The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-07-01

tale of industrial development? In
the dark depths of Alabama's mines
the picks and shovels of grimy men
are digging fourth coal and iron from
supplies as inexhaustable as those of
Pennsylvania. Education, too, that
which above all things helps people,
is becoming among US an admirable
system, growing better day by day, as
NAV be seen if we look at the numer-
GUS first-class colleges continually
springing mp. And for an example
near to home, let US take that institn-
ton whose foster child / am proud to
acknowledge myself, and whose exis-
tence in our midst should he a source
Of pride to New Orleans and Louisi
ana and to the whole South-that
university founded by Paul Tulane.
To make this a land flowing with
milk and honey, nature, too, showered
down its choicest blessings. The
Soutll's sunny cline is the cline of
poets dream. Up from her fertile
soil springs the juicy Sugar cane. Far
as the eye can reach stretch fields of
waving corn. Her broad extent is
made one vast white sea, whose bill
lows are feecy cotton and snowy rice.
Truly the Southland is comparable to
the Garden of Eden. And through
this garden flow the waters of the yell
low and wide Mississippi, grandest of
all grand rivers. Through the air
above softly sigh sweet Southern re-
phyrs, zepbyrs that are breaths Of the
Mexic gulf, a mighty gent, who street
ches away his huge length SO far,
brings with his thousand arms to his
beautiful mistress the commerce of the
Southern seas
In the midst of its blessings, how
ever, one question vexes the South
and defes solution. That question
is the negro question. Many theories
have been advanced as to the outcome
of this problem, but they are simply
theories. Time alone can tell the
true result. As is natural, on account
of the very recentness of the negroes
liberation, race feeling sometimes yet
runs high between the Southerner and
his erstwhile slave. But | believe
hard feelings are fast dying ont. The
clouds of prejudice are being dispelled
by the sunshine of temper Gained
by time. The negro's intellect, how
ever, is yet of low order. To de-
velop that intellect and thus make
him worthy of the equality he SO much
Graves, | think the South is willing to
do all she can.
But until he does become worthy of
that equality, it is folly to demand it.
The New South is loyal to the
Union. The term "rebel" as applied
to the Southerner has ceased to exist.
She has accepted the decree of the in
scrutable, who, after carefully weigh
ing both causes in the balance, gave
tue palm of victory to the North, and
to-day no section Of our country would
sooner than this South grid on the
pauoply of war and sally forth to de-
fend with the last drop of her life's
blood our glorious and everlasting
Union.
The mighty stream that once divi-
ded the North and Soa,h has become
tiny brooklet. From opposite shores
across that brook two sisters stretch
their hands in reconciliation. As she
clasps the hand of the North, the
South says: "Let there be no North,
no South" Webster was right. "Let
there be Union, now and forever, one
and inseparable."
But while the men of the South are
true to the Union to-day, | do not be-
lieve there is one of them who feels
ashamed of the part be took in the
late unpleasantness. AS In eminent
Bishop said in this city on the centen.
NAL day of our Republic "Both sides
fought to uphold our national consti-
tuition. The North fought to preserve
it as the North understood it, and the
Sonth no less to preserve it as the
meaning of its signers appeared to the
| South"
Nor has time and change of opinion
washed away from the minds of South
erners the recollection of those heroes
who lead them twenty-five years ago.