Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06
THE SOUTH BEFORE THE WAR.
A Large Proportion Of It's People En-
gagged in Many Pursuits.


Life in the Old South" is a fine paper
contributed by the Rev. j. NJ. Hawley to
the Sept ember-October number Of Things
and Thoughts, a b-monthly magazine of
merit published at Winchester. Va. Mr..
Hawley's contribution deserves special at
tention because it refutes the oft-heard
charge that the ante-belum south was a
nation whose citizens, as a whole, posed
in graceful idleness and let the slaves do
all the work. People of the present day,
even in the south (perhaps), have come
to think that in the years before the great
struggle between the sections the white
men of the north did more work, man for
man, than the white men of the south
The OVERRIDING of the theory that the south
was settled by the Cavaliers and the north
by the Puritans has, by simple assocla-
ton Of terms, had great deal to do with
the deepening of this impression.
We consider the following extracts from
the Rev. Mr.. Hawley's article to be val
liable contribution to American history:
There were in the south (by the census
of 1850, in round numbers, 174,J00 persons
owning from one to five slaves. If these
whites represented a family of five per-
sons each on an average-and many
southern families were large-we have no
less than ST., 500 persons dependent upon
five slaves or less to the family for sup
port when only two in the five were capa-
BILE of profitable work, their own support
to come, at the same time. out Of the prof
its Of their own labor. Was population
of 1745OOO souls ever clothed and fed by
the labor of only one-fifth Of their number?
However much southern men may have
been accused of idleness and Incidence,
very many Of Observation-Disclosures and nom
Shareholders alike-were compelled to rely
upon their own energy and Industry for
livelihood. To rely upon the-labor of the
few slaves they owned signified increasing
poverty and embarrassment.
nd hnyp a
that owned no slaves, and yet comprised
two-thirds Of the white population OF the
south, to be supported? Here again the
United States census for 1850 gives us many
interesting and significant facts. The num-
Der of white persons engaged in laborious
occupations in the south in the. year was
larger in proportion to population than in
the north. The census gives US the number
of white persons over fifteen years of age
engaged in any occupation in each state OF
the Union. The figures are decidedly to the
credit of the south.
Let us compare a few northern with
few southern states. In Massachusetts the
percentage of persons over fifteen years Of
age engaged in work was 1873: in Rhode
Island, 46.71; in New Hampshire, 1895; In
Connecticut, 40.46; in New York. 41.61: in
New Jersey, Abs. Now let us glance at an
equal number of states in the south. In
Maryland the percentage OF white persons
over fifteen years OF age engaged IN work
was 81 80; in Virginia, 1854: in Georgia.
Al. 18; in Florida, 53.04; in Mississippi 51.23;
in Texas, 54C3. The average for all the
states In the north was 1892; for those in
the south. 49.14. But one southern state
Missouri-fell to an average SO low as Mas
sachusetts. But two in the north-Penn-
sylvania and Iowa-rose to an average so
high as Maryland or Mississippi, not one Of
them equaling Florida. Arkansas or Texas
'These facts are decisive of the question
OF industrial conditions in the south. What
ever may have been the influence OF the
African shadow upon the people south OF
the Mason and Dixon line, 1t did not pro-
duce men who despised labor and lived in
idleness and luxury Go to any state OF the
south and the fact remains that the aver
age Of the white population living upon the
interest Of invested money and having no
occupation was considerably smaller than
In the north