The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05

q
Frederick Law OlmStead, has recently
been re-published by Frederick Law
Olmstead, Jr., with an Introduction by
William p. Trent. The book purports
10 give the conditions as they were
in the South when the journey was
made: but, it is plain to be seen that
the opinion of the so-journer WAS
made up before he left his Northern
home. and that he saw everything
through glasses that had been smoked
with prejudice. He seems to have
seen but very little worthy of praise.
but much to ridicule and condemn.
In Washington City, the capital Of
our nation, ne could find no hotel To
suit him, the market was poor, the
people, white and black, were hard
looking and repulsive.
He didn't like Richmond, Peters
burg or Norfolk any better, saw moth
ing in either place of which he could
speak we'll. And he was equally un-
successful when he reached North
Carolina At Weldon, he says he was
cheated out of his dinner: between
Weldon and CASTOR he was turned
over in a stage; at CASTOR he had
hard time every way. AT Raleigh he
did find a little pleasure in beholdinS
our capitol building until he saw tbut
he didn't see it, the hogs roofing up
the capitol square. He left Raleigh TO
go to Fayetteville by stage; but as the
stage was slow about leaving, he
walked on and reached Banks before
he was overtaken. There he got an
ordinary dinner, from what he says.
and from there to Barclays he had the
worst time a poor traveller ever eX-
perienced.
He had to acknowledge that he
found comfortable place and good
treatment at Barclaysville. because II
he had not the travelling public from
New York to New Orleans would nave
told him he lied.
I have not given the book Il close
reading; but, CHANGING over it hastily.
] discovered that it was written and
published for the purpose OF preJu-
dicing the North against the slave
holding South, and TO aid in bringing
on the war. It is re-published now.
suppose, for a similar purpose-to
keep the Northern prejudice against
The South alive.
But it will do us no harm. We have
become SO used to being hated and
Slandered by our Northern brethren
that a book of that kind does not
rufiie our feathers at all. We take &C
for granted that belittling of the South
gives them more pleasure than dealing
justly and speaking pleasantly; ana
So for the sake of making them happy
we are perfectly willing for the old
abolitionistS (who are iefD as well as
all of the descendants Of those dead,
to keep right on making mouths and
sneering at us. The South is in good
humor. 1t knows it has been badly
treated-yea despitefully used-but 1t
don't bear malice. as il has shown
by voting for all the candidates which
the North has put up for president,
Notwithstanding. in every instance 1t
(the Sourn) could have put up bet-
ter man. 1t even voted for Horace
Greedy, who, thoueh an old time aboi-
zionist, the South forgave and was
willing to honor because in the act
of going on Jeff Davis bond he mani
tested q desire for reconciliation be-
tween the sections. No. the South 5
not mad. now. When ii wore itself
out whipping the North. it threw up
the sponge and said. III so many
words: You are too many for us: let 5
quit and be friends" General Grant
said "All right, we'll be friends. Bdt
that old abolition crowd, way back up
there, who brought on the fight but
never fought. said: NO. Well keep on
hating"
The South has voted long enough,
think for Northern men Tor President.
A Southern man would stand Just as
good a change TO be elected as d
Northern man, on the Democratic
ticket; and, if there's any honor III
being defeated, some of our Southern
men ought to have that honor now
and then. / don't know whether [
shall be here when the next Dres;i-
Dental election takes place: but
whether / am or not, l suggest, that
as the South gives nearly all the cleo
toral votes which the Democratic can
didate receives it should insist on the
candidate, and kick out of the traces,
unless Southern man is nominated.
Wen all have to get in a good
humor with each other before We die,
and the sooner we begin the work
of getting the bitterness out. the bet
will ha In a hour. There
are lots of folks mad with other folks.
and the other folks are in q bad
humor with some other folks, and so
it goes on. until the fact is demon
strated that about half the world is III
q bad humOr, in one way on another.
and all hands are expecting to wave
sceptres and wear crowns in the upper
kingdom. Notwithstanding.
1t is strange how long some people
can stay mad yet it is true, never
theless, that an old grudge, in some
cases. is about as hard TO eradicate az
il is to get crab grass out of cotton in
wet weather.
/ know some people who have been
mad with some of their neiShbors for
years; some parents who have been
mad with their children, and children
who have been mad with their parents.
until, if asked about it they could
hardly tell what they are mad about.
/ knew a mother who got mad with
a daughter because she ran away and
married, and the last time | heard
from her she was still mad. and had
never spoken to that daughter. though
everybody said she married well.
suppose she'll stay mad until death
then how will it be? Mad people who
never forgive, the Saviour said. cannot
be forgiven.
A father died some years ago in 4
bad humor with a daughter who had
married against his will, and even on
his death bed he refused to see her.
The daughter died not very long after
the father, and the question was
asked me if 1 thought the father
greeted the daughter when she
reached heaven? l answered. if he was
there he did, because nobody is mad
in heaven.
l hope the North and the South will
forgive and forget and forever here