The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-26
LETTER FROM DIXIE.

LETTER FROM DIXIE.
Miss Francis E. Willard, President OF the
National Temperance Union, Gives o
Northern journal an Account of her Lee
turing Tour In tho South.
DEAR 1T is now about
two months since 1 Lad the good fortuue
to begin Southern trip, ordained by our
National Union, at its annual meeting in
Boston. Maryland and the District of
Columbia were left behind soon after the
presentation of Mrs. Hayes's Testimonial
Portrait at the White House. Clear
heads and hearts are busy in both locali-
ties, moving forward the home protection
cause My associate, Mrs. Georgia Hulse
Mcleod, of Baltimore, native of Flori-
da, a lifelong teacher and whilom con-
tributor to The atlantic, had opened the
way by means of letters to the press and
to leading ladies further South Appeals
had been made for money to help defray
expenses, for, if successful, this embassy
of a stranger must be free from all pecu-
mary taint. Letters ofintroduction were
kindly furnished by leading clergymeu
(South) of all denominations. Prayers
were offered by our local unions from
one end of the country to the other
for success of this effort to plant the
"W. G. T. u" 10 Southern soil and
without misgivings the attempt was made.
Many good and thoughtful people had
predicted that this would prove "a FOOLS
errand" number two. A letter from one
leading Southern city had declared that
the triple disadvantage of ~ sending
,vomanl ~ a temperance woman ~ a
Northern temperance woman stamped
the embassy failure from the start.
but, please observe, this letter was from
Northern man, But, bless God and
their kind hearts, the Southern people
have received me as a sister beloved for
the works sake. Already some of the
chief towns have been visited in every
Southern state save Texas, Arkansas, and
Tennessee (from all of which except the
first earnest invitations have come and
engagements are already made for their
acceptance). And what is the report?
Just the same that it would have been if
an equal number Of Northern states
had been visited-viz., the utmost kind
ness from the friends of temperance, cor
dial cooperation from the most liberal.
minded Of the clergy, and independent of
the press, and on the part OF women a
sisterly welcome that crowns Frienship's
casket full of choicest jewels. Indeed,
the South is far more like the North than
in my ignorance, had supposed.
They're just like our folks" was my con-
slant mental ejaculation, the almost en-
tire absence of foreign population lend
ing color to the home-like illusion. It
had been said that the opposition to hear
ing ladies speak was deep and resolute.
This is not so. Churches were opened
as rule, no less freely than at the North.
Ministers ofdiferent denominations con-
Quoted the devotional exercises, and the
audiences were large and to the last de-
gree pathetic and kind. When men,
bers we're called for and papers circulated
with the pledge for men and women, the
response was much more general than
with us. 1t is true that on the Sabbath
pastors do not yield their pulpits, pre-.
fering an afternoon hour for the temper
ance meeting: it is also true that, as a
rule, we have spoken from the chancel,
and in single instance no pastor was
present; but this has sometimes hap
pened at the North, and Sunday is with
ministers busy day.
It had been said that the expectation
of securing associated effort on the tenn
perance line from Southern women was
quite Utopian but, instead of this, they
have been uniforml y earnest and respon-
sive, beyond what is usual at the North.
True, they have given immediate notice
that they could not speak in public,
which is the smallest part of the work;
but, at the same time, have entered with
the utmost intelligence and heartiness
into our plans for securing pledges, S. s.
and juvenile societies, the circulation Of
leaflets, lending out of temperance books,
planning for public meetings, to be ad-
dressed by gentlemen, etc.
But when I have noticed the marvellous
facility of utterance, the varied vocabu-
larry, the delicacy of appreciation, and
rare insight of these ladies, I have felt
that in it all was o prophecy of such
achievement in the art of public as we'll
as private persuasion as would dim the
laurels of their Northern sisters, if q
sacred emulation did not rescue US. 1
could name women in all the chief cities
of the South who are no less worthy to
be the leaders of a people than was De-
borah of old. They feel the stirrings of
benignant power; the mother heart in
them reaches out with a wide blessing
for humanity.
Even from their point of view-con-
cerning which we have freely spoken
the war was not an unmixed evil. 1t
helped to individualize each woman's
character; it taught the stern, but royal
lesson of self:help; and, with the spirited
gentlepess and docility which are sure
sign of the highest breeding, many of
these women, who had hardly ever wait
ed upon themselves in the smallest par
tlcular, took up difficult tasks, 10 which
they brought no training, but in which
they have grandly succeeded. Some are
teachers, some Journalists, some artists,
and not few take boarders or keep
hotels. The unwritten annals of their
heroism, often whispered in my ear by
friends, have digni6ed my estimate Of
human nature. Nor do I find the bitter.
ness toward the North which was de-
clared to be so characteristic Of the wo-
men who loved "The Lost Cause" They
approached this whole question of the
war from standpoint altogether differ.
ent from our own. They believed in the
inalienable right of q State to secede from
the Union. They had never been taught,
as we had, from pulpit, press, and plat
form, to spell nation with big N.
But, whatever may have been the case
in earlier years, sober second thought has
softened either them or us-or both, per-
haps; so that we can agree to "press for
ward to the things that are before" with
I Al Tt