Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1838-05-08

SontbsT1 I,,or fo apply Itself SO exclusive
" to the cultivation of these great articles
NJ evnort3 Certainly, il $50 applied, be-
carso its own necessities for provision and
clothing are supplied, meanwhile, from
other charters. The South raises to sell,
md not ~ consume; and with the pro-
ceeds Of the sales it supplies itself with
,vhatever its own consumption demands.
There are exceptions; but this IS the gen
oral truth. The hat-makers, shoe-makers,
61rniturc-makers, and carriage-makers OF
the North, the spinneTs e. -oA.ells md. the
weavers at Philadelphia, arc all contrlbu-
tors to tho general product both OF cotton
and SUGAR for export abroad; as are the
.i;,,.sst.s. f.lis57s of Kentucky, the grain
growing farrperssa all who produce and
Vend provisions in Indiana, Ohio, and IL
linois. The Northern ship-owner, and
the mariner, who carry these products to
market. are agents actingto the same end /;
and so are they too, who, little thinking of
cotton fields or sugar estates, are pursuing
their adventurous employment in the whale
fisheries, over the whole surface, and
among an the islands of the Pacific and
the Indian oceans. If we take the an
nual cotton crop at sixty. millions Of dol
lars, we may, perhaps, find that the amount
OF forty.fiye millions is expended, either
for interest on capital advanced, or for ex-
pense of clothing and supporting labor, or
inthe charges which belong to the house.
hold, the education Of families, and to the
domestic expenditure Of the proprietor.
Thus, SIR, all the labOriOus classes, are, in
truth, cotton-growers and sugar-makers. Each,
in its own way, and to the extent of its OWn
productiyeness, contributes TO swell the mag
nitude Of that enormous export, which was no
thing al the commencement of this Govern
ment, and which now has run up to so many
millions Through all these operations the
stream of credit has constantly flowed, and
there is not one of them that VIII not be check
cd and interrupted, embarrassed and thWarted,
If this stream be now dried up. This connee-
ton of the various interests OF the country with
one another, forms an important and Interes-
ting topic. It is one Of the natural ties of the
Union. The variety Of production, and mutti-
al wants mutually supplied, constitute strong
bond between different States; and long may
that bond last, growing with their growth, and
strengthening with their strength!
But, Mr.. President, that portion of our pro-
auctions which takes the form of export, be-
comes distinct and visible; it is prominent and
striking, and is seen and wondered al, by every |
body The annual returns all show it, and ev-
cry DAYS commercial intelligence speaks of it. |
We gaze at it with admiration, and the world |
is no less admiring than ourselves.
With other branches of industry the case is
quite different. The products of these branch
es, being put in the train of domestic ex-
changes, and consumed in the country, do not
get INTO statistical tables, are not collected IN
masses, and are seldom presented, in the aggre-
gate, to the public view. They are not Of the |
character of a few large and mighty rivers, but
of thousand little streams meandering
through all the fields of business and of Life,
and refreshing and fertilizing the whole.
Few Of us, MIR. President are aware of what
would be the amount of the general produc-
ton of the country, if it could be accurately as
certained. The Legislature of Massachusetts,
under the recommendation of the intelligent
Chief Magistrate of that State, has caused to
be prepared and published, a report on the con-
dition and products of certain branches of its
industry, for the year ending in April, 1871
The returns of the authorities of each city and /
town were made, apparently, with much care;
and the whole has been collated by the Secre-
tary of State, and the result distinctly presen-
ted in well arranged statistical tables. From
a summary of the statements, in these tables, |
viii take the liberty of selecting few articles,
and of adverting to them here, as instances, or
specimens, of the annual product of labor and
industry in that State. ~. fs,..
And to begin with a very necessary and mn
portant article: find, that of boots and shoes,
the value Of the whole amount manufactured
within the year, exceeds fourteen millions and
a half dollars. If the amount of other articles
of the same class or material, be added, viz
leather, saddles, trunks, harness, &C., the total
win be not far from S18,500,0O0
win read the names Ofsome other articles,
and state the amount of annual product be-