The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-28


South. william and Mary and the En-
glIsh universities. which the Southern
youth frequented, were more than a
match for Harvard and Yale. The form
or had a full faculty OF NJ. As of Ok
ford. Cambridge and Edinburg. Har-
ward had but one regular professor up to
the time OF the Revolution. IL had tutors.
not professors. New England had a sys-
tenn OF public education, but Weldon. in
his Economic and Social History of
New England" shows that it's results
were most meagre. II does not appear
that intelligence was more widely
spread I'm New England than In Vir-
ginia. Our county records are not ex-
celled by their town records. Their In
stitutions were not more free than ours.
III theirs had their town meetings. at
which only church communicates could
vote-embraclng about one-nfth OF the
men populaton-ours had the House OF
Burgesses. for the members of which
at first all freemen voted and after
wards all freehOlders of half an acre
This body made the county courts, and
was the real sovereign power We had
tutors. parish schools, old field schools
and free schools 0en times as many
as we are credited With; they had
public system, which, however excellent
I'm principle, was embryonic in its de-
velopments. And the result? Who led
the Revolution? Who furnished the great
statesmen Of the epoch? Who the SOL
dlery? Compare the debates, as reported
by Elliot In the Massachusetts, convention
OF l7Ss with the debates as reported in
the Virginia convention Of the same
year. and decide who had the greatest
orators and thinkers. The Revolution.
according TO Charles Francis Adams.
turned on questions Of law. and while
the law profession had reached the
highest development in Virginia long be-
fore the revolution, II was until about
1853 held in contempt in New England.
There a hierarchy, partly religious and
partly aristocratic, controlled all the
offices and the people, under the curious
forms Of their elections, merely registered
the ollgarchic decree. And as TO the
poorer class. the poor white trash" OF
Massachusetts. let their own distinguish
ed statesmen speak. In 1776 John Adams
said that "the condition Of the laboring
poor in most countries, that Of the fisher
men particularly In the Northern States.
Is as abiect as that Cf slaves" And Mr..
Gerry uttered a terrible Indictment when
he said I'm the Federal convention OF
1871: I'm Massachusetts, the worst men
get into the Legislature. Several mem
bers Of that body had been lately con-
victed Of infamous crimes Men Of in
digence, ignorance and baseness spare no
pains, however dirty, 10 carry their
points against men who are superior 10
the articles practced And how have
the sections compared since? In mate
rial prosperity, from variety Of
causes, but chiefly because the Govern
ment has been monopolzed by the North,
there is no comparison. But I'm the So
cial standing Of the people before the
war how was It? The importation OF the
dregs of Europe has long ago ceased I'm
the South. The menial duties which can
not but lower. any freeman have not
been performed In the South by the
whites for one hundred years. Here
every man expects to be addressed as
Mr." For a century and more the JEFF
fersonian principle Of. equality has strip
ped the tree Of aristocracy OF all its
branches. This principle was the legiti-
mate result Of that freedom, which" as
Edmund Burke said, based upon the
haughtiness Of domination rendered it
invincible." Mr.. Wise. I'm Congress in 1872,
stated what was absolutely true. He
observed that where black slavery ex-
listed there was found az least an
equality among the white population,
but where It. had no place such equality
was never TO be found"
Look" he said, "at the Northern
States, where every grade Of society ex-
listed, from the mental servant TO tie
wealthy capitalist" Mr.. Wise did not
mean. Of course, equality OF wealth In
the South, but equality Of rights and in
And this very equality was
the essential feature OF Southern life he
fore the war. IL may not conduce 20
the creation Of wealth OF factories and
commercial industries. but II made he
rOes Of duty and valor I'm battle. The
poor white man was, If possible, more
naughty and independent than his wealthy
neighbors lie lived a life Of freedom
and the rich found IL TO their interests TO
smile softly upon the man whose vote
and favor were often an important con-
sideration 10 watt him into Office or TO
assist him in suppressing the threatened
revolts Of his slaves. The idea that these
poor people would bear insOlence from
any one is absurd. Jefferson in founding
the Democratic Republican party was
merely the exponent Of the sentiment
which prevailed about him. ours was
the State Of equality and republican
The old Virginians, John Page,
Thomas jefferson. George Wythe, &c,
looked with disdain upon the tinsel Of
the New England Federalists; and Presi-
dent Madison Of William and Mary
College revolted against the use Of the
term Kingdom" as applied TO heaven.
In his sermons he never spoke or heaven
as a Kingdom" but as that great ke-
public, where there is no distinction OF
rank, and all men are free and equal.
In the entire independence Of the white
man Of the South before the war is found
the explanation OF what eNcites ire
amazement Of Mr.. Bryce, how so poor
a country as the South managed 70 resist
for four years the wealthy and popu-
ious North" 1t was this spirit OF indie
pendence that made heroes OF the poores
men and made the personnel Of the South
ern armies so vastly superior 70 tnat OF
the North. which was tainted by the
and degraded foreign immigrants
who are now forbidden 10 enter the
The American spirit has, after
an. developed along Southern lines. Inc
colonial life of the Virginian favored Tree
thought The New Englanders were IN
veterate opponents Of English authority
but they were not averse, as the rise
II the Federal party showed subsequently,
TO having a king and an aristocracy Of
their own Here. I'm Virginia, pedigrees
after the Revolution fell into entire, and
| may say undeseyved, disrepute. There,
In New England, the Juror 10 build up a
long genealogy and aristocratic preten-
sions still continues. IL is a striking in
cident Of history which represents the
blue blood" of Virginia i'm the person or
the brother of John Randolph, driy' IN
away by the naughty driver OF john
Adams. then Vice President. for coming
too near the escutcheon emblazoned on
the carriage of his aristocratic master
Weeden saws that the colonial institu-
D.