The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-06-03
THE NEW SOUTH.
OUR RPLPROGRESS SINCE
THE WAR.

Her Recuperation After Being De-
prived of Two Million Dollars Worth
of Property and her Domain Desc
lated.
BY J. NJ. CLARK.
Twenty years ago this land of
ours was shrowded in sadness and
gloom. The tidings that hostilities
had ceased between two contending
armies had been heralded to every
home within this broad republic !;
but although they foretold the dawn
of brighter day for the American
people, they whispered little of COM
fort or encouragement to an oppres-
sed and ruined South. The dearest
idols she possessed had been ruth
lessly torn away from her by the
INSCRIPTIONS hand of war, and the
foundation upon which she had
built her hopes for the future had
been wrecked by the terrific convul-
sions Of civil strife. From the Po-
tomac to the Gulf of Mexico, from
the oceans brink to the Western
borders, the South, the land we love,
presented o scene of desolation and
ruin.
But let not our memories linger
around that sorrowful era, through
which our country has passed. The
torrent that swept over our fair
land, carrying destruction in its path,
has wasted away, and the star of
peace, shooting forth its silvery
rays, has dispelled the darkness of
the past and New South stands as
a grand monument of industrial
achievements, upon whose face may
be read in imperishable characters,
the secret of her glory.
Among the many epithets that
have been hurled at the South since
the days of her unsuccessful revolu-
ton, none has been more frequent
than that which charges her with
''inertness and love of ease" with
indifference to progress in all that
gives prosperity to a people and dig
nifty to the State" Think of her
condition when two thousand mill
lions of dollars worth of property
were suddenly swept away from
her possession, her land fearfully
deprecated, her farms desolated and
fenceless, and vast fortunes of her
territory a wilderness of ruin. Con-
trast this with. her condition to-day.
and tell me if the South does not
merit the admiration of mankind for
the unwearied efforts she has put
forth in battling against the difficult
ties that lowered before her like
mighty mountains, as she labors for
the restoration Of her scattered for
tunes
With no help except the industry
Of her devoted sons, she has toiled
on; now cheered by hope, now sad
dened by disappointment, ever con-
tending with impediments in her
onward course, until to-day she is
the g Handmade of commerce and
the Parent of manufactures" sup
plying great portion of the world !
with the comforts of life, and in the
progress of her march she is LAYING
foundation for future prosperity |
that will enrich her with its fruits
and gladden. her with its blessings.
No prouder record of the triumphs
of labor has ever graced the history
OF any nation. The great and IDEAS
i've battles of the world have been
portrayed by historians in everlast-
ing colors. The wonderful achieve
ments of Greece and Rome have
been described by orators in thrill
ing and immortal tones; but never
have more inspiring theme aroused
the genius of orator or historian than
that which tells of the rise of the
South from poverty and obscurity
to the commanding eminenee that
has won the respect and confidence
of the world. All around us are
seen substantial evidences of mate
rial progression. There is scarcely
a spot within our Southern domains
that has not been gladdened by the
hand of progress. Even the dismal
swamp which only a few years ago
was quiet lair for the wild beasts
OF the forest, is now the manufac-
turing centre of our country and
from which is waited on every
passing breeze the song of thousands
Of spindles.
The progress that the South has
made in agricultural arts is now
5opic of which those who were once
her foes delight to speak with many
But how could soul
De SO dead to human advancement
that it would not experience the sub
FINEST emotions when Il beholds our
Southern folds olnthnl =, 4l..1