Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-12
From the New York Times.
The Southern Cry for Help.


The South is plain-spoken on the subject of sub
sidies. 1t 10 intent upon material development,
and it demands from the National Government
the means required for the attainment Of that OBJ
ject. "Better times" says one of its principal
newspapers in an exposition Of the policy of its
section, "can only come through the development
of the country. All the aid we can get from
the General Government we must have,
and we must so organize our policy as to Sc
secure what justly and rightly belongs to u.s."
The reconstruction of the Mississippi levees
and the bailding Of the Texas Pacific Railroad are
adduced - examples of the works for which aid
must be obtained, and all ordinary partisan con-
siderations are TO be subordnated to this end. 1t
does not seem to have occurred to these opponents
Of Southern sentiment that the coveted prosperi-
ty might be more surely reached by methods that
are not dependent upon governmental interven-
ton. The efficacy of seli-hcp is rarely or never
alluded TO. We hear of 'the new South" its
possibilities and destiny but both invariably turn
upon the acquisition Of help from the Govern
ment. To what extent and by what means the
South, unaided, can secure the profitable develop
ment of its resources, the local oracles do not
pause to consider. They take no note of the fact
that the marvellous progress of the North and
West, the magnitude of their enterprises, the d-
versity Of their resources. the growth Of their
wealth, and the high standard of comfort which
obtains everywhere, are all attributable, not to
Legislation, Federal or local, but to the energy
the selffeliance, the thrift, and intelligence OF
their people The General Government has done
literally nothing toward the production of the re-
suits which the South apparently regard. with
envy, Here and there land grants NAV have ia.
ciLtated the extension Of the railroad system but
compared with the aggregate result, the fruits of
this form of assistance are bagatelle. Private
enterprise has accomplished all that is most valua-
BILE. And as with railroads so it is with other evi
dences of material improvement. The people
have depended upon their own means, capacity,
and credit, and they have achieved for themselves
what century of national subsidies could no,
have done for them.
These cons iderations the South ignores. Its
natural advantages are enormous. We do not say
that they surpsss those of the North, because the
superior energy and the greater capacity for labor
which Northern latitudes engerder more than
compensate for the disadvantages incident to
long Winter. But with all its drawbacks the
South has at its command the means of attaining
d much higher standard Of prosperity than il has
es q reached. Its mines, its timber, It's water pow
err ts profitable and diversified crops, afford sc,pe
for all the capital and enterprise it can attract
Why, then, does the South remain poor-its re-
sources barely touched, its natural advantages
neglected. its people shiftess and on their knees
enfresting The Jupiter at Washington to enrich
them ct the nations cost The answer is, that
the whites have made less progress than the blacks
y the work Of adoption to the new order Of thing.