The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-08
THE MEAN SIDE OF TuE NEW
ENGLANDER.

The good side of the New Highlander
has become a part of the history of the
country. Wiser than their neighbors,
they early began the product n Of books
and told in glowing colors the story of
their early settlement, their patriotism
and their superiority. If they magni
fed their virtues at the expense Of those
who chose not to write their achieve
ments, it was but natural.
There are two distinct ideas of the New
Highlander which are at variance with
the truth. Ole represents him as the
father of liberty, devoat, honest, so de-
voted to religion and freedom as TO be
above the follies and vices that obtained
among other settlers in other portions OF
the New World. Tho other represents
him as a hypocrite, who covered his
bigotry and dishonesty under the cloak
of religion, who sold negroes TO the
South when they could no longer be
proftably employed in the cold climate,
sung the doxology through his nose, and
thanked God he was not like other people.
These are the two pictures of the New
Highlander that have been painted by
friend and foe. There is something in
each that is akin to truth, but the fast
is an ideal dream and the second a
wretched caricature The New Englan-
der in the days Of Puri -anism had much
of the best taat IS ia Calvini5m. He as
PRED to the standard of Oliver Cromwell,
putting duty and religion in the fore
front, and figh ing for its spread with a
butchery characteristic Of the age. But,
while aspiring to higa ideal, bleak
climate, unproductiyo soil, and long
winters m lde the question of getting
bread and meat so pressing that his
Yankee ingenuity aud sharp trading
qualities we're unjuiy developed, often at
the expense of his religion. But with all
his lack of charity and his sharp trading,
the New England Yankee had the cor
rect principles Of government aud edu
cation, and by p1tting them in P actice,
coni)int'y with his long business head,
made his country, naturally the poorest,
the richest portion Of the Republic, and
his descendants the most schol
arly, and his schools, c0llego;
and universities the model for the
world. Puritarism did surely make :
strong, se!f-reliant rare, though it barred
thos gentler gracos that predominated
il Southern civilization.
S Y what you will about it, that tbs
foundations Of their prosperity we're oh
tanned by levying an unjust tribute or
other sections, b. the nefarious slave
and rum trade, shrewdness akin 10 dis
honesty, or whatever you viii, the
fact rem1ins that any people who have
the ability 10 thus make others contrib
ute to their enrichment, give evidence
of That ability that in all ages ha'
made leaders OF men The South wG!
hampered and bindered ard narrowed il
| its operations by slavery, which made it
more and more until the institution va
abolished, unable to cope IN bushes
with those who lad 10 such retardins
environment. It became a fashion
to decry the New Eaglander's trading
integrity and his Intellectual force first
as it became popular il New England t
impugn tire religion Of SauthFn men fo
keeping the slaves sold to them By Ii,
Yankee slave trader More intimate &C
quaintauce, which has come since the war
has taught to the Southerner the valu
of the New England character, anc
!. caused him to learn in the industrial
school that has made New Eugland rich
At the same time it has taught the New
EpgIander that it was the institution O
slavery, with is incident burdens anC
enforced repression, and not the lack o
business ability and energy, that con
fined the South almost exclusively t,
agricultural pursuits; and that, freed
from the Incubus Of slavery, it has, il
spite Of obstacles greater than ever be
fore confronted earnest men, rebuilt tn
waste places and become strong com
petitor. A mutual appreciation of tin
truth eve are brethren" has BRIDGE
he chasm between the two long Is
tranged greatest and most interesting
sections of the Republic.
Mr.. William A. Bliss has published
book "Side Glimpses from Oolonia
Meeting House." which treats Of TIL
mean side of the early New Highlander
It's facts care certified" says the Spring
field Republican, "by town records, anc
by quotations from old newspapers
diaries and sermons" and "these page
tell the truth invidiously, and evince al
undisguised satisfaction in setting th
early New Eglanjer in the unkindl.
light Of his worst foibAs"
The book will serve two good purposes
/. 1t will preserve a portion of tn
1