The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-02-03
aMisrenany.
Frightening Prospects OF the
South.

Frightening Prospects OF the
South.
The census of 1880 will be rev
elation of hope to the South. Our
industrial progress and material de-
yelopment for the past decade mas
far surpassed the fondcst eXpecta'
tions of most sanguine patriots.
If those gratifying facts will have
the effect of stimulating Southern
energy and restoring commercial
confidence, our future is fnli oi
promise and greatness. Ever since
the war it has been our habit, II
not mournful pleasure, to brood
over our poverty. Thus the elias
ticity of other years has given place
to. depression and despair. Like
the captive Hebrews, we hung our
harps on the willows and have been
idly mourning the past. There is an
old Hindoo tradition which says,
ssoyer the sacred river Ganges there
can never be bridge" and yet a
railroad has been constructed, a
bridge thrown acrosss sthe stream,
and the iron horse, with lungs OF
fire and the speed of the wind,
dashes over it warning all past ira
ditions to ''clear the track" So
over the Southern mind, for the
last fifteen years the idea has held
tyrannical sway that our country Is
devastated beyond power of rcsus
citation-that we have been "scat-
tered and pulled and can never
again be people. Thus the car of
Southern progress has been arrested
and the proud capabilities OF our
section suffered to sleepin an inglo-
rious inactivity. But hope is beam
ing upon us. In the face of all dis
couragements, surrounded by the
SCARED and charred remains of
former greatness, we are moving,
onward and upward. This produc-
tive soil is Welding abundant har
vests, while manufactures of differ
ent kinds are springing up in our
own and sister States, whose putting
engine and whirling spindles and
moving artizans proclaim, in no un
certain sound, that there is life in
the old land yet
10 help forward our Frightening
prospects, and as auxiliary to the
fulfillmcnt of more hopeful prophc-
sizes, let me indicate some duties
that now imperativcly claim South
ern attention
FIRST. Because, foremost, We
must cultivate more hopeful,
cheerful spirit. The South is rich
er than we had heart to hope or
think Invidious comparisons have
been made between the North and
the South so long, that we have
greatly magnificd Northern wealth
and sadly minified Southern power
ty. Tins spirit has become morbid
and, to-day, is rcproach to our
enterprise, intelligence and bound
less capacity The Northern pa
pers, notably the New York Herald,
are rebuking our chronic mourning.
and urging us to arouse our slum-
herring energies. Around our fire
sides, to our children, and with
friends, we must talk more hope
fully. A man in good health has
been made sick and absolutely |
killed being constantly told that he
"lookcd so badly" On the other
hand, invalids have been cheered
ard restored to health by hopeful,
happy friends. That spirit we
must cultivate. We have less
reason for gloom and despair than
any other people on earth. | never
read the history of France without
blushing for our want of stern and
masterful heroism. Since the
dawning of the present century how
many revolutions have swept over
her like the dreadful simons of the
desert? The sound of one conflict !,
scarcc'y died away before the gath
ering clouds of another was seen
darkening her skies. Trampling
succeeding each other with
the rapidity Of drama, swept her
fields, and left behinn track Cfl
blood and desolation. And yet
they seem, not for one moment, TO
have thwarted the plans or dwarfcd
the energies of that restless people.
Soon their desolate fed was made
to smile with waving grain, new
and more spacious grancries were
erected on the ruins of the old, and
the bland smile of the farmer seemed
TO DEFY the clouds and thunder of
war. The Franco Prussian war debt
was paid with marvellous prompt
ness by a defeated people, and is,
to-day, the greatest feat of national
known to history. Why,
then, should we repine and despair?
Let it cease forever. The census in
dicates not only what has been
done but what we may achieve.
With our dormant strength aroused,
ana wisely directed, our sun of
prosperity will soon attain his noon
day glory.
SECOND. Again, our thinking
and education must be more prac-
tical. We have lost much in this
regard. No section of our country
has been more productive of great
men than the South, but history
shows that they were lacking in
practical craftsmanship. Their
great resources of mind were di
rected to the discussion of the theo
ry of government, the nature of the
federal compact and all issues that
affected the general government,
rather than local questions of de
yelopmcnt and enterprise which
have so wonderfully enriched the
,,,l Eoet NNhi1a tho ,nnih