Year: 1868

VOICE. auu HOW clSc cdH ou


, what has been accomplished and been g
/ ing on at the present day; l will only a
lude to the fact that it is the easiest thin
in the world to introduce free schools In a
the large towns, and they will be well III
der way in a single month or perhaI
, week. The public mind is ready for
system of universal education, no matte
) what the politics of the individual may be


or the theories which may have existed, be


cause it is seen that on no other basis ca


the South now prosper or be saved. In


consequence is, that men of the higaes


intelligence and influence are foremost Il


carrying forward this work. | hav


scarcely found a man who entered NOR


heartily into the ubject than the treasure


Of the Confederate Congress, and men o


similar positions. Without abiding in an,


way to anything that is past in our history


they take up this work in earnest and ap
ply themselves to it with perseyerine


energy and measure of success tina


wound astonish any one were it proper


to give details. The South is at the pres


ent time-I speak of it in these generou;


terms, though we are To make a great d.


tinction between the extreme South and the
| Border States-in absolute need OF the


things that we only can give. They feel
the necessity Of economy, they are deter
mined to be economical and to waste no


money, but they don't know how. They


have not been trained They often waste


great amount Of means when they are


perfectly unconscious of it, There is very
/ l. H,
tween the means and the end to be accom-


plished There is almost always one
third more means employed than is callsd


for, for lack of skilful application. They


are conscious Of their defects, and say tlat


they need an influx Of Northern men to in


itiate practical economy in things which


they understand but Southerners don. =


An eminent Nirglnian, conversing witt me


on this subject, said that even in so simple


a matter as agriculture they had but little


idea of the economy which we in the NORTH


practice. \ Northern man who had oeeI


In the army was passing by farm in Nir


ginia where they were reaping grain. lie


saw three reapers and three men following


them binding up the sheaves. He said to


the farmer that two binders were enough,


but the Southerner said it was impossible.


At last, to prove his assertion, the North
erner jumped into the field, and for ten
hours alone bound up all the grain the
three men reaped. He then asked the
farmer how many acres one Of his men
cut a day He said ten. The Yankee
said that twenty was a days work, and
the farmer told his man so the next day,
and the result was that eighteen were cut
before sundown This is an example OF
the way in which the most common affairs
of life are carried on at the South. This
same gentleman said We are behind the
times; We want somebody to bring on ma
chinery. We want somebody that under
stands this whole thing practically. and
our whole society could be regenerated il
we could have in every neighborhood one
or two practical, intelligent and enter
prising Northerners' But | know very
well what you gentlemen who are listening
to me tonight will say, Heaven have
on the Yant~- snat goes there
for that purpose. The Southerners know
that you think so, but this also is pretty
nearly passed No doubt there was this
feeling of bitter hostility to the men who
brought their industry and their property
to help them. There was at the close OF
the war bitter feeling prevalent not al
ways among those who were in the army
and were whipped, but among those who
stayed out. But that feeling is to re-
degree passing away. | don't
know what the cause Is it may be neces-
'ity, 1t may be great many things
" hatever the cause is it is matter of
cred!biity, and men of business
say that however it may have been this
state Of things does not exist nor will it in
he future, except to a limited extent. And
hey give assurance that any man coming
n ordinary civility and human kindness
will not only be received but sought and
\ conviction has seize1 the /.
minds Of these men that they must not
stand in the way of the Northern influx, |
and business men do not stand in the way
Of it, it is another class Of persons +
IAN hardly express myself as freely on this /
point because there are SO many modifica-
lions to make. 1t cannot be expected that /
all the "reminiscences of past difficulties /
will pass away in day. that all this sur
ying tide Of human passions shall be per-
tectly allayed at once, but the process is
going on, and will be completed whatever
IS the cause. As an earnest of tbs | |
nave been requested to make this state
nent positively to my friends at the North
and to tell them to come and make the
rial and see if they will not be received
L know very well there may be
difficulties. The military are not genenl-
y received well, nor the men of the Bureau
received with great kindness and cordially. /
But [ think it is possible to draw lile |
distinctly between them and the man wlo |
comes among them to settle and to maxi
hem prosperous, with no unpleasant asso
cations In his train. There is great
loal of human nature down there
Laughter have more difficulty in sat
sfying the class of men to whom L have
sober-minded, candid, and homes
nen. 1t is very difficult indeed to impress
lpon them that they could be introduced
o an assembly like this and be allowed to
ak with different individuals. They We're
perfectly amazed The fact is they have
,een forced to see through spectacles made
" politicians, and the North has been
to a very great extent and a fac
itious hostility gotten up. l don't stand
lere as the apologist or accuser of the
south mean to state things so as to do
ustice to both sides. There are many
hings that are and many things that are
lot right, many things that are discredita-
lie. Necessity has brought the South a
,reat many good lessons and will teach them


great many more. The generations of men
Viii ch is now coming forward will see that
here is hope in the future. [ did not in
end to speak on the subject of the colored