The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-07-18
THE NEW SOUTH OR THE OLD.

l
often in the newspapers, sometimes
in those published below Mason and
Dixon's line, but they are seen with
greater multiplicity in the journals
on the other side of that imaginary
barrier. They give us credit for
much recent energy and activity,
but they say nice things with pat
ronizing flavor, from which the
most blunted in feeling would suffer.
! They ascribe our spirit to liberal
infusion in late years Of Northern
blood, brains and industry, Within
the present week we have noticed
half-dozen such statements, observes
the Courier-Journal.
| We do not deny that Northern
capital and intellect have come into
the South, and helped the advance
ment of this section, but our re-en-
forcements of that nature have never
been greater than the aid we have
given the North. For years many
among the best Of our young men
have gone to the great cities of the
Northern States and won the highest
rewards in business and the profess
sions. They have proven that birth
and breeding on Southern soil do
not detract from the vigor of their
fibre, and in every avocat:on they
have COPIED successfully with those
| who grew to maturity in colder
climate. When it comes to the ex-
change of brains, the complaint
cannot be made that we have Jared
the better in the bargain, for we
have never received from our
neighbors our full tide of stalwart
young life we sent forth to them.
We want all the Northern capital
and energy we can get. Men who
bring such commodities will be made
welcome, and become part Of us in
social, political and patriotic life.
But, while we wish to give the
Northern people full credit for what
they have done here, it is not seemly
for those in the section they left to
invest them with the credit of lift
ing the South from the ruin into
which civil war threw her. During
the last five years industry has fur
nished marvellous exhibits in the
South. In many respects her ma
terial progress has afforded wonder
for those accustomed to the similar
phenomena of the West. Northern
capital has helped in this, but it has
been only drop in the ocean. This
is not the New South. There is NO
New South. It is the old South
revived, coming up from the heav-
lest load that ever crushed and
weighed down civilized people.
IF by the term New South they
mean a new land and a new people,
we do not like it, for this is the same
land, and upon it dwell the same
people, a little older and little
wiser, who in the old time furnished
brilliant and solid statesmen, and
drew from the soil the first crops
nature and cultivation furnished.
The inhabitants of this pleasant
Southern country were never a lazy
or enervated race. They were of
the best and most vigorous blood
sent from the Old World, and be-
fore the war they reared fine cities,
made roads, improved the soil and
cultivated intellectual and social
graces. It is true that slaves did
the manual labor, and, with such
prop to lean upon, the retention of
their mental and physical activity
speaks unlimited praise for the ster-.
ling qualities of the whites, who,
now dependent upon themselves
alone, are bringing forth their latent
and best qualities.
There is no New South. The
people who fell in the common dis
aster are rising more vigorous and
more powerful than of old. They
may travel by another road, but the
goal does not differ. The Southern
people cannot change their charac-
ter, and should not wish to, if they |
could. We find in the South sweet
and gracious life, which warns the
soul, and reminds us that all man.
kind are brothers. The simplicity
and hospitality long prevailing from
The Ohio TO the Gulf do not disap-
pear as capital and progress advance.
The welcome becomes broader and
the entertainment more liberal, i
them remain the charm
md grace which adorn each cult!
vated home of the South.