The gold leaf., 1910-08-25
ONLY ONE SOUTH.
The Terms s.Oid South" end-"S-w
South" q Distinction Which Has No
Real Valid Foundation in Fact-No
Good Reason for Taking This Dis
tinction and Many Good Reasons
Why 1t Should Not be Made.
Greensboro News.

| Greensboro News.
We often hear OF the "Old South"
and the "New South" but the dis
tinction is one which we do not like
and which we think has no real valid
| foundation in fact. 1t is true that In
the South of fifty years ago many
conditions existed which do not
exist in the South of today. In the
interval of time conditions have
arisen. But so it is with any section
of country and in fact with any indi-
vidual. This does not, however,
mean that there is a new section OF
country or new person.
In fact, in no other part OF the
country is there SO little reason for
using the terms new and old. We
might speak of the new West that
has arisen after tens OF thousands OF
people have gone to the West from
other parts of the country. But this
is not true with regard to the South.
The great bulk OF the Southern
people of the present day are either
the people of a half century ago or
their descendants in the first gen
Grafton. Our population has grown
but it has been the growth OF natu-
raj increase rather than a growth
from immigration.
1t is true that the abolition OF
slavery and the loss OF men and
money caused by the civil war to q
very great extent changed the South.
1t is also true that the widespread
increase of commerce and manufac-
lures has had its effect, but after all,
the changes, great as they have been.
we're changes Of development and not
the rise of new country or a new
people.
The South of today is the South
of yesterday and the South OF fifty
years ago. Moreover, besides being q
question of fact, we think that there
is no good reason why the distinc-
tion between the old South and the
new South should be made and many
good reasons why it should not be
made.
The South of seventy-five or fifty
years ago gave us much OF which we
have every right to be proud as an
Inheritance. On the other hand, we
think that the South OF today is
doing much that reflects credit upon
the South of other days.
We cannot change the record Of
the past, but we can change the hap
penings of today and tomorrow.
What we do is largely Influenced by
what was done by those who went
before us. Ii we are proud OF those
who in past times made the South
what it was, we should do all in our
power to make the remembrance OF
their deeds an incentive for an hon
orable and prosperous future. But
if we want this influence can we not
better bring it to bear upon the pres
ent and future by linking ourselves
as near to it as possible? The South
of the past was not perfect, or nearly
perfect. The South of today is not
perfect or near perfect. But no other
people in no other land in no other
time have ever been or will ever be
perfect or near perfect.
That in the South of yesterday OF
which we are proud we should claim
as our own. That in the South of
yesterday which we think might have
been improved we should not try to
avoid by drawing a clear cut line OF
demarkation between ourselves and
those who went before.
In a word we know of no facts
which would Justify us in doing so
and we see no good that can be ac-
complished by speaking of two
Souths-an Old South and a New
South. Rather let us call it one
South, ever linked with the past,
ever trying to use the lessons Of the
past, ever trying to make the fullest
use of our opportunities in the
present and to do our part toward
still briphtar f1ture.