The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-05-25
sssa.ss From The Southern p lanter: . :.
SOUTHERN MAN UFlACIUREs: Z

wheat and tobacco to be manufactured 10
New England, orgm Earcpc, as it is lnI
South Carolina to transport her cqtton
Thousands ofmiles, to havei sreturned TO
her in manufactured goods. aThc perfect
command other Iabormg population, the,
subordinali,n and system tosswhieh they
may be subjected. thesvery% low price at
which their labor is obtained, being noth-a
ing more than the mere price ofthc plain
est food and clothing, all combine to ena-
ble9the South to compete with any spor-
ton Of the globe especially in the manuiac-
ture of her own products.
Whence originates the idea that the
North can manufacture cheaper than the
South We answer, from the fact, that
, price of northern ,ohite labor has been
compared with theprice ofsouthern aol.ate
labor. Habits of'southern luxury inject
even the mechanics within their influence,
and render them unable to compete with
their more economical brethren OF the
North. Consequently, in all of those ar.
ticles, in which the cost. of transportation
is not too great, they: have been driven
from the market by northern importations.
Where there is anything like equality in
natural advantages, the southern artifcer
can never compete with the northern
workmen, until he learns toreduce his ex-
penses tothe same standard. This he. will
not do, whilst nature invites him to more
generous living in the cultivation Of the
earth.
Here, we see, that the North manufac-
lures cheaper, simply because she is less
blessed by nature; because her people are
poorer, and because the low prices, which
the operative receives afterall the expen-
sesof getting hisssproducts TO a southern
market are paid, are still more than he
can make at another calling, although in
fnitely less;than would satisfy the farmer
of the South. But we have another great
class of operatives in our negro popula-
tionSthat are accustomed to no such ex-
pensive habits; whose labor is obtained for
their vituals and clothes, the very lowest
price at which tcan be afforded any where.
This labor, we maintain,. can be made to
compete successfully with any other upon
the face of the EARTH. The only question
is,how can it be most advantageously en-
ployed, and the answer heretofore has
been, in the cultivation of the earth. But
now that an r-production has reduced
the prices of our great southern staples,
of cotton, wheat and tobacco, we believe
it may be most advantageous y diverted
to manufactures. sIfthus, the increase of
our population drives portion of our peo-
plet to. .encroach upon what has been here
tofore the peculiar business of our north
en allies, and they are injured by it. we
most heartily sympathize with their affilc-
tions, and wish to God we could continue
to&follow one branch of the business, leav-
, ing the other to them. But charity begins
at home, and we believe that the only
means of employing a large portion of
southernlabor advantageously, hereafter,
will be to appropriate it to manufactures.
ButsWe will be told that manufactures
have beentried at the South, and have
universally failed. Manufactures have
been established, generally, at the South
by Joint stock,colnpanies, and such, we
believe,Will fail wherever they are tried,
eithcratthe South or the North. The
old preyerb is, eff YOU want your business
done, get some bodyto do it for you, you
want it well done do it yourself" Joint
stock companies always get some body
to do it for them" and they, if not the bu-
siness, are IN the end pretty sure to get
done. Another great mistake, we think,
that is generally made in the establishment
of southern manufactures, is in the inor-
dinate and unnecessary erection of ex-
pensive buildings, extra finish about ma
chinery, great deal of which is intended
more for ornament than use. We have
sometimes been surprised in visiting a
northern rnamanufactoly,the reputation of
which had created the imagination Of a
splendid and extensive establishment, to
find the whole works probably under a
wooden cover, presenting an unpleasing
contrast with some ofthe expensive facto-
ries we, had left behind US. But when
we gotinside. we found cheerful, active,
regularly paid woskmen, instead of neg
lected machinery and abandoned implc-
ments, and this, because the capital ofthe
v,roprietorS s,,,c onp,rnJ IN oond,, ctinp