The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-12

By HON HENRY W. GRADY.


n. \. Ledger
Ia this letter, and those that fol
low | shall discuss one or tue most
interesting regions OF the civilized
world-thc theatre OF the most gi~
gauuc war or history-the residence
Of ), 600, 900 manumit:ei slaves. now
grown TO he 8 900 600 enfrauchised
freemen-the source, practically, of
the supply Of the most important
staple OF the soil--the richest treas
ury Of minerals anl wood-the home
of people that in swift and awaz~
ing recuFeration have discounted
the miracle wrought by the French
people after the Franco PrGssian
war, and have gwen new glory TO
the American name. and q new
meaning to energY-that sectioii OF
oar country known as The South"
We shall see how the people OF
this section, reduced to poverty by
a war, the causes, progress and re-
suit of which are beyond this pur-
view, have found honorable way to
wealth and prosperity. We shall
see how they bestirred themselves
che6rful!y, amid the ashes and
waste Of their homes; how they met
new and adverse conditions with
nDquaillng courage; how they gave
themselves cordially :" unaccustom>
cd work; with what patience they
bore misfortune, anC endured
nrcn.s put upon them through the
Surviving passions of the war, EN-,
pha,ized by partisan appeals, How,
having worn the enforced yoke Of
their late slaves u1til it te:ame in
supportable, they rallied ~mid the
graves of the dead and the wrecks
of their fortunes for the last defence
Of their liberty and credit. And
how ct last controlling with their
own hands their local affairs, they
began, in ragged ard torn battalions,
that march Of restoration and devel-
Opment that has challenged univeTs,
al admiration. We shall see Low
the warehouses went to the fur.ow.
How the waste places were clothed.
How the earth smiled at their Hcde
and questioning touch. How the
mountains opened and disclosed
treasures not dreamed of before.
How, from chaos and desalation. the
currents Of trade tricklcd and swell>
ed and took orderly way. How
rivers were sp2uned and the wilder
nesses pierced with iron rail. How
things despised in the old days Of
prosperity, in adversely won uneX-
pectcd value. How frugality came
with misfortune. fortitude with sor-
row, and with necessity invention .,
Aud how. above all. an AIl-wisc
hanI, disclosing new resources by
little less than miracles, led this
God fearing and God loving people,
whom lie had chastencd, iuto the
ways of peace and prosperity.
No PEOPLE ever held larger
stewardship than the peop,e of the
South. It's theirs to settle the pro.
blem Of the two races, vastly The
most important matter with which
the republic has to deal. 1t is theirs
to produce and enlarge the crop of
that staple that largely clothes
/ the world. II is theirs TO ~conseryc
and develop the final and fullest SUP,
ply of coal and iron, and to furnish
from their enormous forests the lum-
ber auf hard woods to meet the
worlds dcnanl until exhausted
areas can be recovered. 1t is theirs
to bring the matchles3 domain that
I is their home up to the fall require
ments of its duty to the world a.
large, until every debt IS discharged,
every right relation established,