Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-08-26
From the Savannah Republican.
Influence Of Slavery upon the Prosperity
Of q State,

Domcstjcs for home cOnSamptjOn-One Of our
merchants adyertises in our paper, that he has
Just received a large consignment Of Boston laths;
and it strikes us, and must strike others, as not
a little remarkable, that a population, living in
the very heart Of one of the best lumber regions
of the United States, with thousands of fallen
pine trees covering the forests in their immedi-
ate neighborhood, should be indebted to North
ern enterprise for the very laths with which their
houses are constructed.
Another incidence arrested our attention a
short time ago. In visiting the rice plantation
of friend on the Savannah river, we observed,
stamped upon the side Of a rowboat which car
ried US, the name Of the maker in New York;
while one Of our Carolina friends, great lecturer
on agriculture, and president of agricultural So
%cieties, gets even his pig yokes" from the North,
instead of making them en- his own plantation.
While such supine Incidence, and such a short.
sighted policy prevail among us, the South must
and will remain tributary to the superior industry
and energy Of the North, which profits by hel
neglect of her own true interests.
The resources of the South need only be de
veloped, to give her children wealth and comforts
Nature has done far more for US than for ou
Northern brethren, but they have husbanded thei
resources, while we have squandereS and neglec
ted ours.
Take for example the State Of Georgia. Vas
quantities Of her timber are now rotting in he
forests, while Northern lumber comes into ouI
port. The finest water power in the world, whicl
might be converted into thousand useful pur
poses, is allowed to waste itself over rocks in it
channel. The shad fishery on the Savannah riv
or Ic Vnorl u uoa1o n o,,roo &C 1,rro vpoNortv T.
a company from Maine, Our canal furnishes u
only with eels and water-lillies instead of bein
completed to bring us down the lumber and pro
ducts of the Ogechee and, in one word, W
continue poor, because we will not make the e
fort to grow rich by developing the actual resoul
ces in our power.
Agriculture and Commerce absorb most c
the energies of the portion Of our people VIII
will work, while the class of 'unproductive con
sumers' at the South is f~caIluily large. Tn
professions have much to answer fer in this re
spect. Many sturdy young fellows, who EMO
both heath and competence, if following tn
plough, are wasting their energies and the:
lives in a ~fruitless chase after Ceases" either lt
gal, medical, or clerical, to the great loss of tn
community and their own.
Georgia, we are happy to see is waking up
the former stupid idea, that a gentleman was on
who wore white kids, and never worked, is fa
giving place to the sounder doctrine, that til
working men (either with hand or brain are tn
true nobility of a country, and stamp its charat
ter at homo and abroad. Upon the present gel
Grafton rests the duty of developing the intern.
resources Of the State of employing her waite
power in turning the busy wheels of factories;
in exploring her mineral treasures; in increa
ing her exports Of lumber, and developing all he
countless resources. We called attention, til
other day, to Mr.. Artope's enterprise near Macor
for prep ring Georgia Marble; and brass founC
ries in Augusta; in our own city, Mr.. Webb
sawmills are engaged in saving ont laths all
which are, we trust, but the first step towarC
greater improvements in our home products f
domestic consumption.