Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-09
TIE O.D SOUTH.
What the Old Antc-Bellum Days May
Teach Us Beside Luxury ana

What the Old Antc-BeI1um Days May
Teach Us Beside Luxury and
| Romance.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
Mr.. c. Y. Mitchell, through the col
umns of the Dispatch mas dealt Win .iie
| Old South as an era or peaceful luxury.
| romance, daring. love and chivalrous
| deeos and says: There was beauty. af.
| elegance, and charm about this OLD
| Plantation life in the South which mas
| never been equalled in our history inns
| is all very charming, worthy, ana hne
ard from this romantic, chivalrous age
| should spring a literature worthy our
| Southland for the South of ante-beliun
| days is "a fit subject for the highest inter-
| airy art. But the old South bears TO the
new, and to the whole country, something
more than the lessons Of romance. The
present owes a binding debt to the South
| OF the past. debt that cannot be ignored
as long as faith, courage, beauty, culture,
and unselfsh devotion and hospitality.
may be reckoned among a peoples VIZ
tues. In this busy, rushing. grasplnG day
OF commerce, Americans might find much
instruction and inspra ton if they would
turn for a moment once in while to con-
slider the stately. generous. and beauty
loving order. the genuine simplicity ana
Idlln, WHICH IlldTkeu llle edi iiSI liolithi
period OF our history. particularly in the
South, 1t can teach this busy, throbbing.
puIsating. industrial present a lesson,
| which, if faithfully learned will prove an
inexhaustible store OF treasure. Charles
Dudley Warner in his impressions OF the
South written in 1885. says: I'VE have
yet to study the compensation left to the
South. and to the whore country, In their
century of isolation from this industrial
spirit. and from the absolutely free in
quiry of our modern life. Shall we not
find something sweet and sound. that will
yet be a POWERFUL conservative, influence
in the republic?" will it not be strange.
said q distinguished biblical scholar and
and od-time, anti-slavery radical. IF We
have to depend, after all upon the ortho-
doX conservatism of the South?"
THE WORD "SOUTHERNER.''
Those men and people who have stood
out as prophets. and teachers, lights and
bearers Of the ark of the covenant, have
been isolated and set apart. The word
'southerner.' carries with it as distinctive
traits and characteristics as the word
"lsraelite" Isolated from the ultra
industrial spirit, undsturbed by 'isms,
born Of stock, sturdy and pure-blooded.
bred under separate and unique condi-
tons. they are by birth by rearing. by
growth. Ey climatic. and physical sur
roundngs,, as separate, distinct, and in
Gods own way, chosen as the Jew, and
far as noble ends.
The old southern life was full Of power
and inspiration. at no time perhaps in the
history of America. do we find a period
SO fraught with sincerity, opinions. and
frankness of manner and charm and
graces of cultivation. 1t was d time of
simple faith, honesty. and open candor
with broad hospitality. There were nc
isms. no voice of the scofer. no disinte-
grating influences of modern sceptical
thought. Her conservatism refused to
pine to the mad dance Of the times
They were not puzzling their brain over
the "unknowable THE two Isaiahs''
and the Eternal not ourselves They
cid eat Their bread with gladness and
singleness Of heart praising God, and
having favor with all the people," rever-
entity thanking the Civer of all Good for
sunshine and rain, seedtime and harvest.
and Into every corner of whose homes
shines the light of God by day and by
night"
1t was a time of faith. of reverence, OF
simple honesty. In this stormy day Of
religious thought, reverence is the need
Of our time. and in every land but the
Southland great and good men the world
over mourn its decay. But here was
a healthful reverence for the true. the
beautiful the rood, for God and the mani
festations of God.
A beacon LIGHT.
In our boasted industrial and CONNER
cial supremacy. in our mad rush for the
dollar. when we are forgetting that there
are stars in the heavens. flowers In the
fields. and beauty in the landscape, and
virtues of soul, it is weel that some land
and people stand a beacon light and are
contented to live soberly. righteously.
and godly in this present evil world"
A thriving, hustling northwestener.
Just returned from trip into old Virginia
and the South. during which immense
ennui possessed him, said 20. the South
is behind the times out of date, bach
number" By which he meant the ma
terial. commercial and Industrial interests
Of the South were not abreast OF the
Northwest. But added that 1.-The new
South was manifesting some life and
bringing herself up to date And by the
new South" and up to date" is meant
the South OF to-day. Joining the process
sion" busy developing coal timber and
mineral lands. drilling OIL wells. building
factories. towns. cities railroads, forging
to the front
This is all very well. but TO the thought
full observer it is inadequate, one-sided.
and unsymmetrica Along certain fine
lines Of Development such as beauty, !
culture, and refinement. we are sadly
lacking. Our machine shops. factories
la Dor sd wing tools. railroads, Geographic. !
and other means of communication, are
not matched by mental. aesthetic, and ,
spiritual progress. The utilities have out
grown the finer things of life; the body
has out-1lourished the soul" The course
taken by our civilization since the war
between the States mas been to ward
developing the material contest OF life:
whereas the culture of mind and heart,
the ethical nature OF our people them
selves, have by no means progressed in
the same degree.
DRIFTING TO NIATERIALISN.
1t has been a vulgar struggle. a spin, |
of plutocracy, in which through slangy !
phrase. we are told to Join the process
sion" to hustle to 'be a i've" to Ca tel, |
on, get there Eli What was finest /
and best in the old Southern regime. has |
been eliminated to make room for the !
materialistic spirit, and a very disagree
able atmosphere has been created for peo- |
pie who value the higher things OF life |
more than money and vulgar display. We |
have drfted into materia.sm. a mere
struggle for wealth Money. the almighty
dollar. is the circle within which every |
thing moves in America. the centre |
around which everything rcvOlves This |