The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-20
DIRECT rShDl;.

NhWi"N upon thc prospect ui dncVt t-aJv " it
Europe. The writer takes very .rns,Jlc view
"i I'll" subject. holdins that the "r",n,nc,c,l in
dependence Vf the South will never hc scclrrJ
until her national Independence il established u
Self interest wicds II contrvlin.: influence eve,
the pursuits Of nntions, rs well as individuals
and hence, we may expect that Southern capital
will never be employed in shipping; an;l commerce,
while the people Of tho South hold to In. con.
victton that Investments in land and ncurocs :,r
agriculture arc safer and more profitable ,han
Those for commercial purposes:
LINDEN, WEsrMonElANp CorSry. Y, !,
July :S, le5'.
Sirs: have received Your very po,it. invita-.
tion To- participate in the proceedings of In, CON
vcn,ion at Old Point, which has lor it's o,;,.,.,-
the establishment of II Steam Ferry to EuIopr
rs one means OF securing the co,li,icrc;uI indcnn
dcnce Of Virginia and the South.
The object proposed commands my cordial np
probnol'. and no true son of the Sou,l, will with
hold his counsel, influences, or material aid from,
s" noble nm enterprise, although he NAV have
doubts Of its pruccabiiv.
The scheme Of Mr. Dudley Mann j. n n,rniG.
cent conception, which appeals with irresis,iI,Ic
iurce to the warm iinagnatons of Southern me-,
pic; whist The more unprctcndiny and seemingly
practical plan suggested BIZ NJ. I.acuu,urn i, III.
correspondence with the Governor of Nir,,ini,
may possibly have more attractions for .lr.,rI
men OF business, who ate looking 10 Il nrn,i,.h,,
investment of capital, rather than to ;, cb:,u..
OF our commercial relations with Europe and the
North. WV
have desire to say Il word to damn ,,,c ar.
dor OF Southern feelings rcI,rcss til. r.i,,r
hopes OF those who think they SEE. in cy,ui:
now coming the near approach Of this glorious
consuiniiiation; but l must confess thar. after
much and anxious reflection on the subject. Lny.
ItrIkll Il
South an i:npracticabc idea, unl-. or present
systcm Of go,crnncEt
Each annual meeting of tl,,. Southern Co,nncr
ciil Convention has but confirmed this cnuvic.
tion There has certainly been no lack of talent.
both practicable and theoretical, in ;hcs. Con :
rcntl"iis, and surely there has been no want Of
will to accomplish the object for which they as
scmbed; YET it must Lc confessed lha, ll,.v
have sgnally failed even in suggesting an idea
lnit has coiliiilandc1 the assent Of practical men
The inquiry naturally arises, why this si..nal
i,'s''re: The answer is obvious: ii is brc:,,s.
they have cssayrd 10 perform IN imI~s.:L!.
task:
Rely upon il, TIE co.nncrciR m Ep.aL me-. ,f
Tie Souh wU rcr.r be Scewrr.i u.il h,y ,,.,,;,u,n
ihd-pca,t"ncc is cstchiish,H Whether this j.. :,u
event desirable in itself, one likely tn he forced
upon us sooner or later by the aggressive rucy
ot the North, arc questions which 10 not pro-
pose now to discuss. My prcscm, inquiries are.
confined entirely to the poi,,co economical as.
pect OF the question; and upon this propose To
oiter lew remarks, which, without prcirn,linr to
exhaust the subject, may be su.gcsv of thought
10 others. There are natural ca,isr. which S;,.
TIE destiny OF States rs we'll ,s individuals tilounh
unseen aud unobscrvc,i. WHY have the p,oolc
OF the North devoted themselves to con,n,rrr,
and manufactures, aud the people Of the South
mainly TO agriculture, Tl!;s !:,s no. been owiu,,
I" she exercise Of any peculiar s;gacity in the one
sccti"n or tile other, but to nntur, CAUSES as
rSlI ~ Al n
southern people are often reproachrd umjusily
Will their want Of industry and cntcr;!risr be.
cause they have not rivallcd the people OF the
Norti Ill urls, manufactures, and commerce. AS
well might the North be rcproac!,cd because it
docs not produce cation and sugar.
No people have exhibited more industry oul
enterprise than the people of the Southern States
They have fulfilled their mission. Placed hy n
KIND Providence under genial climate and ON :,
virgin SOIL requiring the labor OF the sturdy Atri-
can to subdue it, they have by wisely directing
hs 'abors' eifectua!ly accomplished lllc ori al
lotted them.
They have fellpd the forests drained the
swan,ps and opened the broad savannah, of the
South, and produced in bound!ess proi,,sun all
those articles OF necessity and luxury Which are
indispensable to the comfort, commerce. and civ
li'zation OF mankind And, after having. wasted
tho virgin soil Ill their efforts 10 supply the wants
OF the world, no people in any aye or country
nave exhibited greater industry or tact in restor
ing TO its original fertility the region which had
thus been exhausted by the excess of their indus
try and enterprise
lhe most distant regions Of the earth have
oeeh explored and the resources of science ex.
huustedto furnish new and efficient fertilizers
capital has been literally expended and the in :
Senuity OF artisans stimulated 10 the utmost to
produce new aud improved machinery To faciIi
tate the labors of the farmer and all the process.
es Of husbundry have been so improved that
If1pn =
the North, but promises ere long to ival that of
the most highly cultivated countries of Eu-
rope.
Nor Is it the want of capital or wealth that has
. prevented the South from becomiu. IL CONNER
/: cial people. There is no part of our favored
country that 30 abounds i'll ull that constitutes
individual or public wealth. 1t is the very cxu-
nerance OF our resources that hats caused onr
people 10 devote their energies TO agricultural
rather than to commerce aud manufactures
And the same carse will continue to keen us
n'snly m agricultural people rs long rs the Con
1eheraGy shall exists. Very general dcusion
prevails as to the nature Of capital. AS money
3 y The universal representative of value 1nuuv
suppose that it constitutes capital.
put a'though money performs go important an
once III the affairs of mankind, yet, rs constitu-
ing poruoh OF the capital Of the world. it is so
insgnhcant IN item TINT every dollar NIGH, be
thrown INTO the sea and yet mankind be Scarcely
apPrecabiy poorer, The capital of the world is
either fred i'll permanent articles Which cnnuot
Ie diverted to other uses, or circulating IT. carry
InS OIL thc various operations Of agriculture,
Commerce., and manufactures and, Iein1 tl,u,
employed, this portion of it cannot be nppropri-
nted To other objects without deramging the whole
course OF busnesr' and may, therefore, be rrgar-
oeo as almost as permanently fixed as if inv csted
in houses or other structures. The large amount
OF private wealth existing in The shape of stocks
and other public securities, and in notes, bonds,
ana mortgages, has HIron1I- k.nn .
wars, or appropriated in public or private works.
and IS no longer capable Of investment.
These securities represent tho wealth of those
who hold them, and the poverty Of those by whom
1ney were given. So far as the wealth of man.
KIND is concerned, they are n negative quantity.
and will never support an army or construct n
snip ora railroad. The only capital in amy
country available for such purposes is the SUI plus
gam OF industry Overland above the annual con.
sumption Of mankind: This, in seasonssof peace
aud prosperous Industry, amounts To a-Sssy largo
sum, and may be said 10 constitute the free ean;