Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-04-05
THE SOUTH SINCE THE WAR.

The South has suffered much
from Republican Misrepresentation
since the war. The baneful effect
of the stories told by her traducers
has been greater than would be
supposed on a superficial considera-
ton of the matter. The Northern
press is virtually the press of Amer
lea, so far as the outside world is
concerned, and the stories of
Southern outrages" told for polIti
cal effect in partizan papers, has
given this section a very unenvia-
BILE and undeserved reputation
abroad.
An instance of how these ISLANDERS
have been received as the truth by
foreigners is found in a very inter
esting book recently published by
Mr.. Justin Mccarthy, "a History
of Our Own Times" In speaking
of the Jamaica question that caused
the British Government some trou-
BILE in the early part of the present
reign, he says: Gas we have seen
much more lately in the Southern
States of America after the civil
war and the emancipation of the
negroes, there was still a pertina-
cious attempt made by the planter
class to regain in substance the
power they had to renounce in
NAME" Such an assertion as this,
which is far from being a true state
meut of the case, is inexcusable In
a writer of as much research as Mr..
Mccarthy and should be eliminated
from book which pretends to his
torical exactitude. We do not
mean to accuse Mr.. Mccarthy OF
having imbibed the prejudice that
exists against the South what he
says would not justify us in doing
so, for he seems to consider this sup
posed "pertinacious attempt" to
nulify the constitutional amend
ments only the outcropping of an
acknowledged principle of human
nature. But if Mr.. Mccarthy was
as fully posted in the matter as he
should be, he would know that the
South, since the close of the civil
war, has furnished no fitting illus
tration of the Jamaica troubles.
The Southern people had more to
excite them to acts of insubordina-
ton than did those of Jamaica.
The British government paid the
people of Jamaica for their slave
property, and the emancipation was |
effected without military coercion.
The experience of the South was
exactly opposite to this and to add
to the aggravation the emancipa-
tors were the people who had sold
the South her slaves. More than
this, the large majority Of the
Southern whites were deprived OF
the right of ballot directly after the
war, which was bestowed on the
negroes. Notwithstanding these
facts, the pervading spirit in the
South was not and never has been |
in opposition to the changed condi-
ton of affairs. The new order of
things was readily concurred in and
there has been no more disposition
among the Southern whites since |
the war to restore slavery, in fact |
or in form, than there has been
among the Southern blacks.
No county was ever so vandal |
lied and pilIaged by political adj
as the South was. |
That the intelligent and property |
holding class should have vigorous
ly protested against such a state OF
affairs and made "pertinacious at
tempts" to alter it was in every |
sense right and justifiable. The
great industrial advancement made
in the South since the war is proof
perfect that no such perturbed po-
liticaI condition has existed here as
partisan newspapers at the North
have represented. A people could
not improve their agriculture and
extend their mining and manufac-
turing enterprises with such results
as the South can show and at the
same time keep the country in a
turmoil of political riots. Congress
man Hoar some years since in a wit
ty speech, advised the South to "raise
more hogs and less hell" The i'm
plication that the last mentioned
crop was the principal production of
this section was made for political
effect and not from any earnest de-
sire to speak the truth. Twas from
such utterances as this that Mr..
made up his opinion.
But Congressman Hoar's speech
a principle which the
South can use to advantage. 1t
means that "raising hell" is incoTn-
DatIble with other industries, and
since the South can show by such
IN unanswerable array of figures
hat she has so materially advanced
her industrial interests, the hell
,rop must have existed only in the
iancy of the New England states
man.
1t remains for the future historian
% do the South full justice, and he
will record the moderate conduct of
her people since the war as simply
marvellous.