The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-07-28

cage. l do not put myself on ;
level with most of those at the
North who talk about this cues
ton they do not discuss it, fo,
discussion properly implies a
conslderation and sitting of facts
with a view to find out the truth
or the true conclusions. North.
erners who do not know the
South experimentally or by the
careful collection in some way OF
the facts, cannot discuss the sub.
Ject; they can only talk about it
as any OF us might talk about
Central Africa or Tibet, which
we had never visited or studied
IN competent authorities. What
! say, | say at first hand. What
IN all probability, does the editor
of the New York independent.
'I-Tne Boston Herald. or the O,,f.
look, know aha,,t~Ii,:.oH1 ~ = .ane ae.sciofi 1UffiI
OF rapes and lynchings? Substan-
TALLY nothing. Possibly they have
a car window acquaintance with
the South; possibly in their tray
els they stopped here and there
in large cities; barely possible
they spent few days with South
ern acquaintances and friends.
Such travellers report, if they are
truthful, what they say, and are
not, from such experiences, to
conclude they know something,
or perhaps dood deal about The
negro question. Twill lay a good
wager that the Offices Of the
newspapers that have been most
ready to condemn my Bryce let
ter, do not hold man whose
knowledge of the South is great
er than that above portrayed.
They are for the most part old
timers long ago fallen into the
sere, the yellow leaf. They are
apt to be what a friend of mine
picturesquely calls, smooth
bores". If not such, they gen.
orally are men who seem to have
inherited their notions of today
from a long past period totally
different from the present. AS
witty old D'Israeli said of anoth-
er class, "They have but one
idea, and that idea is wrong"
DIR. Lyman Abbott styled. his
letters written during a recent
brief trip from Washington to
New Orleans, impressions of a
Careless Traveller" a most
title surely, and plainly a
correct one. If now he will hold
his hand and pen till he can write
something properly to be called,
"Studies of a Northern Man
Resident in the South" he can
be listened to with patience. A
great writer has said, "To be
conscious you are ignorant is a
great step towards knowledge" :"
The editorial writer's whom l
have in mind are not likely to be
wise by this course and test. Mr..
Ogden's parties are carried as on
a picnic, a winter holiday, by the
most travelled routes, in palace
cars; and thereupon they seem
to feel that they know the South.
Sometimes it is asked if the
whole North must wait till it can
live at the South for years before
they can have their opinions anc
express them. Not at all; but il
they wish to know their subject
so as to hold true or well-found
ed opinions, they must, if no
| live themselves at the South, a
least listen to and accept the tes
timony of those who have done
so, or have in Some actual wa,
, learned the South. Some very
foolish writer's reply that if thi
were required, we should hav,
been debarred from denouncin,
or opposing old-time slavery
, What is true now of the ne
, cessity of accurate and rea
, knowledge of the South was jus
as true Of it in 1850 or 1866
, Somebody must report the fact
before others have a right t
, hold opinions. Mr.. Fred La,
/ Olmsted, Mr.. Edmund Kirk
8 (Gilmore,) Mr.. H. R. Helper
and many others, told the Mort
: and the world what they ha