The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-10-30
THE vANQUISHRD OF 1879 THE
VICTORS OF 1850.

1t is idle, as absurd and ruinous, for
Northern politicians to fight North
ern party. 1t is ridiculously absurd
to make Issues which will surely be-
come sectional. The North is rich,
powerful and growing N wealth and
population with marYelous rapidity.
In fact, politicians, by forcing section
al issues into politics, perpetu2tes this
Northern supremacy and Southern pow
erty, Legislation effecting finance and
tariffs and taxation is made sectional
until the South pays greatly more than
Its proper relative share of taxation,
but the whole of it, when thus paid, is
expended In the North. Sectional pol
itics and sectional party-leaders there
fore, however pleasing their sppeals to
local vanity and prejudices, are the
greatest evils that ever came upon ua,
but they are cunning fellows, and
hatterIng our personal and Southern
seltishness, and declaring that we are
the most stupendous people that strut
pmajesiically before high Heaven, they
induce us to destroy ourselves by as
saults upon a massive, motionless stone
wall of measureless wealth and intelli-
gence and numbers.
A little common sense and prudence
and r-oper estimate of our own re-
sources and strength, and of our own
learning and responsibility, would be
worth infinitely more than splendid,
tisttering exodiums of office-seek,ag
stump speeches. We are very grand
and very rich and very powerful in our
eyes, but very poor and very weak in
point of numbers, riches and intelli-
gence, when compared with those who
propose, whenever sectional issues are
made, to govern the continent. We
haye never doubted that Gen. Chalmers
and Beck and others who make elo-
quent arguments in behalf of the
South's theories reason we'll and accu-
rately; but the practical question still
lifts its horrible shape above these
vague, drifting wrecks of States rights
theories, and Northern numbers and
Northern prejudices evoked by war
crush the right inevitably, and we are
victimized and robbed and made so
odious that the migratory world and its
wealth and progress shun US as if we
were smitten with foul leprosy. 1t
is difficult to make the masses of the
people comprehend these results or
the magnitude of evils that follow;
but the North confesses infinite advan-
tages which they see and measure and
weep over, who leave the South with
Its rags and poverty and unlocked
wretched homes and pitiable, un-
painted railway villages and enter the
blooming gardens, bright fields, pretty
towns and manufacturing villages of
the North and East. The contrast be-
tween the two sides of the Ohio is as
terrible now as in the olden time of
African servitude. The mailed hand
of supreme, selfish. legislative and finan-
cial power and unwisdom in local leg
islation rest heavily and ruinously upon
States tickled into hopeless paralysis
by vain hattery administered by
vote-seekers and then crushed and
taxed TO poverty by sheer force
of Northern wealth and numbers.
We toll industrlously and make enor-
nous cotton crops, but tariffs and nav
igatiOn acts and pension and river and
harbor bills and placeholders gather in
the profits of cur toll. Immigrants
from Europe bring with them riches
and add infinitely to the riches of
States; but these are not Southern
States. Northern wealth and genus
and newspapers make the South obi
Gus, and foreigners would prefer homes
in Central Africa to dwelling places in
the land of Barksdale and Gully. How
ever just and wise our theories and
philosophy of government, we are not
only pursuing phantom but absolutely
destroy ourselves and aggrava.e our
misfortunes by lending ourselves to the
purposes of selfish party leaders like
Randall and Potter, who themselves
and their people are perfectly blest if
they may WELD a ''solid South" in the
presidential election.