Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
OUR COMMON INHERITANCE.
ICoNcLuDEp FROM 1sr PAaE.]

and richest domain of the earth; with
rich climate above rich soil car
peted with every product of the Tenn
perate Zone;. surrounded aud belted
with rich forests of timber, rich beds
of coal and ores, locked i'll one an-
others arms; situated on broad
guago, solid bed, and, 1 believe. steel
rail extension of the Norfolk and
Western iaiiroa.l, which is destined
to be one Of the "srand trunk sys
TENS" of our continent with already
II main line of over 400 miles Of
track, connecting with rich and broad
countries on tho West. North and
South, and terminating i'll the East
in Hampton Roads, the finest harbor
on the Atlantic coast, on whose VII
tors. hardly n generation ago, the
first iron clad battle of the world
was fought between the Monitor and
Merrimac, brother and brother, and
DOW, thank God, the peaceful and
prosperous sceno of thirty lines of
steamships, plying between Northern
and Southern ports, carrying "broth'
erly love-" and the rich products Of
tho Southern soil to the busy ma
chimes OF Northern manufacturers.
Men of Tazewell standing at an elo-
walton of $500 feet, dwellers in this
Gland of the sky where "day unto
day uttereth speech, and night unto
night showeth knowledge" with
range of Southern progressiveness
surrounding US, can we, say, see no
sign of promise for this land Z God
forbid
The first condition of success for
you, as for the Southwest at large, is
to cherish no illusions, no vain hopes
of wild speculation, but with firm
purpose aud trust, face the situation
with wisdom, courage and truth; and
velopments do not como without
great social and political troubles.
Every circumstance attending a
change from the old South to the
new must bring with it new perils.
And every generation will find its
social and political condition growing
more and more complicated, more
dangerous and more difficult of So
luton. And let me say that as
Southern race, "a peculiar people Of
peculiar cast, trait and inheritance,
born and reared on Southern soil
and un'er Southern sky, we must,
rs Southern men and women, sLoul-
der our own possibilities and
trusts. While we give due credit
and receive with loving welcome and
Southern hospitality, the noble men
and women of The North who are
coming down with money and ener-
gy to help us, yet rs Southern men
aud women we cannot without great
danger to ourselves shift the respon-
sibilities OF orr own social and politi
cal problems, for no other than a
Southern mind and hand can direct,
control and work out these things.
There should be union OF seuti
ment, OF purpose, wise and prudent
direction Of public affairs; with al
ways an appeal to conscience, to
Judge, to right "princirles rather
than men," and with all reverence
for man, for law, for God and the
manifestations of God in man. And
let me say that Christian Education,
scattered and difiused like sunshine,
~ the mightiest agent in human of
fairs. This must be the main hope
and security, the strong pillar upon
which the South and her institutions
must rest. Material development is
right, is necessary, is certain, but il
we would become wise and good and
strong and fulfill the destinies of q
brave and virtuous people, we mus
look to mental and spiritual com
merce' to overcome and make Ger
tain and lasting the material. Wher
libraries. schools. art galleries, Chris
ton homes and institutions shall be
come our common inheritance; wher
oar common school system, unbias
cd, unprejudiced. unsectarian in it
scope and purpose, shall unfold it
vast powers; when 'its progress ant
perfection shall be the first object O
our people" then will the publ
mind be en1iuhtanaJ tho oo~,,,