ening bread riots, organizing strikes, and
adding totho general fear and lack ofcon.
fdence In the future. 'fhen, better than
all, the Southern people can look forward
20 a bright fuiuie, while st tl,e North The
prospect. is dark. Tho poverty of the
past; that or llie North Is tbs present and
the terribly dreaded future.
THERE'S strange sound to an appeal for
aid from the North 70 tile South, yet Tie
North really need the aid Of the South,
She has no fuptn for her population; the
South has. The North can no longer
give them maintenance; the South can.
Tie Southern people can give them land
TO cultivate. They can find many ways
of employment for industrious and frugal
people. The south has great resources
that have never been developed The
North has capital lying idle which i
rapidly melting away on the owners hands
III necessary expenses. Which Is really
the worse Off? Or, perhaps, the query
should be, which will be worse Off? Th,
only relief Tor the North Ii In the South
sooner or later both must find II out. I'm
empipyed capital must be employed a'
much rs undeveloped resources must b,
developed. Put toa test Of cnduranc,
and the South has the advantage. Uni
iel cilort on the part Of both, however. i
the ,lcsideratum' That will hasten III,
rise uf tile south and retasl aud avert th'
sdll ol the North.