The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-25
THE SOUTH BEFORE THE WAR.
A Large Proportion Of Its People Not Idle,
But Engaged III Many Pursuits.

Octoper nutnOef OF lnlnR6 ana
Thoughts, bi monthly magazine of
merit published at Winchester, Va.
Mr.. Hawleys contribution deserves
special attention because it refutes
the oft heard charge that the ante
bellum South was a nation whose
citizens, as whole, posed in grace
full idleness and let the slave do all
work. People Of the present day,
even IN the South, (perhaps,) have
Jme to think that in the years be-
fore the great struggle between the
sections the white men Of the North
did more work, man for man, than
the white mon 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 association of terms, had
great deal to do with the deepening of
this impression.
We consider the following extracts
from the Rev. Mr.. Hewley's article
to be a valuable contribution to
American history:
"There were in the South 10y the
census Of 1850 in round numbers,
l47,5OO persons owning from one to
five slaves If these persons repre-
sented a family of five persons each
on an average-and many Southern
families we're large--we have no less
than 872, 500 persons dependent upon
five slaves or less to the family for
support, when only two in the five
wore capable Of profitable work, their
own support to come, at the same
time, out of the profits of their
own labor Was Il population of
l,745, 900 souls ever clothed and fed
by the labor Of only one fifth of their
numberY
"How much Southern men may
have been accused Of idleness and in.
dolence, very many of thom- slave
holders and non shareholders alike
we're compelled to rely upon their
own energy and industry for livel-
hood. TO rely upon the labor of the
few slaves they owned slgniiied in
creasing poverty and embarrassment.
"hnd how were tho thousands of
families that owned no slaves and
yet comprised two thirds of the white
population Of tho South to be sup
ported? Here again the United
States census for 1850 gives US many
interesting and significant facts. The
number OF white persons engaged in
laborious occupations in the South in
tho year was larger in proportion to
population than in tho North. The
census gives us the number of white
persons over Is years of age engaged
in any occupation in each State Of
tho Union. The figures are decided
ly to the credit of The South.
"liet liz compare u few Northern
with few Southern States. In
Massachusetts the per centage of per.
sons over Is years of age engaged in
work WAS 4o 80; in Rhode Island,
1871; in New Hampshire, 1905; in
Connecticut, 4O46; in New York,
410l; in New Jersey, 47.?r. Now
lot ms glance at an equal amber of
States in the South. In MARYLAND
the per centage of white persons over
Is years of age engaged in work was
5l.SO; in Virginia, 40 81; in Georgia.
47.18; in Florida, So 04; in Mississip-
pi, ol.23; in Texas, 5403. The aver.
age for all the States in the North
WAS 1902; for those in the South
49.l4 But one SouthernState-Mis.
souri-fell to an average 30 low as
Massachusetts. But two in the North
'--PenDsylvania and Iowa-rose to
an average 80 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 Whatev' may have been
the ininence Of the African shadow
OF the people sonth OF the Macon and
Dixon line, it did not produce mon
who dispised labor and lived in idle
ness and luxury. Go to any State
of the South and the fact remains
that the average Of the white popu.
lation living upon the interest Of in.
vested money and having no occupa-
tiOn Was conaitarahlv am ollor tho,