Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-09-28
Some Pertinent Facts.

Hon. Josiah Patterson, OF Mems
phis, made great speech at Somer-
vile, West Tennessee, some days
ago, on the occasion of a Confederate
reunion. We reprint below a few
extracts from the speech which
present some living truths in very
forceful way. After reviewing the in
dustrial advancement of the South
during the last twenty years at con-
siderable length, Col. Patterson said
"This charge which is so repeate-
eddy made and SO blinuly believed,
that lawlessness prevails among the
white people of these States, is con>
ceived in malice or ignorance, and is
without foundation. Notwithstand-
ing the whites are numerically great
er than the blacks, the census of 1880
shows only 4,54l white prisoners in
all the penitentiaries of these eleven
States, while the negroes are repre-
sented by 1929. The six New
England States, with less population
are represented by SAB white con-
victs in their penitentiaries, while
the single State of New York has
over 5000.
"There is another fallacy prevail
ing among our Northern friends, and
it is that the white man is averse to
labor, and that we are indebted to
the negro for the production of our
wealth. Let us meet this question
squarely by instituting a comparison
between communities. The counties
of Shelby, Haywood and Fayette on
the one hand and the counties of Glib
son, Weakley and Obion on the
other, in our own State, will answer
the purpose. The first named are
nearest to market, and prior to the
war were practically noted for their
productiveness and rapid increase of
wealth. From 1860 to 1880 the total
increase of population in those coun-
ties was $4,000, of which only 1850
were white, and 35, pa were negroes.
In the counties of Gibson, Weakly
and Obion the total increase of popu-
lation was 1886, of which 1859
were white, and only 1927 were
negroes. The comparison shows a
marked increase of blacks in the first
named counties, and a marked in
crease of whites in the last named.
, In the counties of Shelby, Fayette
and Haywood the negroes have been
struggling for the supremacy fol
more than twenty years, and some
times with success while in Gibson
, Weakley and Obion the whites have
had undisputed sway, Now what is
the result? We will not take into
: the account town or city property
Uut Will COulllc OuISclNcS W tHe
! farms. 1t is a fact, however unpala'
2 table it may be, that in the counties
. of Shelby, Fayette and Haywood the
5 farming lands, ss shown by the sta
8 tistics, deprecated in value from 1861
0 to 1880 So, 727,787 while the farming
4 lands in Gibson, Weakley and Obior
deprecated only 81 1894 Al; showing
difference in favor of the latter
counties of $7,433,373. This com
parison will demonstrate to any man
acquainted with the counties of Yves
Tennessee, beyond any cavil, tina
the ascendancy of the negro in any
community is detrimental to it
growth and prosperity. The truth il
that the negro himself is more pros
porous and better citizen in countie
where he is in hopeless minority an,
has no temptation to struggle for tn
, ascendancy, while the reverse i
\ equally true in respect to the whit
q man.
y *x*
, WThp time has come when honest