Year: 1868

the war and by the dispositions that war
has produced. These bills and mountain


tops have never been damaged by the sys-
ten of cultivation which was universal


wherever the soil OF the South was titled


by compulsory labor. The few settlers on


these slopes or these high table lands were


poor and owned no slaves. Most Of them


were opposed to slavery on principle, and
therefore fought secession on principle. IL


is the only part Of the South where 10 be
an advocate Of the policy of the present
Congress, does not attach more or less of a
stigma to a mau's character. Neither has
the reconstruction policy affected society in
these mountain parts. There were no
Rebels TO be disfranchised, no blacks 10 be
enfranchised. Hence no matter what have
been the political antecedents of settler
he is welcomed


IL. These lands are very cheap. On an
average they are lower than government
lands. Thousands of acres can be bought
for twenty-five cents. Choice tracts can be
had for two or three dollars an acre. If one
desires TO unite grain farming with grazing,
lands in the river valleys rich in lime and
growing fne crops Of wheat, clover and
corn can be had fcom five 10 fifteen dollars
per annum.


III. 1t is the only part of the Southern
territory which consider as healthful and
as well calculated to produce physical and
mental vigor as any part of the continent.
The low lands Of the great Southern val
leys are all malarious. The liver of the
Anglo-Saxon remaining in such climates
becomes torpid, bis complexion muddy,
and his disposition indolent. That is the
great objection to the Florida climate.
The air is 80 mellow and balmy, the tenn
perature 50 uniform AMI the scenery 80
tame that one might as well abandon all
strenuous industry and become Turk or
Lotos-eater. The climate woos one to
incidence, and has no stings of frost and
hunger with which to punish laziness. Not
90, however, with the highlands of the
South. The air is pure and bracing, yet
mellow and there are in the pastoral re-
gions cf which / speak no local causes of
any sort which produce disease. The heat
is not such as to derange the liver Of a
white man. The air does not irritate
weak lungs and sensitiye bronchial tubes.
There are no swamps 10 produce bilious
fever, no ships to bring yellow fever, no
filth Of cities to breed cholera. Disease
sometimes invades these favored regions,
but it can generally be traced to bad food
or the practice of sleeping in small close
rooms.


". Migration to such regions should be
encouraged for higher reasons than any
have vet named. On such lands il is not
SO easy to acquire wealth as on fatter soils
but it is easier to achieve independence
from the demands of accumulated capital,
and urban luxury; easier for the honest
though unpublished farmer, amid the hum
of his bees, the bleating of his tiocks, and
the lowing of his herds, sitting beneath
his own vine and peach tree, breathing q
balmy air and gazing upon a lovely land
scape, TO feel a repose of heart and a cheer
fnlnesss of spirit, TO cultivate a love for
man, a devotion to his country, and rev.
erence for his God, unknown to him who
looks npon the teeming growth of rich
plantation simply as afiording him the
means of commanding city srlendOrs and
satisfying a most of factitieus wants.


A copy of the paper was requested by
the Club for publication in the annual vOt-
ume of the proceedings of the Institute.