The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1956-08-04
Between The Lines .
TRANSPLANTED TROUBLE

Some weeks ago the writer be-
came interested in the question
OF the wealth Of the ante-bellum
South the Old South II you
please. The study took me to the
Virginia State Library where
there are various treaties on the
economic status of the Old South
in its halycon days of slavery.
One volume was especially glow
ing in its treatment of the south
OF slavery days. The author
painted BEAUTIFUL picture of the
prosperity of the South during
slavery. He was especially glow
ing in his description of the con-
tentedness of the slaves. He threw
about brutal slavery an air of
charm and satisfaction. He pic
tured slavery as happy lot for
all concerned and especially for
the slaves.
The thing that struck me with
greatest force was the fact the
author was professor in "a great
northern university. Here, was, as
thought, northerner attempting
to justify the slavery of the Old
South and then il occurred to me
to seek out through "Who's Who"
the antecedentS of the author, and
there was revealed the illumina-
ting fact that the author was
born in Georgia. In reality it was
not the opinion of a northerner
at all; it was the South's opinion
of itself. And this led to the con-
clusion that whenever the Old
South seeks the appreciation of
the North for the justification of
It's undemocratic treatment of its
Negro citizens, it can always come
up with a statement of north
erner" to justify its ways with the
Negro.
Today there is studied and de-
termined effort of the Old South
to get the appreciation of the
North for its state rights stand
and for its current efforts to null
fly the Supreme Courts decision.
Such appreciation is assured in
advance; for southerners are in
the North and quite ready to sup
port the contention of their moth
erland, the Old South.
The Negroes, therefore, need
not be too greatly exercised
when there comes + r o m the
North an agreement with the
South's determination to eterna-
lie the subjugation of the Negro.
Such sentiments as will be ex-
pressed will be only the senti-
ments of the Southerners speak
ing from the North.
Just as hundreds of thousands
of Negroes have gone North with
in the last few years, more hum
dreds of thousands of Southerners
of the Old South have been scat
tered over the face of the earth,
the North included. And where
ever we find a Southerner of the
Old South we find a defender of
the "South's position" on race re-
lations. Just as the South had in
the author hereinbefore mention
ed a strong defender, such defen-
ders are scattered Throughout the
world and when therefore anti
Negro sentiments are set forth,
Negroes need not be too greatly
discouraged; for it is the way Of
the southerners of the Old South.
And let it not be forgotten that
there is a New South that thinks
otherwise.
Even as this is written the Vir-
ginia legislature is being called
into session to openly defy the
mandates of the United States.
Yet there are white Virginians
openly defying Virginia's position
and asking for indignation in
spite Of all that is being done to
oppose it. The Old South and the
New South are battling, w I h
h or time odds stubbornly