The correct answer is C) he believed Georgia's economy was severely lacking.
What you conclude about the purpose of Grady's speech is that he believed Georgia's economy was severely lacking.
We are talking about the speech delivered by Henry Grady called "New South Speech" on December 22, 1886.
Henry Woodfin Grady (1850-1889) was a journalist from Georgia that supported the Reconstruction period helping the state to get some investments from Northern people. He worked as a reporter in Georgia for the "New York Herald," and then he moved to play a key role in the "Atlanta Constitution," one of the best newspapers in the state.