Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-09-04
what Another Northern Man Has
Found AZ the SoutI.

One of the most valuable contributions
which has been made to the literature de.
scribing tho present temper of the Southern
people is found in an article contributed by
Charles Dudley Warner to the September
number of Harpers Magazine. It is valuable
because it comes from the pen of Northern
man who is a trained and sagacious observer,
Republican in politics. and one not likely
to allow the good feeling of the moment to
run away with his sober judgment. Mr. War
ner entities his article Impressions of the
South, and in it he tells the unembellshed
story of what he gathered regarding the spir
it now animating the Southern people during
visit to the Gulf states last winter. month
of this time was spent at the New Orleans
Exposition and Mr.. Warner tells us that
these Impressions are mainly of Louisiana"
His first impression is that "the war is
over in spirit AZ well as in deed" The
thoughts of the people are not upon the war,
nor upon their past, but upon the future,
upon business, revival of trade, upon edu-
cation, and adjustment to the new order of
things" Nor are their thoughts upon poll
tics more than are those of the people of the
North. few political managers talk poll
tics, grumble, and connive to get into Office
but the mass of the people have other and
more important work in hand, Just as have
the masses at the North. Along with this i'm
preston Mr.. Warner became convinced of
the loyalty of the Southern people, of grow
ing feeling among them Of attachment to the
Union las the common possession of all sec
tons" 81 feel sure" he says,-
THAT Louisiana, for instance, was never
in its whole history, from the day of the JEFF
.ferson purchase, so consciously loyal to the
United States az it is to- day. have believed
that for the past ten years there has been
growing in this country stronger feeling of
natiOnality-a distinct American historic con-
scionsness- nowhere else has it develop.
ed so rapidly Of late as at the South. am
convinced that this is a genuine development
OF attachment to the Union and OF pride in
the nation, and not in any respect a political
movement for unworthy purposes"
One of Mr.. Warmers strongest impressions
was of the extent to which the South suffered
in the war, of the way in which personal
property and means Of livelihood were wiped
out of the completeness with which this
work of ruin and disaster was wrought.
Northern people, until they have seen this on
the ground do not realize it, and, in the re-
verse, the Southern people do not appreciate
the sacrifices the North made for the Union.
They do not realize how the North put into
the war its best blood, and how every battle
brought bereavement and woe to Northern
homes. Least of all do they understand "the
fearful enthusiasm for the Union and the
flag, and the unse6sh devotion that under
lay all the self sacrifice"
But the South lost not only its fathers.
sons and brothers till there was scarcely
household unbroken it lost not only the
cause which it blindly believed to be right
and suffered for it the bitterness of defeat;
but more than this, it came out of the war
stripped, with scarcely home for its people,
and the whole life had to be begun over
again. Remembering this, the wonder is,
when one looks for remaining bitterness,
that 30 little of resentment and bitter feeling
is left. History has no parallel for this, and in
the spirit thus shown Mr.. Warner finds cause
for truest American pride-"that Americans
have 80 risen superior to circumstances and
come out of trials that thoroughly threshed
and winnowed soul and body in temper so
gentle and spirit so noble. II is good stuff
that can endure test of this kind" But it
must be distinctly understood that under this
admirable and manly spirit there is no pre-
tenoe of apology for the part taken in the
war there is no confession that they were in
the wrong, nor any denunciation of the lead
ers which they followed to their sorrow.
"They simply put the past behind them"
man. fashion, and look forward and not back
Along with the anxiety of the South for
the development of its resources and the re-
Mobilization OF its affairs there naturally grows
up the same interest in the general prosper-
ty OF the country that exists at the North
anxiety that the country should prosper &C
quit itself we'll, and stand we'll with other ma.
tons. On this point Mr.. Warner bluntly
says
There is, of course, a sectional feeling
as to tarln, as 10 internal mprovements-but
do not think the Southern states are any
more anxious to get things for themselves out
OF the Federal government than the Northern
states are That the most extreme of South
ern politicians have any sinister purpose (any
more than any of the Northern ''rines" on Ell
Their side have) in wanting 10 "rule" the
country, is in my humble opinion, only
ehimera evoked to make political capital.
But after all these impressions have boon
recorded, after Northern man has conceded
w much that argues good and only good for
tho South and the whole country, there re-
mains thsiO Northern minds-m most impor
tAnt factor Of all, the negro. What OF him 2