After Jem expresses disillusionment over the verdict, Miss Maudie defends the town and its people. What does she say to Jem?

I think that she tells Jem that it takes a long time for a town like Maycomb to recover from generations of prejudice and bigotry.Although the trial did not go their way, she says there were many people in town that felt that Tom was innocent. That, in itself, is progress.