Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-02-22

nough to acquire title even to the cheap
lands they occupy, without roads. with
out schools and at length without even
desire for education, become the miser-
able beings described to US by the writ
ers whom have quoted. In Virginia
and all the old Slave States, immense
tracts belonging to private owners, or a.
bandoned for taxes, and in the South
west, immense tracts belonging to the
Government of the United States, are oc-
cupieI in this way. Southern agriculture
rude and wasteful to the last degree, is
not fitei 10 grapple with difficulties. 1t
seizes upon rich soils and fourisl.e only
while it is exhausting them. It knows
how to raise cotton anl corn, but has no
Acxibility, no power Of adoption to cir
cums,ances, no inventivcness. The poor
white, if he cannot find bottoms whcreon
to raise grain, becomes hunter upon the
! hills which might enrich him with focks
and herds.
In the first settlement of the new and
rich soils of the South west, these evils
were less apparent; but the downward
progress is rapid and certain. First the
farmer without slaves, and then the small
planter, succumbs to the conquering des-
olation. How feelinsly it is depicted in
the following extract from an Address
delivered few weeks since by the Hon.
c. c. Clay, j.. Of Alabama:
Il can show you, with sonow. in the
older portions of Alabama, and in my ns-
tive Country Of Madison, the sad memo
rails Of the arteries and exhaus.iny cui-
ture of cotton. Our small planters. af-
ter taking the cream of their lands. un-
able to restore them by rest, manures,
or otherwise, are going further West and
South, in search Of oher virgin lands.
which they may and will despoil and i'm
pover;sh in Ike manner. Our Weather
planters, With greater means and no more
skill, are buying out their poorer neigh
bors, extending their plantations. aud
adding to their slave force. The wealthy
few, who are ablelo live on smaller prof
its and to give their blasted fields some
rest, are thus pushing off the many who
are merely Independent. OF the e20,-
900, 900 annually realized from the sales
Of the cotton crop of Alabama, nearly
all not expended in supporting the pro-
ducers is rcinyestcd in land and negroes.
Thus the white population has decreased
and the slave increased almost pari p0ssu
! in several counties Of our State. In
1925 Madison County cast about 5000
votes now she cannot cast exceeding
1890. In traversing that county. one
will discover numerous far,uhous-s, once
the abode Of industrious and intelligent
frecmen. now occupied by slaves, or tea.
anlless, deserted and dispidated he will
observe tields, once fertile, now unfcnccd.
abandoned and covered with those evil
harbingers, fox-,ail and broomscdse; h,
will see the moss growing on the mold
cring walls of once thrift villages. and
will find 'one only master grasps the
whole domain that once furnished happy
homes for dozen white families. IN
deed, country in its infancy, where ff-
ty years ago scarce tree had been fell
ed by the AK Of the pioneer, is already
exhibiting the painful signs Of senility
and decay, apparent in Virginia and tn
Carolinas.
/ 1t is undoubtedly true that the condi-
ton of the South would be vastly amc-
liorated if its pursuits were more diver
sificd, ifits great facilities for mining and
manufacturing were improved, and if its
wastcful systems of agriculture were
changed. The profits Of capital would
be raised, and the produc,ivencss Of la
hor would be enhanced To certain
extent, perhaps, the free laborer Nigh.
be benefited BY the greater employment
and higher wages which would result ;
but the same fatal, ovcrshadowing evil
which has driven him from the field.
would drive him from tho workshop and
the factory. Hrret in haitrs htadIis
drunio. Even Mr.. Gregg, from whom
l ave quoted sbovc. says that oH ore. :
sesrs. rho hare erpsr'eaee in The ma'ir,',
gic. the deciaod preference 20 blacks a.
eperafires. Mr. Montgomery. in his
treatise on the Cotton Manufacture of
the U"i;ed Sotcs Compared nth Great
Britain, states that "thre are see, a
cotton fnetori,s ia 7e"ness,e ~ Grated en-
tirrly by sare labor, fAere not 1tsss