Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-04-07
Food for Thought.


Emory College, Gcornia, aud who is kuown
as one OF the most talented aud thoughtful
dlvines III the Methodist Church. South,
delivered sermon on Lost Thanksgiving
day, which has attracted much attention
'hmnghont the entire country We are
indebted To the Atlanta (onstiiutinn for
the following extinct from the sermon. uhd
commend it to the thoughtful attention
Of our readers:
"ln concinsinn usk you to Indulge NE
in fe" reflections that are, | believe, ap-
trunriate to this ocuuslun.
And first, ns people, LIT us of the
South frankly recognize snmr of our faults
aud lacks aud try to reform and Improve
| know this is hard task Aud it is oil
III" harGer because wc are the subjects OF
no much denunoiation aud misrspr"souss-
ton by our cities of the Northern States
and Of other countries. Much of this
comes through sincere ignorance; much Of
of it through the necessity Of party politics;
some Of it, fear, through sinful hutred;
and much OF it through habit Many have
go long thrown stones ut US that it has be
come habit to do SO. The rather Phari-
sale attitude that many public men al the
North have ASSUMED towards US has en- :
barrassed nul arrested our efforts to dis
cover our faults aud amend thcnl. But all
| this only furnishes reason for beginning
the souGer und trying the harder. What
is really good-aud thero is much that ia
good-let us stand by, and mike it better
if VIC can.
There are some unpleasant things that
ought to be said. They are on my con
science. viii you bear with mo while l
point out some OF the weaker points in our
social make up--somo Of tho more serious
lacks in our development?
First, then, let us cndeavor to overcome
our Intense provincialisn. We are too
we'll satisfied with ourselves. We think
better Of ourselves than the facts
Of our history and our present state of pro-
gress justify. Some of us are neurly of tho
opinion thut the words "tho South" is u
synonym for universe. AS people wo
huve not enough felt the heart beat of the
shut off FROM that world. Slavery did
this, and this suggests another reason for
gratitude that it exists no more. On this
point | will add only one word moro. Had
we been less provincial, lees shut in by snd
will, our own ideas, had we known the
world better, we would have known our.
selves better, and there would have been M
war in 1861.
Secondly, there is vast moss Of illiter~
acy among us There is white Us well ns
black ilitcrscy. There are multiplied
thousands who can neither road nor write.
They must bn taught.
Thirdly, let US recognize our want OF
literature. We have not done much in
this line of things. It is too obvious to
dispute about-it is too painful to dwell
upon. - H a
Fourthly, let us wake up to our want ol
educational facilities Our public school
system is painfully inadequate. Our COL.
| leges and universities are unendowed, and
they struggle against fearful odds in their
effort to do their work We are one hun
dred years behind the Eastern and Middle
States. We are also behind many of tho
new States of the West
| Filthy, consider how behind hand we
arc with our manufacturing interests. And
| remember that nature never did more tc
furnish people with tho conditions ncoes-
sary TO successful manufactures. Dons an,
one say we luck capital2 ! answer, no. NY
friend, it was always so. 1t wus so when
we had cnpital. have thought of these
things great deal. l have beon placed
where 1 was obliged to think Of them, and
| have reached this conclusion with per-
feot confidence of it's correctness: Our
proviuoialisni, our wspt Of aliteratuic, ou,
lack of educational facilities and our man 8
ufaoturcs like cur lack Of population, Is
all explained by one fact and one word
slavery. But for slavery Georgia would be
as densely peoplod as Rhode Island
Wherefore, among many other reasons,