Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-03-04
sound and Liberal Views. ].

We copy the following nouce o. Inc iste speech
Of our Representative in Congress, the Hon. LeS0.
8. Branch, from the Woodstock (vermont) Spirit Of
the Age. That paper justly rebukes those Of the
North who are in the habit Of disparaging the
Southern States and sneering at Southern industry
and progress; and it avails itself of the able and
wel-considcred speech Of Mr.. Branch, to vindicate
our section Of the Union There are many newspa-
pers in the -saveholding States like this Vermont
paper, and they are nearly all Democratic Now
and then an old line Wing paper may be found
there, which does justice to the South, but such
journals are few and far between. The K. N. and
black Republican journals of the free States all
against us.
The article from the Woodstock Age is as fol-
lows: .-
1.-THE SoUTn COMPARED WITH THE NokTH BY Mr..
BRANCH, OF NORTH CARoLlSA.-lt is IA very preva-
lent opinion at the North that whatever enterprise
and thrift there is to be found in this country must
be looked for within the limits Of the -savehOld
ing States and that elsewhere nothing is to be met
with but dull, monotonous stupor and decay. New
England" enterprise is Hippantv talked about as
to lead one TO suppose that New England alone
boast Of enterprise. Even men who go to Congress
sometimes make themselves ridiculous by institute
ing comparisons for the purpose Of dsparagement
to :" the South" and times, too they get their
fingers most seriously burnt by it, in the case of
Mr.. Cumback, Of Indiana. Mr. Branch. Of North
Carolina. in speech in the House OF Representa-
tives, December 18th, thus alludcs to this matter.
He replies to the remarks of the gentleman above
named, in speech made the day previous:
CAS- proof of the deleterous effects OF slavery where
it prevails the gentleman cited the fact which he
says appears from the of 1885, tina. the State
of Georgia has improved and under cultivation but
six millions of acres Of land, while it has sixteen
sc I,o. haov,
bount,fui to the Southern States in many respects,
and has given to them much fertile SOIL but if the
State OF Georgia possesses the proportion of good
arabic soil, such would tempt cultivation. while
so much unappropriated land Of great fertility is
offered by the Government great distance off,
as this statement would seem to indicate, she has
far greater proportion of good land than any other
Southern Western State with which | am ac-
quan,cd. Much less than one fourth Of our land is
dcsirab for cultivation, and hence population
is arse. This SparseneSS may entail upon US
some disadvantages; but ii it has tended to preserve
from crimes the isn.s, and the furores which
constantly atfict the thcky settled Northern States
We ae amply compensated Tor every disadvantage.
must say also to the gentleman that if it'll slave
labor Georgia cuitivates six millions of acres, with
out slave labor it would not cultivate one million.
Our Soil and climate render certain that without
slave labor our entire crops of sugar and rice aud
two and half of the three millions Of bales Of cot
ton make, would be annihilated. And when
they are annhiiatcd what would remain of the com-
| melce, trade, and prosperity of the North? We
have the satisfaction to know that when our North
| ern ASSISTANTS shall destroy they cannot them.
| selves escape from the ruins.
The gentleman alleges also that the slaveholding
| States are behind the non Slaveholdng in railroad
building and other improvements. l have read
such assertions in newspapers and elsewhere, and
seen them 90 forth uncon,radicted; but they shall
not 60 out from this hall without being exposed.
hold in my hand table, prepared by myself from
data furnished by the American Almanac, published
in Boston, showing the miles Of railroad the number
of the population, and the proportion between the
two in the Atlantic States 1t does embrace the
Northwestern States, because their railroads were
to large extent built by the Federal Government
out Of the common property Of the Union, and fur.
nish no indication of the wealth enterprise OF
those States. l take those States embraced within
the limits Of the original thirteen.