Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-05-06
FOR THE ADVERTISER.

AIesSrs. Editors:
see, with more than ordinary plea
snre. that some of The citizens of our State
ara making a laudable effort by their ex-
ample.ninduce South Carolinians TO en-
bark more generally in tho business Of.
manufacturing. see also, that several.
manufacturing companies, with CONSIDER,
able capital, have recently been started
INTO exis,enee in the neishborins State oil
Georgia.
1, IS the opinion Of but TOO many Of our
public men. thar i, is contrary TO The true
uolicy of any porliois Of The South, to en.
Courage its people. either in establishing
manufactures amongst them, or IN invest
ire their capital in any enterprises OF 'ha q
character. From some unaccountah!e
,refudices, bt frHrl reasons | am unable TO
,.o,nprehend. i, is commended that the real
,n,efes, of this sectinu OF the country lies
solely in ,he promotion Of Agriculture, and
in directing all The energies Of all classes
of tile community 10 that employment
aloiie, -,
Snerose |, we're ,adyiusd, that at !h.s
mccise lime, We uould realize some great
er profit tom planting. and from raising
collou Than from any other Occupation sn
which we coult! engage-supposc, say,
,ha, this wees$e admitted, and how would
i, answer for the future? 2? How long will
,he condition Of those Of the Southern
States, which lie in higher latitude De
the same as i, is al present Every man
Of aay experience and sasaciry whatever,
must perceive tfe necessity o(Some change
in au!! pursuits, no, only in years to come'
but even al this very moment OF Tune.
The cotton region, 10 The South and
South West, has already become so eXlen-
sive, tha, nothing at all beyond The mer-
es, pittance, can be made in this Stale by
raising that staple, and in The course OF
few wears, unless appearances are most
deceptive indeed, lis production Will be
wholly abandoned here as well as IN ma
nv of the adjoining States. The more
Southern regions, in which it is now eS-
,ensively produced, in fifteen or twenty
wears at far,hest, will he able 10 suppl y,
and even to overslock the markets OF lhe
whole world. And, besides This. their
lands are so much better adap'ed ID the
raising of that article Than ours, that i. Will
be entirely frui,iess and vain for US 10 ex.
pect 10 Offer them the slightest eonPeil-
ton.
From the sasi quantities of cotton now
raised in different parts of the world, It's
prices haze become SO reduced as scarcely
10 pay South Carolinian for planting It
aud ploushiug 1T the frst time, much less
for tending il through The whole SUMMER
and then gathering II with the grea'e,t la
Dor and exposure during the fall. Des-
pondeacy and gloom seems already 10 oe
hanging over the whole ofour State. we
are already so poorly recompensed here
for our labor, that about half Of our cltl-
zens are unemployed--industry langu'shes
with us-,he energies of Our people are
dissipa,ed in ideuess-and the whole race
of The Stale presents melancholy specta'
Gle of lands uucuItiva,ed-of villages in
decay-and of a population sunk 10 'ndo'
lence. and wre,chedness, and pauPerIsn.
/ speak as one having some acquain'
lance with men and things, and SPEAK
but,he fatal truth. when | say, that lhe
profound apathy ,ha. aow reisns over our
people, is truly alarming TO every man
whohasa proper conception OF their conol,
,ion. What shall be done to rouse them up!
Shal, they be suffered to continue ~ their
resep, state of listlessness and inactivity.
I,yus. iu God, somegood spirit ~lllrule Il