The morning times., 1896-04-12
IN THE LITERARY WORLD
Edward Ingle's Notable Vol
ume on the Early South.
GENESIS OF NEW DIXIE"
Careful and Brilliant Work by a
Washington Newspaper Man OF
Wide Experience.

The South is at moment OF a awakening.
II is in transition from lctharEy TO energy.
An atmoSphe OF ambition is aroushE
the passive Southern temperament, the
oontagion Of activity has spread out OF
the North and the truth that only progress
is existence is squirting on indifference and
stimulating latent energies. Mortimer
have ar "A rule, held the South only as
land OF chivalry. fragrant with magnolia
perfumes. rich only in a disposition for
contentmcnt, inayerSion for labor, IN
beautiful women. sunshine, fine horses. and
negroes The halo OF romance has cast
into shadow the Background OF practica-
bility, which is after all reality.
But the study of mankind is ever man and
because of the vagueness of the economic
history of a people who had their real as
well as romantic history contributions 10
the literature of this untouched topic is
OF grateful timeness at this day. Most
interesting OF these, because thorough and
receiit, is 4 treatise by Edward Ingle.
Grounded in a belief in the philosophy of
human records, he has, in studying the
history OF early Southern civiliZa ion.
had recourse toinfluences and factors which
were not picturesque or ornamental.
The continuously westward and almost
unvaryingfy northward movement OF the
the century is 4 gauge of numerical changes
in the South. Though the territory failed
TO hold it's own in density, it generated Il
higher and a lower type propOrlionately.
There were in 1850 hut about % per
cent OF the free males of the United States
IN the South, yet il had IN law, divinity
and medicine, 30 per cent OF the number
of the whole country: in other pursuits
requiring an education. 44 per cent; III the
civil service, Al per cent: in agriculture, 80
per cent; i'm navigation, II per cent, and in
commerce, manufactures trades and min
mg. 20 per cent. The high social status
primarily aud secondarily, the feeling COM
mon that personal service placed them in
some manner on a par with slaves. seems
to have induced the professional cast 10
so large a proportion, and the ignominious
epithet Of poor white trash upon many
too proud TO labor as hirclings.
The South persiStcnuy adhered TO an
ingrained policy of producing raw material.
Indeed, its economic history from the Tevo-
luton TO the civil war was a record of
the development OF one natural advantage
TO the neglect Of all the Others. Cotton.
sugar and tobacco have always been the
Southern trinity. OF like substance, but uu-
equal power. They were unity dominated
10y cotton. the king. Cotton aud slavery
were introduced within a twelvemonth.
During a century and three-quarters the
former was passive. while the latter slowly
developed its strength Then the invention
of New Englander upon Southern soil wed
ded the two and from their union resulted
an enormous increase of cotton and an en-
hancement Of The value OF slaves. Cotton
was more effective for the maintenance of
slavery than the agitation OF the abolition
societies, and slavery kept the South an
agricultural country. in 1871 the South
produced less than one twU-thoUsa andth part
o.
three times as much as the rest of the
world. 4 writer in DeBuw'S Review said:
The fashion of the South has been To CON
slider the production Of cotton. sugar and
rice the only rational pursuits OF gentle
men. except the. professions. and. ike the
naughty Greeks aud Romans. TO class the
trading and manufacturing spirit as essen
TALLY Servile-'
Observation-Disclosures present some strange
but interesting phenomena. In $40 nearly
two-thirds OF the illiteracy of the whole
country was cOngeSted in the South. yet
the South had more colleges than the North.
and their number in proportion 10 the white
population under twenty years of age was
much greater. In $40 the South had one
student for every $40 of the part of the
population mentioned, while the rest of
the country had one for every $50. This
ratio was maintained for years. and in
500 the South had one for 162. the North
one for 31T. These comparisons are in
evitable: they are the pith of interest in
the consideration OF the progress of Civili-
zatiOn in one portion of a country once di-
vided in bitter rivalry, now unitediu friend
ly competition.
IN the journalism of The period proceed
Ing the war the weekly was more plentiful
and of greater number than the daily paper,
as editorial opinion was more sought than
the results of newsgathering. Much Of the
editorial writing was distinguished for
the purity of its diction and the thorough
ness of its information. The newspaper was
made the vehicle for essays in literature.
The literary character OF the press was the
main exponent Of the literature Of the peo
pie Though there were Marshall, Madi
son Ramsey. Haw wkS, AllstOn, Lee, Ken
nedy. Writ and jefferson 10 sustain tho
sections claims to an existent literature
ii seems that rcnlotcneSs from publishers and
native nodestY did not quicken literary
activity. Many wrote 10 crafty instinct
with no idea of publishing. Nom de
plumeS Were common. James Barren Hope
wrote as ''thc literary executor Of Henry
. Ellen. Beverly Tucker wrote by way o
relaxation" one writer offered his efforts
lat the request Of friends another wrote
ito fill an interval of lCiSure;'' Others
when bad weather prevented out-of-doOl
exercise" Mr.. Ingle attributes this dill
writers and readers that literature had Z
higher office than that of supplying means
Of livelihood. A Sirginian once sai id:
"a man who had sense enough TO write
a book bad too much sense TO publish il. :
OF such as did publish the gcneralit!
compared favOrably with the producers o
the North many achieved permanent pla CO,
in literature. but the large majority me
the fate OF the prophet in his OWN country
The convention was an ante-beIun
factor in centraliZing the progrc sSivC
energies of the people of the South. The,
were entirely ncn-politiCaI. Many vague
magnificent plans were discussed. but u,
results were achieved. An early suggestion
was a canal from the lakes to the MiSsiS
sippi; another for railroad from the MisSs
sippi to the South Atlantic coast and from
Washington toNew Orleans: later Cuba san
neXatiOn was discussed. Mexico was looked
npon covetousIy and many other planl
were bruited having their origin in fcal
OF an invasion Of Northern influence and cul
minaiing in the great struggle forindepend
ent sovereignty.
No history of the influences at work il
the South would be complete without
consideration Of the slave question. Mr
IS Ingle has treated this peculiar institution
minutely and with thougbtfulness aud evi
dent research. Southern SideIights'' ar
focused in such happy manner Is TO throw
INTO felleI ai tie salient FORCES and under
mining influences at work upOn the fabri
OF Southern civilization. II gives a clea
and comprehensive idea OF the old SoutI!
Mr.. lngle has made an evidently thorough
painstak king. Intelligent, impartial and ey
haustiye review of conditions and cauSps
iSouthern Sidoights. BY Edward Ingle
7. Y. Crowel. New York
The publication of William Watson's col
lection of poems under the title of ''Th,
Purple East has been an unpleasant bio "
for We Poet Laureate Alfred Austin
Ausiin's appointment was criticized and