The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-12


rushes forward Thus the father and
mother meet their returning soldier boy.
| Doubtless the angels in heaven dropped
| tears of pity at the anguish of these
| people as each saw the sad changes
wrought in the other during the four
| years of separation. But / may not
| dwell on this scene. It is but one of
| thousands familiar throughout our
| Southland at this period. The son and
| parents are happy that they are re-
| united Briefly the experiences of the
( four years are recounted, and their plans
| for the future are discussed. The cabin
| in which the old folks are living is the
| only one occupied. The others are
| empty, desolate. The negroes are gone.
| But. although the body of the young
| man is weak, and one strong arm is miss
ing, there is a soul within that is strong
and buoyant, and this gives him inspira-
ton. So not many days elapse before
there is great Transformation in the
, appearance Of things. New life seems
breatned into the old place, and by de-
grees it is rebuilt, and becomes the ORR
ginaT O. my third picture.
Once more we stand on the banks
of tie 1eSe!,, upSn whose bosom now
float majestic steamers. We look with
admiration upon the beautiful green
of the s:6piEg- lawn, and upon the
gravelled walks that lead up to the
| front of the handsome. modern structure,
evidently home of wealth and culture.
At a little distance we see a mammoth
| building, with a great smoke-stack point
| ing heavenward, and from it's myriad
windows there come the musical hum OF
the whirling machinery, and the gladstone
voices of the happy operatives OF
great cotton mill Behind the house are
| the barns and stables, and in the dist
| ance large herds of cattle are grazing
| in the rich paSturage, whilst in other
directions are waving fields of grain, and
| broad acres of cotton rejecting in its
snowy sheen the glad sunlight of heaven.
| Adown the river, we see a bustling town,
| sprung up as if by magic, under the
touch of the genius of the youth, who,
| but little while ago came back in the
| tattered gray from scenes of blood and
carnage. This, too, is but one Of many
| similar scenes, which go to make up
| the new South.
| The pictures that I have drawn are
| true to life. The close of the war found
| indeed a desolate, devastated country,
| its farms run down, its property gone,
| and its people all too unused to work,
| crushed and broken hearted, not only
| because their property had been swept
| away, but also because their strong men
had either fallen in battle or had come
back broken in health, and with shat
tered frames. They went away boys.
with light hearts and joyous anticipa-
lions of the future They came back
men, bowed down with disappointment
and sorrow, and facing the greatest
problem ever presented to any people
| that of the proper adjustment of the
two races in their new relations to each
other. Then it was, as never before
| the world saw the true glory of the
South as it shone out in her noble wo-
| manhood Reared in luxury, as she was
| with strong arms to provide for and
protect her. and with obedient, docile
| slaves to do her every bidding and to
crafty her every wish, it is wonderful
| with what ease she adapted herself TO
changed conditions. With her own deli
cate hands she began to do the drudgery
| work of the humble home, while with
her glad, hopeful heart she cheered and
helped the more respondent husband and
| brother, and inspired in the breast Of the
| boys a determination to rebuild the lost
| fortunes and to re-establish the land oil
| their birth and of their love. There was
nothing to build upon, however. save the
uncared for land, and the indomtable
pluck of her people. The story that tells
of their struggles and their difficulties
their failures, and their victories is one
of thrilling interest, but l can undertake
only to present a few figures to show re-
suits. Interesting indeed are the figures
that tell of her wonderful prosperity
| But, before presenting these figures lei
me say. that the topic assigned me is q
misleading one. There is no new South
except as there is a new North or East
| or West. Ours is the same old South
which, in the early days of the Republic
gave her sons for freedom, and in days
of peace, gave them to her country as
statesmen to aid in building up for hel
the greatest and best government the
world has ever known
This South of ours is very much like
the popular society belle. She never
tires of listening to pleasant things
about herself and she is always ready
for you to tell her again the same sweet
old story of her beauty and her charms
[ have told you that the South had prac-
| tically nothing at the close of the war
The world looked on in amazement al
the ease with which France met the in
stallments of the enormous penalty i'm
posed by her victorious foe, at the close
of the Franco German war. The South
after enduring war four times as long
paid, in one vast lump sum- a penalty
] five times as large, the money value OF
her slaves being that much greater than
the amount demanded of the French
| NO country ever rallied from such desc
lation with such spirit and vigor as
| she displayed-a result due not more to
her Astounding natural resources, than to
| the spirit and pluck of her sons and
| daughters. Tried in the severest fur
mace, she has proved to the world that
| she is worthy Of its confidence. that in
| her and her people are to be found the
| real clements of moral and material
| wealth. Her wealth today equals that
of the entire country in 1860. and prac-
| tically all of this has been created since
| the close of the Civil War. 1t took from
| that time until about 1880 to gather
| sufficient accumulatiOns to serve as a
basis of credit and of active oncra tione