The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-15
COMMUNICATE Ms.
Asntversary Address

Of the State Agricultural Society Of South Car
Olina, delioered tn TIE Hail Of the House Of
Representatives.. Noe. 80. Is4s; BY wrLLIAM
ELLIOTT, CAarieston, s. C., 1s4s.
We have recently hesn informAd In q tone of
The utmost confidence by Mr.. Ellwood Fisher, |
IN his lecture al einnati, which has gained so
much notoriety, that il Is all a mistake TO sup
,ose that the North Is richer than the South
lie says that the reverse is the truth; and thai
statistics show that the agriculture OF the South,
conducted. as II Is, BY slave labor. gives TO VIr-
ginia and South Carolina great superiority In
wealth aud power over such States a. N. YORK
and Massachusetts
Ii is said that this lecture Is distributed in
thousands Of copies through the South, and re-
ceived there with reclamation. To some per
'ons In the free States. il was rather relief to
learn from II that the South had not been, Is her
politicians have long maintained, impoverished
by the North-that the rest Of the Union are
not fatening on her spoils, but that, with all
her Outcries about oppression. she has been TAX
ing most excellent care Of herself, and has be-
come the most prosperous part Of the UniOn.-
After these confident assertions from Mr.. Fish
er, one is led to expect confirmation of their
ruth in agricultural reports from various quar-
ers, for he lsysstress on the advantages of az
rieulture over other pursuits But the enquirer
Is somewhat puzzIsd by such an address a. this
II Mr.. Elliott; one Of the accomplished and In
telligent men Of South CarOIina, planter, who
ardently loves her institutions and mast know
the truth. Amer spirited historical plctare Of
her agriculture, he surprises the reader with the
question. how it haPPess that country like
that "whose agriculture is progressive, and a.
We have seen, ~ 50 palmy a state. comes to be
overwhelmed with debt and su.y in distressf''
With all the advantages of tie South Ss-r. the
North, then, II seems that SoaIh Carolina Is
sunk ia distress"
Mr.. Elliott does not say, in the usual tone OF
complaint. thai this IL ewing to the North. H
no demagogue. lie says, in answer, ait is
because cur agricultural labor is miserably mis-
applied. We have confused to cultivate the
cotton plant until the labor thus applied has be-
come not merely useless. bot in the highest Dr.
gree pernicious He goes somewhat into g
history Of "the weed" (which, after enriehinp
The fathers" be thinks may beggsr the sons
and speaks Of their "uncalculaiing CALAMITY
IN clearing most Of the burihen when Il be-
comes question on whom te shift the loss Of
raisipg and using it.
! Mr.. Elliott, like many other men Of refine
ment, probably is, though he does not seem io
be fully aware Of it, perPleKed by that stubborn
vulgar, old rule, that there is no friendship In
trace; Tor IL seems, from bis account, that even
the planter with this uucalculating gaIlaniry
who makes 1000 lbs. of cotton while another
makes only 1900 lbs, is ready to undersell him
and take eight cents, while the other wants tie
cents TO give an interest on Investment.
Probably impartial observers of what Ia.
passed within this century, will be disposed &c
dwell somewhat on this suggestion, and viii
come to the conclusion that the old States o.
the Southern portion Of the Union have been
chiefly troubled. all along, by favoriie measure.
OF their own. They have been seriously affect
ed In their agricultural pursuits by the competi
ton Of that family Of new States, which sprapO
from the purchase of Louisiana.
{ 1t may be asked whether the land wa. not
there, to be cultivated as Il Is, whether in thu
Union or out Of itl And II may as readily b.
answered, that. in regard to competition with
the old States, it made svast difference whether
these new lands were to be retained by progeny
Of the indolent creoles Nho had shared them
silh the Indians, or whether they should b.
thrown open, with tempting Invitation, to IN.
enterprise and vIgor Of the Northern States, sno
rapidly filled upby new and energetic race
The same effect Is following as an Inevitable
consequences of the successful efforts Of the
south for the annexation Of Texas. The rene.
dies that Mr.. Elliot, proposes for the dIstres,
which he traces TO the excessive production OF
cotton. do not present very hopeful an,icips.
lions to sustain the hypothesis Of superior
Tealth in the South. He asks and answers af-
ter this fashion: "te what shall We turn our.
seives' To any thing, .ay. rather than to thi.
pursuit, since suicide should be the last resor,
Of misery. How employ our laborf In any
other way-in blowing air-bubbles, In any
thing, however fantastic and ridiculous, so ),
De not hurtful, rather than employ II thus per-
nieiously- IL We would retain cur labosinp
population within our own limits, and Restrain
our young men from ENGRAVING, We mat ind
them some pursuit more profitable than cotton
planting
He suggests the Increased cultivation Of
wheat, Indian corn. hay. indigo. sugar, tobacco
and early vegetables and fruits. for the Northern
markets.
Now. the fall In the price Of Indigo for the last
ten or fifteen years, seems to be az great and
more hoPeless than that Of coton; and Mr.. FL.
iiott says that South Carolina has ''retrosraded
In i,s production" No great crop Of sugar will.
probsbly, be expected from the State; and =.
tobacco. he says that, though ''it has come into
vogue, 1t has glided out again within the cep,u
ry." Asto the other products mentioned. com.
mon to the whole country as they are, &c ls no,
easy to see how any great improvement. in
wealth is to be gained by their prod action from
old lands. After due attention to these bro
ducts and to the forests, however, he says: "Ir
there Is labor yet to spare, employ il in dam.
ming mp the nountain streams and apply the
power thus generated to manufactures-if more
labor remains. apply il to the construction Of
railroads. Is there labor yet unsppropria,ed7
let II 60 to the permanent enrichmsut Of our
soil and the siernmsnt Of our homes. lie,
comfort and nesiness take the place Of that air
Of neglect and sometimes squalid dilapidallon
Il sh-s N A. ~ a