Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-03
SPEECH OF HON. L. OBJ. BRANCH,

OF NORTH CAROLINA,
n The House Of Representn tioes December 1s 1885,
on the question of retsring tho Presidents Mes
SAGE to tho Committee of the Whole the state of
tie Unioa. and tie printing Of ten thousand cop
ies thereof
Mr. BRANCH said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: feel no hesitation in engaging in
this debate, because do not think it either unprof,
table or a waste Of time. do not think we would
be badly occupied if we were only gathering up ana
arranging the materials for the history OF the
and probably could not be better employed than
in defining clearly what issues have been settled oy
.he people, in order that parties and individuals may
conform their conduct to the popular verdict do
not thinkit worth while to inquire why the people
decided as they did decide; but propose TO state
what, in my opinion, the people did decide, and
what ought to be considered hereafter as settled by
the contest
Before proceeding to do so, however, wish to
advert to one or two remarks which fell from the
gentleman from Indiana Mr.. Cumtack] who address
ed the House yesterday.
As proof of the deeterious effects of slavery where
it prevails, the gentleman cited the fact, which he
says appears from the Of 1885, that the State
of Georgia has improved and under cultivation but
six millions Of of land whilst it has sixteen
millions of acres unimproved. Nature has been
bountiful to the southern States in many respects,
and has given to them much fertile soil but 1t the
State of Georgia possesses the proportion OF good
afaOle SOll-Eucn as sWOuiO tcupl
much unapproprated land of great fertility is Of
fered by the Government at no great distance OIL
as this statement would to indicate, she has
far greater proportion of good land than any other
southern or western State with which am acqualnt-
ed Much less than fourth of our land IS desl-
rable for cultivation, and hence our population is
sparse. This sparseness may entail upon US some
disadvantages but if it has tended to preserve us
from the crimes the isms and the furores which
constantly act the thcklysettled northern States,
we are amply compensated for every disadvantage.
I must say also to the gentleman, that if with
slave labor Georgia cuvates six millions of acres,
without slave LABOR it would not cultivate one mill
ion Our soil and climate render it certain that
without slave labor our entire crops of sugar and
rice and two and half of the three million ba'es OF
cotton we make, would be annihilated. And when
they are annihilated what would remain of the COM
merce trade, and prosperity of the North? We
have the satisfaction to know that when our north
ern assailants shall destroy US they cannot them
selves escape from the ruins
The gentleman alleges also that the slaveholding
States are behind the non-slaveholding in railroad
building and other improvements. have read such
assertions in newspapers and elsewhere, and seen
them 20 forth uncontradicted but they shall not 60
out from this Hall without being exposed hold
in my hand a table, prepared by myself from data
furnished by the American Almanac, published in
Boston, showing the miles of railroad, the number
Of population, and the proportion between the two,
in the Atlantic States. 1t does not embrace the
northwestern States, because their railroads were,
10 large extent, built by the Federal Government
out of the common property Of the Union, and fur
nish indication Of the wealth enterprise of those
States. l take those States embraced within the
limits of the original thirteen.