The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-18
rima TO Gail q Pause.

~ Ron ISuERsoLI.. not content with
,sc,w,nr himself an asa on the subject oil
religion, has undertaken to cxpound the
secret Of the Had Of all our southern
woes. He says that It consists In lack OF
thrift: that we are lazy. Mr.. BOB NIGER
SOILS views on this point beng about
as unsound as his views on religion we
could afford to ignore them II Il were not
for one fact, and that IL that some OF our
southern exchanges have made bis new
heresy the text upon which to preach u
sermon on Yankee snap" and the ao.aa-
taces that would result from Its infusion in'o
southern character. II Is about umc' we
think, to call pause In this ma''ef, anu
cease crying peccaUicyery time . northern lei,
man charges us with shortcoming. Inc
truth Is that in proportion to population
there ,s no more laziness among the whites
Of the South than among the whites OF the
North. and certainly not as much crime.
When we consider the condition OF AFFAIRS
after the wharf.-the fact that our peo-
nile were without food, and virtually
without o medium OF exchange, their
recuperatiye powers stand unparalleled by
those Of any people In the world, the
French not excepted. II the state OF things
had prevailed at the North that prevailed
here ID may be seriously questioned whe-
fher that section could at this time make
as creditable showing.
And what accomplished all thisy South'
ern energy. We do not deny that we were
aided by northern capital; but such capi-
tai sought the South because 1t saw good
DER cent. on the investment, and wouid
have been powerless for good had 1t not
been supplemented by southern energy
As matter OF fact, most OF the northern
enterprises started In the South after the
war were worse than failures until their
projectors began 10 appreciate the fact that
they could not teach US how to do pusi-
ness. Richmond bears notable testimony
to the futility Of the efforts OF "fanKee
snap" to push its way unassisted by the
energy OF our own people.
We would be the last to discourage the
immigration TO the South Of northern men
OF intelligence and energy, or to discounte-
nance the introduction Of capital within our
borders. We fully and freely recognize the
value Of both. Our resources are greater
than either our population or our money
can adequately develop. But we do pro-
test against the disposition to deny
our own people the credit that is
due them, and the seli-nagellation INDUCED
in whenever some blatherskite sees Fit to
read us homily. n neither adds to our
self-respect nor raises us in the esteem OF
right-thinking northern men. 1t may be
set down as beyond the peradventure OF
doubt that were we half as ipdolent and
shiftless as we sometimes by tacit admis-
sion make ourselves out to be. the South
would be the last place capital OF any sort
would seek. We admit that we might be
more energetic, but the same may be truth
fully said Of the people Of the North, and
the prerogative Of criticism in the premises
belongs no more to one section than it
does to the other. Again we say it is
about time to call pause, il not in the in
terest Of self.respect, then in the interest
OF common sense.