Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-16

put the vast machinery in motion Oy
means OF electricity. The White House
and Exposition buildings will De cohnec'-
ed by wire for that purpose. IL "ouio Oe
more satisfactory, doubtless, to the Expo
sition management, and, perhaps, 10 the
country. if the President could be present
at the opening, but as that is Impossible,
owing to public duties, the plan OF having
him. although a thousand miles away,
apply the power that viii move the vast
machinery Of the great fair has been de-
cided upon. This is not an age Of mira
cles but OF wonders, and the triumphs
Of science press so closely upon each
other that it is almost impossible for the
human mind to make note Of them. The
fair marks the close Of century In cot
ton culture in this country, and no one, 1t
is safe to assume, at the beginning OF the
century had any idea of the grand part
that cotton was to play in the com merce
and industries Of the world; but, as little
as was suspected with respect to the
future Of cotton, the possibilities OF cleo
tricity were then undreamed Of, and any
one who would have suggested such
thing as that which President Arthur
will do to-day would have been regarded
as a fit subject for a lunatic asylum.
Even as late as 40 years ago investiga-
lions looking to the adaptation Of forces
Of nature to the needs Of society were re-
garded with apathy and doubt. Now,
however, such investigations are watched
with eagerness, and, wonderful as are the
discoveries OF the present day, discov-
cries even more marvellous are looked for
in the near future.
The original projectors Of the exposi-
ton did not, in the beginning, contem-
plate such vast and magnificent display
Of the resources Of the world as will be
witnessed to-day. They were an associa-
ton Of cotton planters and their idea was
TO celebrate IN a suitable manner the
centennial Of their great staple in this
country. Their idea gradually grew and
developed until it has taken the shape OF
the grandest exhibition OF the fruits of
genius and industry that the world has
ever seen.
The South is a suitable place for such
an exhibition. Her people are just be-
/ ginning to awaken to the greatness OF
their resources, the possibilities of their
opportunities, and to comprehend the re-
wards of thrift and energy. Until within
a very few wears the Southern people did
not know what they had accomplished.
They had been working so persistently
| to repair the wrecks of their fortunes,
and had been engaged in such a fierce
struggle with poverty that they had not
/ had time to look about them to see what
/ they had accomplished. When their own
| journals, however, began to publish sta
| tist1cs showing that each Southern State
/ was richer than it had ever been, and that
the future was full of promise, they were
/ astopished at what they had accom-
plished. There was a very general feel
inc that the South had only to practice
thrift and economy, and to make the most
Of her great advantages, to grow rapidly
IN wealth and population.
1t is impossible, of course, to estimate
the GOOD that the exposition Will do the
South. 1t will exert beneficial influences
in a hundred ways that cannot be grasped
so completely as to be described fully and
accurately. The impressions that it will
make on different minds will be different,
but all of them will be like seed soWn IN
rich soil. They will bear plentiful har-
vest. The Southern people, to a largo ex-
tent. have not had the leisure and the
means to keep informed Of the rapid
progress the world has been
making in scientific discoveries, and
they know only in avague way how these
discoveries have been made to satisfy the
RAPIDLY growing demands Of the present
age. Much that they will see at the eX-
position, therefore, will be like a reVela-
ton TO them. The lessons they will learn
from the great variety and number Of
things that will be presented to them,
covering almost everything in the range
of human experience, will have an eleva-
ting. broadening and liberalizlng 1nhu-
ence which will be felt in the remotest
corners of every State. The collective
evidences Of what the South has accom-
plished since she entered upon her new
career OF development will be so credIta-
bic. and will show such progress, that
they will cause the Southern people to
feel additional pride in their section, and
arouse in them a determination to make
the future even more productive of splen-
did results than the past has been. They
will see many things from other sections
of the country which will excite in them
a spirit of emulation and teach them how
to make more of the advantages which
they have.
This exposition is certain to benefit the
South in another way. 1t will advertise
her resources and bring to her willing
workers and capital. These resources,
although exceeded by those Of no other
section. are but little known beyond her
borders. The Southern press has done
great deal to make these resources known,
but the exposition will do much more.
The actual products Of the SOuth's soil,
mines and forests will appeal more
strongly to those seeking information
than descriptions of them.
Happily the sectional feeling has about
passed away. The Southern people do
not acknowledge that they have any feel
ing of bitterness towards the people of
the North. Their minds are not filled
with regrets. Their prosperity being as
sUTed, their local governments being I'M
der their control, and the national admin
istratIon, soon to DE inaugurated, being
kindly disposed, they have every reason
to contemplate the future with entire
satisfaction. The hundreds of thousands
OF Northern people who will visit New
Orleans this winter and mingle there
with people from every section Of the
South will be surprised to find how con-
sentative the Southern people are. They
will have TO acknowledge that they have
been misinfOrmed, and that sectional Bit
terness is much more apparent in por-
tiOns Of the North than in the South.
From every point CT view the exposition
promises good results. 1t will be an OBJ
ject Of deep interest to the whole country
from its opening to its close.
The Adjournment of the Legislature.
The Legislature. it is expected, will adj
journ Saturday to meet next July. Not
very much has been accomplished, and it