Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-06-20

gret that | am forced to forego the
honor OF accepting your fattering in
vitation to address the University Of
mississippi. Pray make my excuses
and accept this letter as being all
tnat, In view Of other engagements
which keep me here, I can do at this
time. for The DEVELOPMENT of the
Material Resources OF Mississippi"
You will. perhaps. pardon some pre-
fatory words OF personal explanation
touching my relations to the Univers-
ity over which you preside. and the
S.ate by which it was endowed.
The first Mississippians whom I ever
met were members Of the University.
and also members Of a College Fra
ternity which still fourishes in your
midst. They had come to New York.
shortly after the close OF the Civil
War. to make the acquaintance OF and
to show their brotherly love toward
us OF me North. while yet the losses
and sorrows Of war were fresh in all
our minds, and bore with such peculiar
severity upon them and their families
In the South | was but boy Just
out OF school. and yet this first offer to
Clasp hands across the bloody chasm"
has not been, and can not by me, be
forgotten.
The published letters Of Justice La
mar show that long before he, in 1874,
made the speedy restoration of order
at the South possible, through his mag
nanimous and eloquent eulogy on Sen
ator Sumner, he had thought out and
written out the peace-begetting plea
with which he closed that memorable
address. MY Countrymen, know one
another and you will love one an
other" 1t Is not fair to assume that
nis teachings In the University, as Pro-
lessor Of Ethics and Metaphysics. must
have had somewhat to do with your
undergraduates bringing to us in New
York the divine message of healing so
many years earlier.
Not only did the clergyman who had
married my father and mother-the
gifted. eloquent and charming DR.. Fran
els L. Hawks-become one of the Board
| OF Trustees named in the Act Of 1874
to incorporate the University, but my
whole course at Columbia College was
passed under the Presidency Of one Of
your predecessors as Chancellor: re-
fer. Of course, to the late DIR. +. A. p.
Barnard, Of honored memory.
My first visit to the State was in the
autumn Of 1877, in connection with the
organization of the Chicago. ST. Louis
~" WV 0-'e "-.iroad Compauy
1nis gave me the privilege OF making
the acquaintance Of Judge r. A. Hill,
who then presided over the Federal
Court, and was for so many years
Chairman Of the Board Of Trustees of
the University.
1t has since been my good fortune
to know many of the Alumni, among
whom may be counted so large a num-
Der Of those who have represented. and
now represent, the State in Congress,
and are, or have been, administering
justice ON the Bench and practicing at
the Bar.
l also am, and have been for many
years. a freeholder, a taxpayer, and, in
a sense a farmer in Mississippi; and
having devoted nearly a quarter of a
century Of hard work to the material
development Of the State, / may claim
to speak thereon from experience, il
not with authority.
II all that I have to say shall not.
In every particular, coincide with your
views. and those of otner citizens of
the State, let US hope that this will
be set down to an honest difference of
opinion on the part of one who is a
well-wisher and a co-worker.
The resources Of Mississippi are es-
sentially agricultural Alone of all
the Southern States, 1t lacks mineral
resources. For. after all. Florida and
South Carolina export phosphate rock,
Louisiana furnishes both salt and sui
pnur, and Texas has Of late begun to
produce petroleum.
To contrast Mississippi with the
equally agricultural Northern State of
Iowa Is natural and may prove in
srructive.
Mississippi was admitted into the
Union In 1917. as the twentieth State,
| and Iowa In 1886. as the twenty-ninth.
| ed that Mississippi had more than
three times the population Of Iowa.
| (606,526 against 192.214.)
Although Iowa has long been more
populous than Mississippi, the Census
Of 1900 shows that in density Of popu-
lation there is no very great difference,
Iowa having 40.2 and Mississippi 1876
Inhabitants to the square mile.
But. on looking further. we find
that Iowa contains one city of over co.
600 Inhabitants, three of from &c, 900
to 10000. four Of from 10000 to 10000.
and one Of from $4,000 to 10000. Those
nine cities have In the aggregate a
population Of 2S2.355. In them dwell
more than one-eighth Of all the people
Of that State.
In Mississippi. on the contrary, there
In not q single city of 5000.
Furthermore. the eighty-eight vii
lagos. towns and cities in Iowa, having
q population Of over 1000. contain
612, ,203 persons. while the thirty simi-
lar municipalities in Mississippi con-
tain only 13S,086. That is to say, the
urban population Of iowa is more than
fourfold that Of mississippi.
Without claiming any special virtue
for an urban population, 1t must be
admitted that in the mere matter of
wealth. urban communities excel the
rural.
On the other hand. during the de-
cade from 1890 to 1900, the total popu-
lation Of Mississippi increased in a
greater ratio (20.3 per cent? than did
that of Iowa (16.7); or for that matter
than did that Of any one Of twenty
States, including Tennessee, Kentucky,
AIkdubdS, uisSOuEls luuiduds
Ohio. Pennsylvania. Nebraska and
Kansas.
Like Iowa. Mississippi is without
any great commercial markets. or man.
ufacturing and distributing centers.
within her own borders.
The marked differences noted above
must be traceable to the character Of
the people. the way In which these
States were settled. and the habits
thereby engendered- The development
of the Northern States and OF the
Southern States has proceeded on radf-
cally, different lines. From the begin
ming, all works of public utility we're.
in the North. created through joint ac-
tion, and, very generally, by means
of Joint stock companies. From the
earliest days the little saw-mil or
grist-mill. the small manufacturing
plant, the turnpike road and the toll
bridge. were, at the North. built and