Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-30
OUR NAIL POUCH.
The Proposed Boycott In the south-A For-
gotten Page of History.
N tha Editor af 'rha Ilfanateh

gotten Page of History.
o the Editor Of The Dispatch:
Is the Atlanta Constitution controlled by
young men, or are its utterances inspired by
men whose memory does not span the premo-
nitions of the war for the preservation of the
Union? II the method the Constitution sug-
gests as the most practical way in which the
people of the South can signify their aversion
to the force bill is the invention of a genera
tion ignorant Of the fires of the controversy
that preceded the war. due allowance should
be made for their ignorance. II the counsel
comes from men who participated in the fierce
controversies that were finally decided by the
sword. and more especially if these counsellors
welded swords In the strife, then Ii is not
difficult thing to demonstrate that the taint of
madness is on them.
+ The Constitution seems to have forgotten
page OF history whereon Is recorded the futile
attempt OF the South TO dominate the North
by appealing to the sordid side of human
nature. Before the word boycott" was heard
OF; when the passions of pro-slavery men and
abolitionists were at white heat. the Southern
press suggested the black-listing of all North
ern merchants who had the courage to avow
their sentiments. The suggestion was
promptly acted upon. Agents from the
Boston and Philadelphia. Merchants who
dared to disagree with Southern
men on the subject of the peculiar institu-
LlOn'' Oh the SOutl were DlaCk-1SIeQ. WleQ IL
was whispered that threat that was deemed
mere Vaporing on the part of pro-slavery men
was carried out, incredulity throughout the
North was succeeded by indignation. But
when it was learned that many merchants in
Northern cities truckled to the pro-slavery
men, anger and resentment took the place Of
Indignation. In every Northern city the press
characterized the black-listing of merchants
whose sentiments favored free Territory in con-
ira distinction to slave territory as the act Of
fools and madmen. In Pittsburg only
one paper betrayed cowardice. That por-
tion of the press not wholly in the
pay of the pro-slavery party performed their
duty faithfully. Northern merchants were ad-
vised to resent the insult. There were many
instances where Northern merchants, without
waiting TO be prompted by the press, wrote
terse letters to their Southern correspondents
disclaiming all desire to continue business re-
lations with them upon the terms proposed.
Some Of the letters written by Pittsburg mer-
chants. if photographed to-day. would exactly
meet the boycott the Atlanta Constitution pro-
poses. The tenor Of one recall will enllghten
the present generation concerning the condi-
ton of the public mind in PIttsburg when the
South was engaged In the work Of blackllsting
Northern merchants:
I'VE regret that circumstances" (referring to
the publication in Southern paper of the
names of Northern merchants whose political
views and whose attitude on the slavery ques-
tion was offensive to pro-slavery men), 'leave
us no choice. Our business relations, hitherto
agreeable, must terminate with this letter. If
customer, though his trade were worth ten
times the sum our transactions with you cover,
should stand in our door demanding an answer
to the questions propounded the merchants in
philadelphia, we would tell HIM to go to hadesI
II trouble comes, we are prepared for 1t. We
can stand 1t If the South can; and, when all Is
over, we believe the Northern merchants will
have as little to regret as Southern merchants"
More than one account was closed in
Northern ledgers in the spirit that pervades
this letter.
am not discussing the merits of the bill that
has elected from Southern papers such e1-
pressions as the Constitution selects. / am SIM
ply referring to the manner in which that paper
proposes to meet the case il the bill becomes a
Jaw. The Constitution is a dangerous coun-
selor. have uoted its utterances ever since it
Ioomed up q rival to the Courier-JourndE
Many Of its utterances are SO sectional that its
influence is, in my opinion, evil rather than
beneficial to the section it champions. Two
years before Henry Grady became famous IN
this country by making single speech, the
paper he represented attracted my attention
by its captious treatment of the North and
Northern people.
OF all the Southern newspapers that read
from 1883 to 1887, (and my business compelled
me to read many Southern papers), not one
sneered as systematically at the North, as the
Atlanta Constitution. At the very time Henry
Grady was lauded for his catholic utterances,
the paper INDUCED in sneers at the North.
attempt to carry out the idea that paper advo-
Gates, it will not require Northern writer to
demonstrate to the Southern people that the
blow aimed at the North will fall heaviest on
the South. When the pro-slavery men shrieked
"Cotton is Kingp' until nine-tenths of the
country were In doubt concerning the real
extent of King Cotton's dominion, one man,
Hinton Rowan Helper. punctured the pro-
slavery bladder by compiling statistics showing
the relative status of King Cotton, and King
Hay in the North.
Some sensible Southern man, with the well
fare of the South at heart may render it a SER
vice il he will simply show his friends and
neigbbors the market value of the staples and
the material progress made in the South in the
past ten years, crediting the North with the
proportion that Is the direct result of the ap-
plication of Northern capital and Northern
brains.
The Constitution would display better judg-
ment if, instead OF appealing to the passions Of
the people Of the South, it appealed to the bus
tness sense of the people of the United States,
which is practically with the South on this
question. L
PITTsBURG, July %.