The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-03-29
and productive, and her CAPITAL is

invested in manufacturing enter
prises that are . thorn In the side of
the iron men, and threaten the SUI
premacy of the New England cotton
mills. The papers up North that
used to delight in narrowing the
feelings of their susceptible readers
with little work of fiction, based Oh
the idea that the "chivalry loafed on
the fence rails all day and kukluxed
and murdered the darkeys all night
ut length are confronted with the
brazen fact that we are producing
seven million bales Of cotton. and
more tobacco, corn and small grain
than ever, and they are Consequently
changing front rapidly. To be sure
we are gratifed when we find in a
Nertherrn paper . trathful account
of what the South hiss done and is
doing, and it is for this reason that
we note with pleasure a letter writ
ten by Henry K. Bowen, in the
Independent, paper Of very consid-
erable consequence. Mr.. Bowen says
that during a recent trip from New
York to Texas, visiting en- route the
principal cities in Virginia, North
Carolina, South Car Dina. Florida.
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and
Kentucky, he was not met every
where with the proverbial open heart
ed cordiality Of the Southern, but
was every where impressed by the
evidences of new departure In the
growth of commerce and those yearn
ing and ambitious ideas that are the
true harbingers Of undoubted pros
perily. He remarks that in conver.
sation with public officials, editors of
news papers, professional men,
merchants, and the, travelling public,
one is agreeably surprised at the
friendly tone and cheerful sentiment
Of the people, especially in view of
the utterances of Northern pap r,
and Northern politicians.
He asserts that the future Of the
Southern States is no longer an un-
solved problem. New life is swell.
ling her veins, olG customs and pre-
JUDGES are dy ng out; and STRONG
influences are at work, which, at no
distant day, will bring her to .e
front ranks of the producing and
manufacturing States of the Union.
He says that not one hateful OF
vengef:l word az ainst the Northern
States did he hear during all his trip
Those who fought against the Union
flag are just as loyal and patriotic
to-day as we are.''
"In conversation with old slave.
owners, the Nprtherner is surprised
to hear them say they would not buy
back their slaves, If they were free
to do so.''
He continues: "Io-day the ear
nest desire of the residents Of every
Southern town and city is tina,
Northern people may settle among
them. No shot guns are in waiting.
Men and capital are wanted to de
velop the great resources of the coun
try. Freedom of speech and politi-
cal opinions are guaranteed to all
alike in almost every part of the
South. The carpet bag element is
gone and majorities rule. Taxpay'
ers have tneir rights and, as the
election history Of the Hayes-Tilden
campaign is gradually coming to
light, it is believed that the Southern
people willingly surrendered te
Hayes what possibly belonged to
Tilden. To-day the people Of the
South control their own States, as, ii
is right they should and they do no,
reject the counsels of Northern mel
come among them IS actual sett tIers
and not as plundering carpet-bAg
gers. That matter thus satisfactor
lily adjusted, the Southern States arr
nov rapidly going ahead and get
ting out of debt
We cannot make longer quota
, tions, but must reproduce one more
PARAGRAPH.
, "rhe Southerners are just nov
| learning that cotton is not the king
lie was supposed to be, and that :
diversity OF crops is necessary il
: order to achieve success as planters
There was time when, possibly
cotton was the great monarch; bu
to-day corn is fairly contesting hi
power and supremacy. The planter
who, heretofore gave all his time AM
attention to raising cotton, now find
that, to gather wealth, he must raise
the other necessaries of life, SO tha
r the money received from the sal
D of his cotton may not all be expend
4 ed in purchasing corn and the ot.le
5 things needful for his subsistence
t and this he is beginning to do nov
more than ever. When this luethO'
f. becomes universal there the South
: will rapidly grow rich"
; We wish, indeed, that this las
f were even more true and more gen
r eral than Mr.. Bowen found it to be
r But still it is true in q great measure
, the Sonth never produced more corr
/ than last year.-Nesos md Observer
China possesses the longest bridg
/ in the world. It 10 ~ Lagang, over al
/ arm of the China sea, and is fiv'
: miles long. built entirely of stone, i
seventy feet high. with a roadwa.
seventy feet wide, and has three hun
?, dred arches. The psrapet is balus-