The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-05-29


measure neutralized, first by force, ant
then by trickery, thus by means wrong il
themselves and eventually demoraliziny
III effect, making Democratic majoritie
TO put an end to the carpet-b bag govern
ments, prevent the return of negro domi
nation, and secure honesty in the admin
istration of public affairs.
There has been, concerning these fact
much elimination and recrimination be
tween the North and the South, partl,
just and partly unjust ssBy your recon
struction acts" said the South, ssyou sub
lected US to the rule of ignorant and
brutal negroes led by rapacious adyentu
rers, who mercilessly plundered us at the
time when the South, exhausted and i'm
poverished, was most in need of intelli
gent and honest government: eve
could not help that" answered the North
leave the emancipated negro helpless al
the mercy Of his former masters ye-eA-r
to arm him with rights, and ifY.S ~
been III our places, you, as an h1r y
people, would have been bou2/h So
xnd would have dong, the Same GSI ~!
= Yoa have teI1orizHr VOTERS" sain tie
| North, s'and controlled the ballot box by
force and fraud, and thus got political
| power which did not belong to you" 1--WE
| could not help that, " answered the South,
| for the government of combined igno-
| rance and rapacious rascality stripped US
| naked, and threatened us with complete
| 1u1n No people could have endured this
| We had to get rid Of negro domination at
any cost, and if you had been in our
! places you would have done the same
| thing"
While this discussion was going on, a non
political but most powerful influence
asserted itself. The Southern people got
to work again. Immediately after the
war the average Southerner was laboring
under the impression that the emancipa-
ton of the slaves had brought the
whole economic machinery of the South to
a complete stand-still, and that, unless
some system of compulsory labor were
restored, there was nothing but starvation
and ruin in the future Encouraged by
President Johnson s erratic manifestations,
he made all sorts of reactionary attempts,
but failed. He had, after all, to try what
| could be done under the new order of
| things, and he did try. Gradually he
discovered that the negro as a free man
would work better than had been antici-
pated. He discovered also that white
| men could, and under the pressure of cir
cumstances would, do many kinds of work
to which formerly they had not taken
kindly and readily. AS work proved pro-
ductive, hope revived, and, with hope,
energy and enterprise. The Southern
man became aware that his salvation did
not depend upon reversal of the new
order of things, but upon wise develop
ment of it. He found that this new order
of things was opening new opportunities,
and calling into action new energies. So
his thoughts were more withdrawn from
the past, with it's struggles and divisions
and resentments, and turned upon the
present and future with their common in
terests, hopes, and aspirations. While
the professional politicians of the two Sec
tiOns were still storming at one another,
the farmers, and the merchants, and the
manufacturers, and the professional men,
had found something else to occupy their
minds. Many of them came into contact
with Northern people and met there with
a much friendlier feeling than they had
anticipated. 1t dawned upon them that
this was, after all, good country to live
in, and good government to live under,
and good people to live vita. And it is
this sentiment, grown up slowly but with
steadily increasing strength and spreading
among all classes of society, even those
whose feelings against the Union were
bitterest during and Immediately after the
war, that has made the New South as we
see it to-day.
Although still poor, the South is decid
edly richer than it was before the war,
while, of course, its wealth is differently
distributed New industries have sprung
up and old ones are better developed.
The mineral resources are gradually drawn
to light In the iron regions of Alabama
new towns are growing up, the appearance
of which reminds one Of Pennsylvania.
Cotton mills are multiplying. Manufact-
uring establishments Of various kinds are
rising in many places. While the sugar
interest in Louisiana has much declined,
other branches of agriculture, such as to-
bacco in North Carolina, have taken a new
start. The cotton crop is constantly
growing larger. The question of decisive
import is no longer only how the negroes
will work, for the white people themselves
are working much better than before.
The number of young men in the villages
and small towns standing idle around the
grocery corners is steadily decreasing.
Among young people the tendency 10 de-
vote themselves earnestly to useful and
laborious occupations is becoming much
more general. The poor whites OF both
sexes are in many places found to make
industrious aud faithful operatives IN
manufacturing establishments
About the working habits Of the colored
people OluoTeuI JuuSAiCHCo CIV A" -,
one planter and one manufacturer Will
nraise them while another complains. After
much investigation and inquiry, have
formed the conclusion that the employers
who treat the negroes most intelllgently
and fairly are usually satisfied with their
work while the employers who complain
most are usually those who are most com
nIained Of. The question of negro labor
seems to be largely a question OF manage
ment There may be exceptions to this
rnle but not enough to inva!ldate It, Inc
| nnmber mn of colored men who have acquired
p property is not very large yet, but it's it is
growing. | have seen negro settlements
of a decidedly thrifty and prosperous ap p
| naarance. A few colored men nave oe-
come comparatively wealthy ana I'VE IN
some some style. It is generally said OF +, them
| that they are ''improvident. ms IS
dnnbtless true of a large majority OF them
hu hut thew are only somewhat more 1mprov,
;dant than their former masters VINO useo
to toll live on next years crop. 1t IS a cues
t;on ~ n Of degrees between them. Since their
emancipation anna they have shown much zeal
enr' fnr the education of their young, people.
1Ta lore Is and there this zeal is sad to nave
No. 1od . little but, as far as | have OBJ