The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-10
Cotton Factories at the south.


n Cotton Factories at the South.
4 "Itis but very recently that the attention Of the
southern people has been directed from the exclp-
sive cultivation of their great staple towards th,
smanuiacturc of il for their own domestic use. Hav
aing, however, conceived the idea and practically
tested ts feasibility, they have embarked in this|
3new branch OF industry with characteristic ardo
Aand energy, and cotton factories springine
Cup throughout the southern and western country
swith almost magical rapidity
"fou can scarcely open southern paper, now
that docs not contain reference to the successful
Ssuls Of some established enterprise of this kindo
schroncle the incipeut steps towards the establish
ament of some new one. Alter having so long slum
bered over the greatest facilities and inducements.
that could invite to such enterprises, the southern
Speop!e, stimulated suddenly by the unprecedented
succesS OF some holder pioneers have been fully
kencd to these resources and the danger is thai
&they may push their new notions too far Through
zout the whole tier of southern and southwestern
Estates, the busy watcr-wheel and ceasclcss spin
Adles now break the silence Of many rural solitudes
Ton the banks Of streams hitherto the haunts of Tho
ahunter and his gamc-and the water power, SO long
srejcctcd, is made tributary to human industry
Many of these factories have failed to be profitable
Gin consequence Of injudcious management and II
want OF proper knowledge of the business bu. We
know of no instance where such result was at
Claimed except from the above specified; anC
2are cognizant Of many where the profits are veryE
Slarge and rapidly increasing Already does tho
Isupply of domostcs in sections thar
acqual the demand and afford surplus for export;
land the northern mills have already been forced to!
:3recognise more formidable competitor even thanl
5the British, both in the home and foreign markets
Gin the production of the finer fabrics, too, the i'm
Improvement has been wonderfully rapid-and prizes
S3have been awarded by northern institutes to sam.I
Hples from southern mills successfully compctineI
ISwith the most celebrated northern ones.
81 "How far this competition will be carried, andi
wha the issue will be, il is impossible at this carly
aperiod to predict; but this much is positive that u
!Essnew and potent element of industrial and social
iprogrcss has been introduced at the South; andI
that should it be pushed no fu ther her citi
Mems hereafter will not be dependent either OIL
Rnorthern foreign looms for their cotorI
8goods, but can always supply their wants in thi,
Prospect under any emergency that may possibly
arise.
q "There is also another feature which commend
;SSthis matter especially to the attention and coun
&tenance of southern statesmen-it has been asccr
8tained by repeated and successful experimental
that slave labor is admirably fitted for factories
$and each days experience confirms this fact more
strongly.
q eve have witnessed personally the working oil
3this experiment. and cam therefore, speak advised
ely upon it, For all the subordinate positions in 4
Snill, but three faculties put in requiston pa
atience, attention and manual dextcrity all three
of which with proper supervisory the negro IL
found to possess in an eminent degree.
a "We know of remarkable instance which,
would seem conclusive on this point. 1t was tina
Xof northern superintendent from Lowell wht
3took charge Of southern mill, where cquali
I numbcro of whites and blacks employed, ouI
the express condition that the end Of six months
Ehc should be allowed 10 substitute white operatives,
n place of tho black ones At the expiration Of tn,
SPECIFIED time he (most Unexpectedly to his EN-
Hployors) reversed the condition. and declared bill
,3docidcd preference for the substitution of blacks
) n the places Of the Withdrawing that they were,
E}moro manageable, and at the came time better
Operatives.
q ellis request complied with, and the goods
which that mill has manufactured, with that labor
have been equal to any in the United States IN
was (when last heard ofi) still doing a GOO
business, and the black operatives still work
= ing it."
The Southern Press, from which we copy
the above, follows il with an article from the
New Orleans Bulletin, on the +" True Policy Of!
3the South" the substance of which has ap
peared in our columns. The gist Of it is in the
n following extract, which contains the greail
d principle lying at the basis of the protective|
policy, and equally applicable to every othe
species Of manufacture to which the country
i is adapted-to tho iron mills ofTcnncssee as &c
the cotton factories of Georgia, to the North as
well as TO the South:
n While tens of thousands of citizens in the cot
= ton growing States lack profitable employment
think Of the supreme folly Of sending 800 600 OO
pounds Of cotton to England TO be spun and ex !
ported again, and at the same time sending thercE
American corn, wheat, beef, pork, butter, cheese
land lard for the spnners 70 eat when performing
work that ought to be done in Georgia. viii II
bushcl of Georgia corn mako bread or a ba *
Of Geor gia cotton make more thread or CLOTH forE
being sent about four thousand miles before either
is applied TO its Legitimate usc' Certainly not"
We arc delighted by every fresh indication
: that the Southern people have been awakencdh
to an appreciation of their resources and a re I
4cogniton of the methods in which ihoy are IL
be best developed but We cannot agree withe
. The Southern Press that g the danger now IL
! that they may push their new notions too far y
so far as relates TO actual progress in the mate
: rial constructions required for the diversified I
lion Of their industry, though rapid and cheer
: ing. its results are yet of but small account in!
comparison with tho capacity of the people IA
enlarge them, or with what has been done in |
other quarters.
The people Of the planting States are more
= in danger Of not carrying their notions far |
enough-of limiting their vision to the benefits
Of the cotton manufacture, and Of failing 10 dis
perm that there are thousand other branches
. pf industry, large and small. for which theys
have equal need and equal facilities. The Red
. River Republican was. few days since, pro-
claiming it as great achievement, that paid
| Of boots had been made in the parish of RapdoS
and that the calf had been raised and the hidel
tanned within its precincts. There is as lttlol
reason for any region in the South sending n
,... G. loot, % "a 1 o,yp1l f,r lie che,