The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-18
IN THE GOLD DOMINION"
Record of Experiences of Recent Visit to
Virginia-The Political Contest There.
.dence of The Indianapolis Journal.


RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 15.-The "Old Domain.
ion" hens in much that is historic and good
deal more that is neither historic nor admirable
The sketching of personal traits has lost much
of its freshness. Much seeing and knowing each
other is rapidly blending our social differences
The Sim dandy" is about the same specimen in
our day whether at indianapolis, Denver or San
Francisco. If wesee him yainly trying to hide
an infant smirk behind the little ambush that
he carries on his upper lip, and which he sym
parhetically strokes and points, we may be GER
tain that the same type passes current all over
the country, because such traits are the result
of limitations and Alterations, and may rapidly
come and go. But the characteristics of people
which are bedded in history do not
so rapidly vanish. The essential differences
which exist day between the man of the South
and the man of the North may be traced long
way back of the vine-covered tower at James
town-the only monument left to mark the orig
inal seedplot of this Southern civilization.
This idea of the Roundhead and the Yankee
marching in Solemn procession around
Plymouth Rock, the Cavalier ard the
''brigadier" enjoying cockfghs ct the
ties and persisting traits of characters not
less real than familiar. We may mistake in
coniecturing that the wide-b rim beaver tufted in
with greasy locks, or the large mnstache are
dngy relics of the days of the English
Charleses. 1t is only rarely that the broad
brim and the locks are seen, and then one
is almost tempted to step quietly under that
brim, and disinfect those locks with few puffs
from cigarette But touch of prudence leads
us to believe that, broad as is that brim, it would
not shelter two for the purposes of such an I'M
dertaking-at least not long. The spirit appears,
however, to be prevalent among Southern people
not to allow the easy and quiet enjoyment of
life to be marred by the obtrusion of ideas of
duty or responsibility-not to allow religious i'm
pressions TO make life a whit less convivial. A
quiet little darn it," now and then, will not,
they believe, jostle their prayer-hooks. In fact,
the Southerner swears so magnifcently that you
are impressed that he inherited it from the
coffee-houses of London. two centuries ago.
There is such prodieality OF vaporing He is
so bold and generous with his materials that he
needs but moment to do for you the deftest
etching in birthstone. His long cultivation
of it as a fine art has given him some
teaching of Lanier be fully felt among
his own people at the South, we may expect In
time to hear the Southron swear to slow and pen
sive music. The Northern man is compelled to
swear on forever with all the stammering harsh
ness which is, possibly, the result of his I'M
poetic northern climate. Again. we may not he
altogether wrong in surmising that the sword,
which once formed so important part of the
ordinary dress in the chivalric ages behind us.
has only in the last generation petered out in
lrk IAN al Rnyvla
was true Southron. And this suggests that
peculiar survival which is more familiar to
Northern readers-the vindication of 'honor"
by personal encounter. Only a few
at this moment in this State
was challenged TO mortal combat, in helmet and
night-clothes, because for being called q liar, he
had unceremonously punctnred his antagonist
between the eyes The original idea that rights
of parties or the merits of the cause are by this
means determined has long since vanished.
w here courts do not uniformly and fearlessly
execute the law there is naturally a tendency to
compensate their ineficienCy by such methods.
The satisfaction who has had the
breath kicked out of him. andis lying with his
nose on a criminal statute that might bring the
aggressor to justice, gets by calling for short
swords or pistols is shadowy, and has, withal,
some grim humor in it. The South needs a
Cervantes.
There is no doubt that the spirit of invitation
to Northern thrift and enterprise is abroad in
the South, and that appreciation OF the qualities
of Northern men is vastly higher than it was be-
fore the war. We can hardly blame them. how
ever, for considering it a dismal objectesson.
Said a former slave owner to me, II never be-
lieved in the idea entertained by a great many
Southern men before the war that the Yankees
were inferior l had done business in Boston
and other Northern cities and knew too much
of their determination and pluck to believe they
would be easily conquered. That idea was not
entertained by the leaders of the Confederacy,
except those who were not acquainted with the
North" Icannot believe that this spirit of in
vitation is a general conspiracy to induce North
ern people to come into Southern communities
to be wronged and insulted.
There is zone rule of human conduct upon
which we may safely rely; that is, that the aver.
age man cannot long exercise toward another
the semblance of kindness. unless he be paius-
taking deceiver without finding that the sem
blance is changing into genuine reality
especially when the result of greater intimacy is
to remove prejudice. 1t is hardly probable that
the Southern people can have conspiracy to
and if thew had, the tendency of even the exer-
else of such appearances would be to bring about
the reality, namey-hosptable treatment. AS
evidence of this Vrginians point with pride to
a little town on the James river-Clairmont-
which is the result of Northern thrift-a colony
which has grown in about three years
from dot to town Of be-
tween two and three thousand inhabitants.
Land is cheap; cheaper, one would think, taking
markets into consideration, than any to be
found in the West One old ex planter was Of
fering riverside land of average fertility at $40
an acre-worth twice or thrice that amount-too
poor to farm 1t. The same is true Of land along
the Mississippi river at certain points. Land
which four years ago was offered at $40 an acre
now commands $25. 1t will eventually get the
value which it had before the war, and will be
better from its long rest. The opinion is rap
idly coming among many that more shekels can
be turned over plowshare in the South than in
the West, at least for the small farmer.
With the first intmation of frost one lof the
industries of the South begins to show signs of
greater activity. That is the administration of
outdoor relief to the dependent classes This
is not done here, rs in Indiana, under a general
State law but It'll performed, as in the city of
Richmond, by committee appointed by the
municipal councils in the various towns and
cities. Rations of about twenty eight pounds of
meal a week are issued to family of FIVE or
six sick ration is also provided, which in