Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-04-21
THE RECONSTRUCTED sourH

At the close of the late war, 1t was be
 heved by many that thorough recon
 struction would not take place In the } South until 8 new generation of people should grow up, who had not been
 tainted with the slavery question, and
 who had learned from different school
 than that from winch their fathers had
 drawn their political inspirations. But
 the people of the South have wrought
 better than the North expected-better
 than they themselves had hoped for or
 could believe. Proud spirited as they
 were they could not at first believe that
 their country would ever agam be to
 them what it had been in ants-bellum | days. 1t IS only necessary for a close observer-one who will honestly enter
 into the work to pass through the ''New South to be convinced of its thorough reconstruction. That people have
 learned much since Lee surrendered on the 9th day of April, 1885. There are still those who think of the past, and of the losses of property and of slaves, but very large proportion of the people have ceased to think of the past, but live and think of the present and future. They have learned that they can live and do as well without slave labor as with it, and they are at heart glad that the slavery question has passed away and Is forever buried from the sight of men. In order to show our req ders the feelings of the reconstructed south, and the sensible view they now take of the situation, winch is anything but discouraging, and with no regrets for the great change which has taken place, We take from the Dallas Herald the following:
 ~Yesterday the 9th of April, was the anniversary of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, and the death of the hopes of southern Confederacy at Appo- mAttox courthouse. It has just been el-hteen years, therefore, since the south lay crushed and desolated at the feet Of her northern foes; just eighteen years since she presented almost as complete rum as was ever ohronlcled in history The scaut and scattered fragments of Lees army ar that time represented ftly | the scant and tattered soutu, d land in ashes, with its sons slaIn by the hundred thousand. four millions of slaves turned 1 loose upon 1t, poverty and want every where, the fields bleak and barren, the l means and appliances of husbandry 1 gone, the workshops closed and the l hearts of the people heavy with sorrow aud gloom. It was at that time and doubtful question if prosperity | would ever again visit us, and none were | SD hopeful as to imagine that the south l would ever again resume its oid-time | prominence and weight ln the admins | t-atlon of the government of the United | States. How great has been the change | What a reJuvenatiOn. d revIvlfcatiOn m l i-ss than two decadesl IL Is the proud | boast ot living now south of the Oid | M son and Dixon llne that they cal | pu,nt 10 the most prosperous section of | coantry iu the world, and the one most | inviting as a promising field for settle l ment and investment to both the capital | ist and man of small means, the profes- slOual man, the manufacturer, the agri- GU lturist and the mechanic. What Was Nar-stncken section and almost bar Ten eighteen years ago only, is now a land of plenty and peace and prosperity, | forging rapidly ahead of all ger sec tious in the industrial and commercIa. spheres and gaining population and political power with an precedented speed. While tbe north Is remembering and celebrating its victories of war at thls time, the south can look back to the dark period m her history from the present prominent and bright outlook and reflect with pride that her own re- cent history furnishes another admirable illustration of the truth of the expres- sion that peace hath it's victories no less renowned than war" In our pres ent greatness and rapidly growing pros perity, We can look back without anger and with a modified sorrow to the dark days at AppOmattoI.