The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-05-22
THE sOUTH's AWAKENING
Essay by Miss Laura Louise Sanders
at Closing Exercises of the
Ocala High School

II
The south, with her MANIFOLD in
dustries and resources. is just now be-
lginning to gain the place in the world
for which they have naturally fitted
her. She is coming into her own and
making use of all her facilities with
which nature has so bountifullv en-
ldowed her. Even though she as al
ready succeeded in attracting the at
tention of the world, she is only in
the infancy of her greatness. Who
can predict the future in store for
her? The wonderful climate and in
exhaustible resources of the south
suggest that she should be the garden
spot of the world, the Mecca, which
the northern people are seking and
should seek for recreation and rest
The climate itself is an asset. Think
for a moment how the northern tour
list must feel when he comes, for the
| first time to our own fair Floridal He
has left behind him the long, bleak
winters, and here he finds the green
trees, fruit, palms, ferns and flowers
in profusion. Our mild climate and
rich soil make it possible for almost
any crop to grow in the south. In the
extreme southern regions we find the
tropical fruits; a little farther north
we find the vast fields of rice, cotton
and sugar cane; still farther north in
the border states of the south we find
corn, tobacco, oats, barley, flax and
wheat. Not only is the south rich in
her agricultural resources, but also in
her mineral deposits, for coal, iron
and phosphate are found in abund-
ance.
Although the south has such vast
resources and had them sixty years
ago, it is only in the present genera
ton that she has awakened and is |
still awakening to the wonderful
strength that lies hidden, as it we're,
within her. Picture with me the con-
dition of the south at the beginning |
of the civil war. She had few means
of transportation. Her sole industry
was agriculture. She exported little
else than cotton and tobacco and i'm
ported nearly everything else that she
needed. On the other hand, the north
had railroads, mrchant marine ply
ing between the different ports of our
country and between our ports and
the ports of all nations. She had
great manufacturing interests. She
produced great quantities of fruit,
meat and grain. Then, is it any won
der that the south was defeated? Is
it not wonder that it required the
north four years to cause that noble
defeat of Lee at Appomattox Court
House? The difference in strength
was not so much the disparity in fore
es as it was the difference in CONNER
cial and industrial strength.
Though defeated in the contest and
returning home only to be confronted
with ruin on every side, she had still
greater burden on her hands, that of
the black people just freed. She now
saw that she must adapt herself to
circumstances and do the best she
could toward the ignorant blacks
around her. Can you imagine more
serious condition than that of the
south at this time, when it was neces-
sary to form a more unified govern
ment out of state of chaos and ruin
In short, when it was necessary to
build anew the whole south, on wild
er and broader plane than it existed
before the war? But for awhile after
this tremendous struggle the south,
completely exhausted from the eff
fects of the war, lay PROSTATE like a
great giant, cowed because he could
not stand to his full height in the
world It seemed as if everything
had combined to keep him down, and
there he lay only breathing enough to
keep him alive; not thinking Of the
days when he strobe so proudly over
the battle ground and swept every
thing from before him; not caring any
more for the famous rebel yell that
had led him on to victory; not caring
for his future that was to guard the
destiny of the south. Such was the
condition of this giant; the unherald-
ed champion of the Lost Cause. But
soon he realized that the sun was star
ing him full in the face, and he began
to awaken, first stretching out one
limb and then another until he was
on his feet again. He saw that the
dawn of another and more hopeful
day was rising before him. Then it
was that the south awakened, and be-
gan like the giant to regain her lost
strength and to develop herself into
more powerful and independent
country than she existed before the
war. 1t was only for short time aft
er the close of the war that the south
lay in this sleepy, passive state just
pictured; for it was in Haye.P admin
istration that she began the great
work of building the new south, which
she is still carrying onward. During
the seventies Henry w. Grady said OF
l 4 "a L.