The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-25

How doth history repeat itself. If
Goldsmith had here lived to our day no
might have written those lines about
New England Was there ever such a
sad and pitiful picture drawn of any
people as that New England preacher
has drawn of the country people Of
Massachusetts and has published in The
Arena? We wonder that the editor Of
that high-toned magazine would dare to
expose the descendants of the PuritanS
in all their hideous deformity and to
broadcast it among the citizens Of cul-
tured Boston The story of their de-
gredation physically is worse than what
we read about of the goitre districts of
Switzerland. Six fingers on each hand.
six toes on each foot. cross-eyes, hair
lips. club-feet muffle chops. mutes.
dwarfs and idiots seem to be common in
every rural community. But the degen
eracy morally is still worse for this
preacher says when there is a gathering
from neighboring towns ut Il cattle show
OF other attraction you will see as wick
ed throng of human creatures as ever
gathered at White Chapel or the Five
Points. and that the pens or prisons
built for drunken rowdieS are filled be-
fore o O'Clock in the morning and these
hoodlums insult every woman they meet.
and when night comes both men and
women revel in the wild orgies of Il
promiScnous dance. And Yet some of
those Boston editors are still crying
stop thief, to distract public attention
from their own shame. Once before |
have alluded to Mr. Stetson's statement
that the marriage relation in Massachu-
sets is almost Il nudity. and that separ
ations are more common than legal di-
vorces. Not long since another New
England writer astounded the public
by declaring that in many towns and vii
lagos the sound of the Sabbath hell was
never heard nor the church door ever
opened and religion was going rapidly
into disuse and innocuous desuetude.
What does all this mean: Has the
Almighty God turned His back upon
that historic ground and given the devil
free reign over its people? Has it come
to this that a man who breaches holiness
or sanctitications is lynched with tar
and feathers and made to leave the coun
try: If a negro commits an outrage in
that once holy land does it take guards
and police and the militia to keep the
mob off of him? And yet the Boston
Transcript says that Georgia is several
generations behind New England in re-
iinement and morals. How are the
mighty fallen" When we find that in
The Arena preacher is allowed to take
for his text. The Degeneracy and De
cay of Rural New England" Their con-
dition is amazing. pathetic. helpless. The
land of Webster. Choate. Pierce Haw-
thorne is now Ito Fastening ills a prey"
for as wealth accumulates in Boston
men decay around it. This preacher says
1.-THE mills are built. but the farms are
all mortgaged." Then. what will become
of the factory girls when the mills are
all moved south to the cotton. where
they are obliged to come or lose! Not
long ago | travelled with my good friend.
Galloway of the Macon Telegraph. and
he talked in raptures about new book
an EngliShman's history Of the United
States Percy Gregg has written two
volumes about us. and it is a mastery
Notwithstanding so thorough. so phil
osophic, so just to all the factors. old
England. New England and the south.
has ever been written. The author is an
Englishman. a noted traveller a scholar
heightened. unprecedented and as enter
tanning as Macauley. | sent to Rich
mond for it to the Everett Waddey
Company. who published the American
edition. and eagerly have | perused and
enjoyed it. This edition has an admira
BILE preface by General Wade Hampton
This book is two comprehensive for the
schools, but every man of leisure should
have a copy in his house to feed upon
to feed mind and memory and he estab-
lished in the faith of our fathers. From
my Utmost heart. thank Mr.. Gregg for
writing this history while still live. for
| feel that at last the south has been
indicated by a master mind. Every
page gives comfort, and that portion
about our civil war and its causes and
consequences makes the southern spirit
burn within you and feeling of thank
full pride is revived in the southern
breast. Yes, it makes me feel calm
and serene
Here is another book that the author
has just sent me through the mail. Its
title is THE Case of the South Against
the North" by Hon. Il. +. Grady.
cultured son of North Carolina and late
a member of Congress from that State
and Confederate veteran of four years
soldier service. | have only had time
to glance over its contents. but have
read enough to know that it will be an
other valuable educator in our schools.
and will establish the truth in the minds
Of our young people. The long belated
south is making her own literature now,
thank the Lord for His Merces. Here
is a beautiful little book Of poems by
Rev e. A. Wingard. of Columbia. ;. I.
My friend +. A. Hull, of The NewbcrrE
News. published it and sent a copy to
me. These poets seem To come up III Il
night This Lutheran preacher Is no
mere rhrmer: he is "A true poet. and
many of his poems are rs perfect gems
as Uayne or Timrod ever wrote:
some Of them remind one Of Cowper and
Goldsmith They are ms tender and true
az classic The verses NO cross, no
crown" are exquisite. and so are the
lines in memorian Of Winnie Davis.
And here ] have some numbers OF
The Midland Monthly. Of St Louis. that
is an admirable magazine. and one eli
tircly fair and just to the south. My
friend Benjamin f.. Green. Of Dalton.
was sent on a secret mission to Cuba
and ST. Domingo in 1913. by President
Taylor. and recently he wrote truthful
and very instructive article containing
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