The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-04-16

4 af the steamer ST. James, on lake Pontchar.
{ train, IN 1852, by which judge Preston ano
s other aeslimable citizens lost their lives can
i scarcely have been forgotten BY many OF osl
readers The excitement caused By The event
ffswas yerysgreat. In the midst OF IT an afnaaVa
q was made before one ofthe recorders by Pc,
|liceman. stating that the deponent verify be.
Ilieved some of the dead had been robbed BY
s eaptain Tresca, of the schooner George Lincoln
i and other parties on board his vessel An ex
cited and exaggerated accountofthis was pub
tlished IN the Crescent in advance of any exa.
animation into the merits Of the case before the
recorder. The charges made were recanted
4 the next day, but still captain Tresea feeling
i aeerieved brought suit against Mr. j. II. Mad.
doS, then theproprietor of the paper. for libel
s The case was tried in one of the district courts
and he obtained damages in the sum of one
thousand dollars The defendant appealed te
the supreme court, and that tribunal on the
/ 7th inst. rendered a decision affirming the Judg
ment of the lower court The points OF law
bearing on the are stated lnteliglbly enough
by Judge Spoford, as follows:
i AS chronicler of events that actually occur
the defendant had a right to report the fact that
the plaintiff had been arrested and held for e3-
animation on particular charge. But he had
no right to go beyond this, assume the guilt Of
the plaintiff upon an ex parte charge, heap &C
Icusations of other crimes upon his head with
out any foundation and villify his character
before the public, except upon the responsible
/ ity of proving the truth of his accusations when
sued for libel The tenor of the article in this
case was to charge the plaintiff with the high
crime of piracy The defendant has not shown
that he had any grounds to suppose such to
have been as charged, the occupation of the
| plaintiff, or the charge was made with good mo-
lives and for iustifable ends.
The reparation made by recantlng the
charges the day after they were made. was
proper to be considered by the jury in estima-
ting the amount of damages, but could not, as
| the appellant contends, exonerate him entirely.
The injury had been done. The SANDER Cir
culated by one issue of the paper could not be
wholly obliterated by the recantaton in anoth-
en- All who saw the first may not have seen
the last, and tits difficult to restore areputation
thus positively and publicly accused of the
highest crimes known to the law.
It is urged that the plaintiff is debarred from
a recovery, by the expression ofhis satisfaction
at the apology and retraction published BY the
defendant This is something like thesthe plea
of accord and satisfaction of the common law.
| A bargain of this kind could be enforced under
our law, as it is competent for the injured par
ty to release his claim for damages. But it
must appear that he hasreleased it, orexpress-
Nv agreed to waive his action for the considera-
| ton named The proofin this case wholly fails
to sustain the existence Of such a waiver on the
part of the plaintiff, all his expressions being
consistent with the reservation ofEhis right to
sue if he thought proper.
PoLTeY OF SOUTHERN PLANTERs.-Tbe re-
turn of seed-tlme suggests a lew remarks ap-
propriate to the season, and bearing upon the
true policy Of southern planters, as derived
from the experience Of the past.
In many portions of the south agrlculturalin-
terests have prospered in spite of the defective
systenrupon which they have been conducted,
as well as the entire absence Of any system, as
is the case in numerous instances. A propit-
Gus heaven and generous earth have overcome
the errors of man, and prospered his il-direct-
ed exertions. There are many portions Of the
country, however, where these blessed inhuen-
ces are less literally felt, to be found chiefly
where the population has become dense, and
the capacity Of the soil exhausted by over tax
ing. Here Judgment and system become ne
cessary in order4to secure a reasonable remun-
Grafton to labor; and it is to those occupying
such less favored sections that word Of ad-
vice may not be wholly out of season and I'M
profitable.
The over production Of cotton, to the almost
entire neglect Of cereal crops, and consequent
" the animal products dependent thereon, we
have long felt convinced, has constituted the
principal obstacle to the success of many Of our
planters. It may be worked out on paper that
it is better to plant cotton and buy bread, pork,
mules and horses, with its products; but it is
notorious fact that our planters who act on a
different principle and pursue exactly the OPP
poslte course, have become the Wealthiest, most
independent and comfortable class of the COM
niunity. The truth is, the wealth Of the coun-
try is to-day in the hands of just such men, and
we invite any one who doubts it to look around
among his neighbors, and he will find a prac-
teal attestation of its truth. 1t is the two and
three bag planters that own nearly the entire
country; lend money annually to the producers
OF ten bags, and come III as the chief dlstrlbu
tees OF the estates of the latter when they die.
This is not only true, but it is the legitimate re-
suit Of sound principles judiciously applied.
Could the planter have a guarantee of ten
cents annually for his cotton, and that the price
Of flour would keep at six dollars per barrel,
corn at forty cents per bushel. and pork at four
cents, and that all these necessafies shall con-
tinue to be supplied at his own door, the figure
work Of the theorist might be regarded as a
safe rule for his guidance. But nothing is
more uncertain than the happening ofthese con-
tingencies, and the very fact that his own poll
cy is Withdrawing labor from the production of
these commodities, is one of the sure causes of
the uncertainty. With cotton at five and six
cents, and the necessaries oflife at the common
prices which we have had to pay for them for
some years past, we can see no other fate for
the man who confines his attention to cotton,
but inevitable ruin. In the long run, the plant
er who himself produces what is necessary for
the support and comfort of his family, and at
the same time exercises a proper economy in
his expenditures, is bound to become prosper
Gus and Independent. The whole history of
the past fully establishes this fact.
It is our intention merely to glance at the
subject in this article, and we have consequent
" omitted many points that might be brought
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