Holly Springs gazette., 1845-09-27

eff. or preventing it from flowing on the
land. Be this as it may, 1t can scarcely be
doubted but Congress. TO effect work of SO
Huch value, would expressly authorize the
appropriation of that fund, To this great un>
dertaking. And should the State perform
the work by convict labor, she may secure
to herseifthe fund. to be appliedto educa-
ton, ipfernal improvements, or such other
object ofgeneral interes as the Legislature
may direct.
If it should net be thought advisable to
engage IN making the levy. the land should
be disposed of, and we will have on hand
fund of at least one million of dollars. In aid
OF convict labor, with which 30 construct
roads, and improve our navga5le. streams,
and. probably through ali time TO come.
there will be ample employment for the
convicts, In improving navIgable waters
courses, building bridges. and making and
repairing roads. The burdens, if any, win
equally rest on, and the benefits will be
qually enjoyed by. the whole community.
Should this, or some such mode of EN-
pIoying the convicts be adopted. the build.
ing now used as eEitentiary may be re>
modelled at a small expense, aud converted
into a Lunatjc Asylum which is much need
ed
lam not of opinion that we should employ
the convicts in manufacturing bagging and
rope from cotton. l have no sufficient ev.
idence that it will succeed, and if it should,
am of opinion it would prove injurious,
rather than beneficial, TO the cotton interest.
1t is true it would increase the consumption
of cotton, and If that was the only result,
should desire TO see our bagging and rope
made of that material. 1t seems to me how
ever obvious that another consequence
would follow.-it would increase the pro
duction, TO greater extent than the cor
sumption. Hemp is raised. and manufac>
tured into bagging and rope, in the Northern
slave States, by slave labor. Strike dowr
this demand for slave labor in Kentucky
and Missouri, and the slaves now thus EN-
played will be transferred to the cotton re-
gion, and greatly add to the production -
The cotton planters ale yet paying heavily
for foreign bagging and rope used in years
gone by. The cotton growing States pur-
chased foreign rope and bagging: this, to
the exen, of the foreign rope and bagging 8
consumed III substitution for the American
articles, threw out of employment those en-
gagged in raising hemp and manufacturing
bago.ng and rope for our IN arkets. The
slaves which had before found full employ
ment in Kentucky, &c. in raising and
dressing hemp and manufacturing it into
ba gging and rope. were In great numbers
removed fr ON the hemp growing and mans
ufacturing districts, TO the cotton region
The cotton produced was greatly increased
in quantity, & consequently reduced insalLe
Commencing at the mouth ofthe Yazoo
and ascending to the Tennessee line, was
much surprised to discover how large a
portion of the fine plantations in Mississippi
and Arkansas, were owned and cultivated
by my acquaintances. who had transferred
their slaves from raising and manufacturing
hemp to raising cotton in consequence OF
the prostration of the hemp business. resul,
ting from the consumption Of foreign goods.
Instances of this kind may be found in 7 a.
zoo. Holmes and other interior counties
MANY of these planters still reside in the
upper country, and carry, and invest or
| spend, the proceeds of their cotton planting.
| in the States above. producing upon the
| wealth and business of Mississippi, IN some
small degree, the evils under which Ireland
| groans, in consequence of what is called the
absentee system.
1t is the true policy ofthe cotton growing
and slave holding States, so TO regulate
their business and policy as In no degree
TO reduce the value OF slave labor in the
! Northern slave States. Whatever has
this effect. weakens the slave interest In the
States, and tends to convert them into free
States If we wish to sustain the insti:u.
/ lion, we must sustain the demand for slave
labor in the Northern slave States.
DANL. MAYES
4