The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-10-11

other quarters that this idea is Spreading.
If the present irritations shall as seems
likely to be the case, procure greater at
-tentlon to suggestions of this character
than heretofore, great good viii come
out of evil. We shall have pleasure in
laying before our readers, from tine to
time, articles advocating the diversifcation
of industry, as well at the South as else
where, without regard to the ulterior mo-
tiyes Of those by whom it may be urged.
Let us Prepare for our own Protection.
In our article on Saturday we endeav,
ored to show the importance of encour-
aging the mechanic arts in our State. The
benefits that would be derived from it to
ourselves, and the necessity entailed upon
us at this critical period of our country's
affairs, to promote our own internal
strength. We now come TO what has
been the prevailing opinion at the South,
cheap, as at the North--consequently we
must import. But, letus ask, what would
have been the result, had each State con-
tinued to maintain this impression, as of
course they all, to certain degree enter
tanned this feeling at the dawn of their
great enterprises! Would they not have
found themselves laboring under all the
Inconvenience of dependence to which
this stereotyped opinion has subjected
them? We are all sensible of the obsta-
cles to which all new projects are liable,
and the responsibility incurred when its
success seems doubtful; but were we to
yield to them in their feeble stages, the
happy results which have followed the
most gloomy dawns would not now embla-
zen the records of our country as emblems
of our noblest enterprises.
But why does this great difference ex-
ist! Why is it that the North is our man
ufacturer? There are slight local causes,
we admit; but the extent is not equal in
proportion to the patronage we yield to the
North The question has been discussed
at the North, and she attributes it to our
slave labor, and a settled Willingness to
remain contented with producing the raw
material. The latter may have sometruth
IN it, but the former we should very much
doubt for there is no natural impediment
which wonld separate the manufacturer
from the producer. The success of the
one is produced by natural causes-the
other by our own feelings and the amount
of encouragement with which we foster it.
Let US compare the progress of railroads
| in Massaehusetts-the different branches
of trade connected with it, and the wealth
which they diffuse into the manufacturing
/ districts, with that Of Georgia. Massa-
chusetts, in 1888, had but one hundred
and seventy-four miles of railroad in run
ming order; her principle roads were the
Boston and Worchester, Boston and ProVI-
| dence, and the Lowell. The feeling then
was the same as with us. now; and the
! English locomotive and tender, with the
/ Philadelphia cars, might be seen running
on their roads. There were no ''locomo.
tive Shops" and but feeble attempt had
been made to build cars by Messrs. Day.
export & Bridges, of Cambridge. In 1899
the Worchester railroad were working
eight locomotives, four of which were
English manufacture, one fiom Lowell
shop, two from the Messrs. Norris, and
one from Baldwin & Vail, of Philadelphia
Here, in 1889, we find Massachusetts
to have made but little progress in the
manufacture Of her own locomotives and
cars. In the same year small establish.
ment had been started, on what was called
the Neck, near Boston, by Messrs. Hinck
ley and Drury. These gentlemen were
esteemed excellent mechanics--theirmeanS
were limited--the enterprise a private one
and its success was deemed very doubtful
Their competitors, Messrs. Norris and Bal
dwin, had established their popularity
with the Boston railroad corporations
drove the English mechanic out Of the
market and were even manufacturing spec
linens of their work TO send to Great Bri
tain and continental Europe. This, then
was an obstacle to the progress Of Messrs
Hinckley and Drury, who although hav
!, ing produced several very fine specimens
of workmanship, had not established I
popularity.
But let us ask, what is the present po
sition Of that branch Of business in Massa
chusettsg Her railroads have increased t
six hundred and ninety-four miles. Messrs