Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-13
A Wrong Impression.

There appears to be an impression at
the North that there is a radical differ
ence between the Northern and Southern
I people. The speeches of the Republican
orators, the comments Of the Republican
( press and the illustrated papers all, in a
/ greater or less degree, assume that there
( is a difference.
/ Northerners appear TO have an idea that
/ the peo,.le Of the South difar from them in
appearance, ia dress, IN thought, and, in
TACT in every important characteristics.
They think the Southcrners gre o-erbear-
ing, hgh-tempered, prejud!ced people,
who want TO have everything their O,2
way without regard TO ght or wrong,
and who have no respect for the rights 81
interiors.
There WAS never a grester mistake.
Outside Of New Orleans the people Of
Southern cities differ very little from
those Of Northern cities. 1t would take
close observer to distinguish any differ
ence at all. The difference that has been
talked and written about so much exists
more in Imagination than in fact.
Savannah is pretty fair sample Of
Southern city. DO the people one meets
here differ very much from those in any
Northern city, OF course not, and why
should they; A very large percentage of
them is from the North, and the fathers
or mothers, or both, Of a still larger per-
centage were from the same section. In
all branches Of business Northern men
and men whose parents were from the
North are found. Indeed, it is safe TO say
that the percentage Of business men in
this city whose ancestors for several gen
erati0ns were born in the South is ex-
ceedingly small. Not all Of those
who are most prominent in pol
Itics were born in Georgia. If
their histories were inquired into It would
be found that, in many cases, either they
Or their fathers or mothers irst saw the
light in Connecticut or some other one Of
the New England states.
There is no reason, therefore, why there
should be any marked difference between
the Northern and Southern people 1t is
pretty safe to say that there is not
greater difference between the Southern
people and the people of the New England
and Middle States than there is between
the people OF those States and the people
of the West: All those who left New
England, even before the war, to seek
homes elsewhere didn't 20 to the West
A very great many Of them came South
They found places in the professions, in
business, and on the plantations. They
became leading men in many instances,
and some OF them are still among the liv-
ing. The descendants of these immi-
grants from the Northern States are to-
day influential In shaping public senti-
meDt in this section. Since the war the
immigration from the North has been
quite large.
The people, therefore, between whom
Messrs. Sherman, Foraker and others are
trying to excite sectional feeling, are not
so different as Northerners have been led
to believe. They are, to a great extent, the
same people, having about the same char
actaristics. The Southern people think
they know how to manage their own ar
fairs about as well as the Northern people
know how to manage theirs. and they are
likely TO pursue the course they think
best for themselves, Notwithstanding the
SANDERS of sherman, Foraker and other
Republican orators.