While there were some few men who
came into the South in this way who
subsequently proved themselves to be
excellent citizens, a great majority of
the white politicians who invaded the
South between '65 and '70 came with
no patriotic purpose but with the
desire to use the ignorant blacks for
selfish ends. For the first ten years
after the war, all over the South the
energies of the best people were
devoted to the preservation of what
little they had from legislative thievery,
and at the same time to the creation
of decent local governments. By 18S0
a change had come. The blacks
had improved mentally and a portion
of them had begun to acquire prop
erty. They threw off the control of
the carpet-bagger and realized that
their white neighbors were to be their
best friends. The percentage of the
whites was largely increased over the
blacks and the dread of a race struggle
had ceased. The number of school
houses were being largely increased
and their beneficial effect are reaching
the masses of the people.
He then asked their attention from
a criticism of the past to a consider
aton of the bright prospects for the
future. He showed that with every
man free, with the evils of reconstruc
tion largely overcome, with school
houses literally scattered throughout
the State, North Carolina, from iSSo
to 1S90, had surpassed Masschusetts
in her percentages of increased wealth.
Massachusetts' percentage of increased
total wealth was 6.89: North Caro
lina's 26.7 1. Massachusetts' percentage
of increase of manufactured product
was 40.72; North Carolina's 100.92.
Massachusetts' farm lands decreased in
value 12.76; North Carolina's increased
in value 105.63.
