The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-16

white population OF the southern tohieuc'
acy was 5.iS9, 2jS, while the population OF
the other States was -, '3322j. me Tue
assessed value of the real and personal prop
arty Of the United state, was at that time
Sl2.OS4, $50. eos. of which these eleven states
had 1888. 757. 922. including the value OF
the slaves: the product of the whole c0un-
try for the wear ending the 1T of June. 1860.
was 81 800. 100000, of which the part OF the
Confederacy was only $lij,3jl,VO. The
bank deposits of the south for the year lspp
were $l1,2Oi. 100 ont of Sd. ~, l29, WhIie
the hay crop of the North was worth more
than the cotton crop of the south.
"NOt that the race il 10 the swift, or the
battle 10 the strong. not that the unequal
struggle is at all times possible of avoid
ance not that when rights ana Liberties are
invaded it is properly proper 10 consider
prudence and think of the morrow. not that
right can by compared with might, nor lib
erty with life and fortune: for better an
inhalation than tyranny, and rather wounds
and poverty than peace at the expense oil
honor
PAST ISSUES.
"These facts have been stated not with
any idea of raising again the buried issues
Of the past: but that the present generation
may understand and be able to say IN the
years to come when their children ana their
chldren's children shall ask what meant
your fathers by fighting such a fight, II
was not a question Of numbers or Of values,
but ,of principle, and whatever the world /
may think of the prudence then Of their con
duct, it can but admire the spirit of people
that stopped not 10 think of self, even IN the
face of battle, save TO remember that 1t was
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but To do ana de
"To show the mechanical development of
the south, il is necessary to consider % the /
causes which have retarded or promoted /
this Development; (2) the development il
self and CD the results Of this develop !
ment.'
RETARDING INFLUENCES.
The speaker then discussed at some
length tie causes which retarded the me-
chanical development of the South. claim
ing that it was not the lack OF intellectual /
yigor or mental power, as the debates and
state papers well proved. He cited Maury, |
the pathfinder Of the ocean, who furnished |
the brain that laid the Atlantic cable; |
John Brook, who invented the appi- |
ance for deep-sca sounding, whereby /
the bottom of the ocean could be /
and defined; McCormic, whose /
reaper reyOlutiOniZed agriculture and made !
the prairies of the West the granary Of the !
world, 10 prove the excellence OF southern
minds in scientific development. lie com |
pared the South at the beginning of the war
TO Robinson Crusoe saying, ''that like him |
she had her Black Man Friday, whose iideli !
ty was as great as that Of the servant Of De /
Foes hero. but being like him, cut of from
the commercial world and dependent upon /
her own resources for the simplest cOntri- /
yances and interests Of everyday life"
Speaking of the way in which the want Of /
such appliances was supplied by the pluck /
and intelligence OF our people, he said: RE /
yersing thepromise of the prophecy our pillow
shares We're beaten into swords, and our /
pruning hooks into spears. Establish /
ments that had been content 20 manufacture |
plows and aXles began to make cannon and /
musket. while those that had hardly known |
the most convenient process Of convert /
ing wood into charcoal began TO make gun /
powder" lie quoted a recent speech of /
DIR. Mcclure 10 show the ingenuity |
Of the Confederate surgeon, and asserted /
that the Southern doctor was but the type /
of the whole Southern people.
AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS.
The principal causes which were cited /
10 show the lack of mechanical develop |
ment prior to the war were the devotion OF /
our people TO agriculture and the cOnNe- /
nience with which it was followed, and /
lIe said: "Certainly IT is that |
litNtl Ill lhf ui7N'lN VI AiI NNiA htto thA /
cultivation Of the soil looked upon with /
more favor than by the Southern people prior |
to the war. The highest aim OF IN educated |
man was 10 live as his father and his grand /
father before him had done, the head Of an |
estate that derived from the sOll IT revenues /
which, if not vast, were ample 10 maintain /
chose dependent thereon in comfort. and at /
the same time afford the exercise Of the hos
pitality which has passed into by-word /
among the natives Of the earth. Little |
mattercd il 10 these people that the lands I
that they cultivated contained the most val /
liable Of ores, or that their parents pos /
sessed timber rs fine as the woOdman had /
ever felled. They strOye not for wealth. |
Their ambition was higher Therefore the /
gold OF Ophir might have lain undisturbed 4
beneath their fields, and the mines of Col /
conda never been opened by them TO the /
eyes of the world"
Continuing, the speaker said the fact that /
every plantation had its own mechanics, /
added 10 the fact that the white labor was
employed in the direction and control of the |
slaves, prevented mechanical development
among the people of the South. lie discus
'ed the development Of mechanical indus
ries and attributed IL TO the pressure upon
he people as the result Of war lie referred
o the stronghold that southern products had
llready upon the markets of the world, and
'ited the statements Of Kelley, Carnegie end
thers 10 show the opportunities that the
'outh had for manufacturing iron. The
tates of Virginia. Kentucky and Tennes-
ee produced 50.S1j tons Of PIC iron in 1860,
nd &C., 4l in 1889, which, with the product
4 Alabama added of 7O6629 tons, and that
f the other Southern states, will bring up
he amount OF the article alone 10 l,500.0OO
pms. He cited the speech made in Congress
isi week by Mr.. John J.. Andrew, Of Massa-
husetts, to show the decline in the rolling
Hills and foundries Of New England be-
ause OF their distance from coal, and
rgued that the South was 10 be the future
centre OF the country. He
poke of the large amount Of capital invest
I here of late years, and referred 10 the
lct that while the agricultural interests of
Ne whole country are depressed the agri-
Iltural interests OF Virginia are but little !
0rse OF than those OF Kansas. !
THE RESULTS.
In concluding MIR. Page discussed the re- ,
Its of this development, asserting that [
ith wealth and power came grave respon- \
bilities. Ne warned his hearers again INST 4
G tendency Ol substituting mechanical de- II
Iopmcnts for the higher development OF a
ind aud heart. lie paid bandsom n
butte 10 the Old South, asserting 9th;
ough the New South il ours the Old South
~ our fathers. The Old gave MS the
rest statesmen, the noblest heroes, The g
leliest women, and though the New n
nth may outstrip the Old " tho daugh, b