Vicksburg weekly herald., 1878-04-12

eral belief that our lawmakers would
handle the subject in the broad and
liberal spirit which lie importance de-
manded. The hope was . vain one
The Legislature was 8 picAyunish body
and they disposed Of one Of the mosI
important interests Of the State In
picayunish manner. A Commission eT
Of Immigration was provided for, and
q small salary was allowed him-We
beg pardon, q picayuniSh salary was
provided for. The Commissioner will,
no doubt, do a.! be can, but be is 90
cramped that that will be little.
At the close Of the war, the South
should have begun 9 new era. We
should have commenced progress
without the dead.weight Of slavery
We could make no advancement be-
cause we we're mashed down with ne
gro rule, and scalawag rule, and carpet
bag rule. Immigrants should have
come South in large numbers, but they
did not come because they did not rel
ish any more than We do the rule Of
ignorance.
BY our persistent efforts we q: last
overthrew the Radical party-the
Southern RadicRl party that ruled
through ignorance and thrived on
theft. We then had q right, in this
State, to expect laat something would
be- done that would tend toward the
development Of our vas; resources.
Nothing has been done. Not one
thing. The last Legislature did not
one thing more in this direction than
did lie Radical predecessors. The
Radical Legislatures had Commits
Sioner Of Immigration, and me Demo-
cratic Legislature provided for one.
Griggs, Digs, Pigs, stigs, or Dregs, or
whatever the Radical fellows name is,
never did anything, because the Radi'
calls didn't want him to do anything
The Radical leaders were too sharp to
desire the immigration Of intelligent,
thrifty white people to this State, be-
cause they know this class OF people
have strange scruples about submitting
TO official tyranny and theft. Consequent
ly Dregs never did anything bey ond
getting q few laborers (negroes) from
Alabama aud Georgia. So soon as the
Democratic Legislature met they very
cut down Mr.. Dregs salary
10 such q sum that even he did no: care
longer to hold the Office. But since we
have been able TO secure competent
Commissioner, we need not expect any
thing much, because he was not allow.
ed any means TO do anything with. 1t
will take every dollar Of the Commits
sioner's salary 10 support him at home,
to say nothing OF his family. II $1,000
or 10000 had been appropriated, it is
very probable that vast good would
have been accomplished. In any event
the State could have taken the risk, for
if the whole sum mad accomplished
nothing, the State would never have
felt the loss. That is the point. The
Legislature was afraid 10 do anything
Ii was over.cautious 10 the extreme oI
downright cowardice. Every man o.
intellect enough 10 julge OF the COM
mon sEAirs OF life, knows that the
plane Of suffrage should have been
raised. The Legislature believed this
asseuted 10 It, but they were TOO cow
ardly TO attempt It, II our State could
be settled with white people, onl
resources developed snd the negroe'
elevated a little by a separation Of iht
intelligent and thrifty from the vieiou
aud ignorant, our future would be as
sured. But the truth must be told
majority Of the last Legislature wer'
politically afraid TO make any such ef
forts. The younger men who believed
in a bold, determined course Zone tha
will always VIM listened 10 'h'
fears aud cowardly cautions of thei
elders. Result: No immigration neet
be expected, and we must continue Il
suffer from the evils Of degraded suf
frage.
The West and the Southwest ar
rapidly filing up with settlers Texa
is getting g large share, Kansas /
sought by Thousands, and the coll
North west is steadily gaining in pop
ulation. The cold and the grasshop
pers fight for the South, but the South
ern States, ct least our States, doe
nothing for itself. One railroa,
through the West in the last twelv
months has sold over a million acres O
land to settlers. If any one will tax
- A. 1.nt, - ,ka man ~ 81; /;