The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-05-27
The North and South.


sideringits bitter partizan and sectional
prejudice philadelphia is one of the
most radical and intensely sectional Of all
American cities, yet since the war she
has expended more money in enterprises
intended to develop the resources of the
South than any other northern city. New
York not excepted. For the credit OF
Philadelphia it may also be remarked that
however intoIerant Philadelphians may
have been politically they treat with
princely hospitality and the most broth
erly welcome all those southerners who
visit their city, whether they go as indi-
viduals. military companies or societies. y
1t has been one of the misfortunes Of
the South that there has been very little
practical common sense controlling in its
newspapers Those who write for them
seem to ignore the fact that men will diff
fer in their opinions of public questions
and administrative policy, and that each
citizen has the same right to his convic
tions of what is best for the country that
1lIy OpnCI ClUlHCll uei9s anu ctShp w ~ ~
spected in its expression. Instead of this,
however, it has been the habit for the
Democratic papers of the South to de-
nounce and abuse Philadelphia. because a
large majority of its voters are with the
Republican party. A few years ago it
was common for editorial writer's to advise
Southern merchants to boycott the bust
ness men of the Quaker city, for no other
reason than they were loyal to the govern
ment during the war. and have been over
whelmingly Republican since. 1t meyer
occurred to these party blind Zeaots that
| the wealth and intelligence of the North
are with the Republicans, and that it is
the capital of such that the South must
| look to for aid and development. Had
the Republicans of the North been as mar
row minded and prejudiced as the Demo
Gratis of the South, the stat ement we pub
lish above ard the facts we adduce below
| would never have had an existence. Even
| the Lynchburg AdUdace has to admit this,
and we must say it is about as constipated
in its views and impractical in its opinions
as any Southern paper we read 1t. how
ever, cannot place upon record evidences
Of Northern sympathy and good will
| without letting out a volume Of its gall
| upon Philadelphia, merely for the reason
| that the citizens of that city believe the
| Republicans are right and the Democrats
are wrong. 1t is the wealthiest city in
| the Union, according to population, and
| this wealth has been accumulated as the
result of Republican policy. 1t is natu
the Republican side, when it is choice
between the prosperity which Republican
administration has assured, and the ruin
and disaster which have always followed
democratic ascendancy. Yet we have
this admission by two Southern papers
aprefaced with the reason that always at
tends the subordination of reason to preju
Idice.
1t is fact worthy of note that notwith
standing Philadelphia has always beer
considered one of the most sectional cite
in the country and the most hostile ant
selfish in its dealings with the south boil
before and since the war, yet the trutf
now appears that more Philadelphia capita
has been expended in the south than b,
any other city, not excepting even New
Y ork. whose trade and commerce will
the south has exceeded all the other north
ern cities combined. In Illustration Of
this fact it may te stated that Philadelphia
is interested in two mills in Augusta, two
at Athens, and one each at Atlanta and Say
\ b,n Low
interest in mills at Augusta and Columbus
The largest owners in the Hope Mills. a
FAYETTEVILLE. N. c., and the Mavericl
| Mills. in Barnwell county, s. G., ar
Philadelphans, and the same is true il
many other portions Of the South.
| In this connection the New OIlean
/! Times Democrat mentions that the South
west Virginia Improvement Company an,
the Bluestone Coal Company, both 0
which consists principally of Philadelphia
capitalists, control important interests il
Virginia and West Virginia, containing ;
fine quality of coal but not yet developed
1.-The owners of Grocer Furnace at Roanoke
the Longdale Iron Company at Longdal'
| Va, the Cranberry Iron and Coal Com
pany, at Cranberry. N. c., and the Lynch
burg Iron Company, at Lynchburg, Va.
are mainly Philadelphians. 1t is also es
timated that Philadelphia has invested
$50, 900, 900 in railroad enterprises in The
South. particularly in the Southern Rail
way Company, the Charlotte, Columbia
| and Augusta, the Richmond and Danville
| Norfolk and Western and Shenandoah
| Valley railroad. Philadelphia capital ha'
| likewise been largely engaged in the pur-
| chase and reclamation of sWamps lands IL
Florida and has already accomplished
| wonders there, two Philadelphia com
panies possessing over 100000 acres O
| land.
These are the investments of the people
of a solitary State in the South, right al
our doors, and their adventures are not
| only safe, but will produce large dividends
and lead to other and greater expenditure
in this land of milk and honey, whose very
| flowers yield a perfume favorable to pa
| triotism, peace and brotherhood.
| This substantial method Of reconStruc
| tion cannot be suppressed its rapid expan
sion is certain and instead of the old irrep
ressible conflict between freedom and slave
ry. the new war inaugurated is in behalf o.
| political virtue against party vice OF order
against anarchy.
Here we have mention of the public
spirit, the liberal sentiment and the fra
terna feeling manifested by the Republic
Gems of the North in tangible form. Were
they the bitter South-haters the Demo
cratic papers of the South would have theil
readers believe, is It reasonable to suppose
| that they would have invested their capital
and energy in the projects enum Grated
| And may not the people of the South draw
| the conclusion that if the Republicans OF
| Philadelphia are thus shown to have been
slandered and misrepresented, that moth
| ing unkind or brutal they may say
of the Republicans of the North OF
South ought to be believed The fact
is the Democratic press and the Dem
ocratic party have been the worse enemies
the South has ever had. Their inspira-
| tions are from unreasoning preludices !:
| their appeals the results of narrow pro-
vincialism, that is incapable Of entertain
ing generous thought, ard their conclu-
sions the peryersion Of the natural order
of things with the people of a common
country, whose destinies must be worked
out together, in order to consummate that
degree of advancement and prosperity,
and power and wealth, which Providence
designed should crown the American Re-
public.
r