Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-03-22

sword, and head the great movement by which
that union was forever severed, and the independ-
ence OF these States established THIS qcas tie
great and grooming glory Of hts life schich has
spread his fame ooer tie mhole globe and eoW trans
mat to tie latest posterity. Savannah Georgian
Southern Cotton Mills.
The Savannah Georgian copies from the New
Orleans Picayune, private letter from Gen. c. z
James, a gentleman who has built as many cotton
mills, and set in motion large a number of cot
ton spindles as any other man in England or Amer
lea. His remarks ought to arrest the attention of
all parties Of the South. Gen. James, the author
of this communication, was elected few days
since to the U. S. Senate from the State of Rhode
Island and his letter is well worth perusal 1t is
to be regretted that the rise in the price of Cotton
which occurred little more than year ago,
checked to considerable extent, the progress of
the movements in behalf of manufacturing in this
and other Southern States Such result is not
surprising. This advance tended to bring it down
in two ways. First, the high price of the ma
tera had tendency to stop that diversion of cap
ital from its culture which commenced when it
was low. Second the same rise in the cost of the
manufactured article lessened the profits of the
manufacturer, inasmuch manufactures advance
IN price much more gradually than the material,
out of which they made. \ ct we believe that
all the Southern Factories are making money ra-
pdly, Notwithstanding Northern complaints of
low Tariff. And it is worthy the consideration of
planters, now so eager to invest the proceeds of
their last crop in slaves, whether this money might
not more wisely go to the building up of new
Factories. The tendency of the high price of Cot
ton is to call forth such efforts, and engage such
amount of capital and labor, in its cultivation
as will result in crops so large will assuredly
bring down prices. This tendency should if pos
sible be checked. How can it be better done than
by investments in Cotton Mills instead Of negroes
thereby diminishing, pro tanto, the amount of Cot
ton which would otherwise be raised, and at the
same time increasing the manufacturing demand
which would be required to be supplied.
The following is the letter of Gen. James, re-
ferred to above. 1t will possess an additional in
terest with our Nashville readers, as we learn from
the Banner that the writer expects soon to be in
our city, and to address our citizens the sub
ject of manufactures: -4mer5can.
Tor Y. G. Esq.-DEAR SIR-The letters and
papers forwarded by you to my address, have all
come to hand, and have been much pleased with
the perusal Of their contents. In yours of De-
cember "a, 1850, you request Of me such sugges
tons as will aid in exciting interest in the sub
iect of cotton manufactures at the South. have
been over the grounds SO many times that 1t would
be difficult for me TO offer any suggestions that
are new, or any that have not made before and
what can give you will be little more than repe-
titions, and most of which would occur as readily
to YOU as to me- One would suppose that the
people themselves at the South, if men of only
ordinary Judgment and reflection, would readily
discern the almost innumerable incentives to enter
into the manufacturing business. The Southern
people purchase large quantities of cotton goods
for their own use on which they have to pay
heavy profits to the Northern manufacturers, be-
sides the cost of freight, commission, &c, by
which the North is enriched. Suppose they had to
purchase their cotton at the North, they ought
even in that case to reserve the profits of manu-
featuring and the wages of manufacturing labor to
themselves, instead of transmitting them to the
North which so enormously swes the wealth of
New England. The North manufactures for her
self and for the whole country, and purchases her
cotton at the South The South should do the
same, even if her cotton were obtained at the
North. But in this business she possesses ire
mendous advantage, which she only has to use to
monopose the business. She has the cotton on
the spot, the product of her own fields, and that
cotton costs the Southern manufacturer less per
pound by about two cents than 1t costs the manu-
facturer at the North and this saving alone from
the cost of the manufactured fabric at the North
ern mill, will amount to at least SIX per cent per
annum on the capital of mill, and which added
to the profits of Northern manufactures, must in
my opinion, be much greater than the profits of
the cotton field. Why Southern men knowing
these facts, and frequently discussing the subject
of the increase of the wealth at the North, do not
act voluntarily on the suggestion to which they
give birth, it is difficult to conceive, unless apathy
and lack of energy and enterprise be the cause.
The Southern people are very sensitive, and natu-
rally SO, on the snblect of the rapidly growing
power and influence of the North They are ex-
tremely restive under the result of that rapid
growth, and though entirely aware of the cause
take no pains to keep up in the race. Does the
South expect that the people of the North will
keep looking back their shoulders to mark
the tardy progress of the South, and so regulate
their own pace as to just prevent their heels from
being trodden on by those in the rear? If so her
expectations are very unreasonable and Will never
be realized. The race Is open to all !; and the
South has the ability, and only lacks the industry
and energy to come ahead.-The power and nfiu-
ence of the North are the legitimate fruits of
her intelligence, her population and her wealth.
These are constantly enhanced by her CONNER
cial and manufacturing operations, OF which the
South is nearly comparatively destitute. Me-
chanical and manufacturing labor Is always worth
in market at least 80 to 80 per cent more than ag-
ricutural labor of course, in proportion to the
latter is so much more rapidly increased And
how stands the case Almost the entire labor of
South is employed in agricultural pursuits while,
to supply the demand, In very great measure, for
almost every manufactured article of every des-
cription they are dependent on the North. In
other words, the Southern planter barters with the
North the labor of three four agricultural hands
for that of two, at most three mechanics man
ufacturing operatives. Is it then to be wondered