Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-04-10
Fro,, the Journal of Commerce,


Massachusetts and to some extent of olber northern
States now invite attention to tie tact that neither
cotton tobacco, sugar nor rice, the great staples OF
the South, is thus over estimated Unlike grass, hay
coarse grains, potat es and other projects of north.
ern agriculture, which repeatedly estimated in
the census account of northern tage and husband
ry, in the form of meat dairy products, wool, and
live stock southern cotton is counted but once
and then at the price 1T sells a and no more The
same is true of tobacco, rice and sugar.
If the planting labor of The South were no more
remunerative than the farming and manufacturing
industry of The North it is inconceivable how plan
tiers could afford TO pay, AS they now do from $1,20
to 81 500 for field hands to raise cotton
Were such onerous investment necessary to carry
on northern agriculture, manufactures commerce,
it could not fail 10 reduce very materially the profits
and extent of Northern enterprise and yet so en-
tireIy different the circumstances which surround
Southern enterprise, and urge forward its develop |
ment but this drawback is more than compensated
by advan ages which little seen, and less under
stood by persons residing out of the planting tates
Wishing TO make these advantages plain to every |
reader, shall deal only in facts which have reason
to believe cannot be successfully controverted
The State Of New York has unequaled commt rcial
advantages in lis command of the trade Of the great
Lakes, and facilities for importing and distributing
all needfu foreign goods. Its soil is better, an
average than that of Georgia and it has been much
longer settled by Europeans and is therefore in pos
session of capital that has the accumulaions of two
centuries AT The last United States census, the real
and personal estate of the people OF New York. was
returned at $1,000, 800, 2l6. Its population at B.,
O97, 1894. Divide the If their wealth equally, |
and each will have $34S,7S. At the census
the people of Georgia, who capable of holding |
property, including free negroes, Numbered 524,5O3
Their aggregate wealth returned at the low price
which it was taxed, and amounted 10 $50, 425,714
Divide this equally between Them, and each will
have $639,48.
If the purchase Of aborers in Virginia, Maryland
Kentucky, and elsewhere, and the production of
cotton for all who consume It, are not more proha
BILE than New York industry, how did 1t happen that
| the citizens OF Georgia WORTH IN 1851, nearly
twice as much per capita those Of New York a.
The Journal of Commerce of The 9Th January last if
| mistake not, contained brief abstract of the most
recent estimates of the real nd personal property Of
the several States, emanang from the Office of the
Secretary of the Treasury at " asbiDgton. Accord
ing to that document, The Stale of New York has
about $500 to each nhabitan; and Geore ia 81 ,085
to each person capable by law of holding property.
AS large share of the capital yearly called into
stence by the labor of Georgia, is invested in the
purchase Ct negroes out of the State, it would be
absurd 10 divide the wealth of its citizens among
these other slaves held property, in any estimate
of State wealth Neither the right nor the wrong of
slavery is in any way Involved in this purely eco
nomica question of dollars and cents. Property
holders in both States their money they please
in all lawful ways and the result is that the indus
rous enterprising peoI lie Of Georgia have made and
laid up about $50 per cent. more capital than the
people of New York. The property holders of South
Carolina have twice the wealth per capita possessed
by the people of Massach lsetts and should the de-
mand for Southern staples particularly cotton rice
and sugar, continue at remuneraling figures, as it
doubtless will, there natural advantages in favor
of the South yet TO be named. that will constantly
augment her wealth faster than it can be increased
al the North with equal capital. 1t is true there has
been, and still is, great lack of capital at the South
10 develop wisely her almost unlimited agricu tural
resources but her intelligent citizens do the best they
can remedy this serious defect, their unequaled
industry in producing capital aud economy in saving
it, bear witness.
Their remarkable success is due in no small de-
gree to a pecu and most favorable climate in ad
dtion to choice planting lands by the hundred mil
lion acres, W hch have literally cost them nothing
II Southern agriculture not peculiarly bIest in
reference to climate, matter how fertile the SOIL
how extensive the planting area, how high the
price of cotton, competition in other quarters of the
world, and the cost of labor would render slave
holding equally improbable and undesirable Ever
intelligent reader will admit that slavehoding has
been more prosperous in the Southern Atlantic and
Gulf States than IN any otter part of the world and
that it is destined to continue there cannot be
, reasonable doubt If propert7 were entaed and
slaves not transferable from one estate TO another it
r might be otherwise But SO long the South is ia
] vored with something like tropical summers which
at once keep out European laborers, and bring the
cotton plant TO It's highest producveness negro la
. Dor now employed will be profitable than
any other. III our winters were relatively warm
as those of EngIa and leland the same thew
are in some parts OF Mexico and Genital America,
such would be their relaxing depressing influence on
planters, to render our annual harvest Of cotton no
larger than that of the British possessions in Asia
= and the West Indies. If Georgi, summers are ad-
mlrably adapted to the growth of cotton, Georgia
winters equally favorable 10 the development of
= of mans highest physical and intellectual energies
Without these advantages combined her industry
y would not apprehend, be more productive than
i that of New York or Massachusetts, The tempera.
ture here is as high and prolonged as it can be and
not slowly take away all ambition to till the earth
not means of subsistence, but to accumulate
property. Cold when not too intense, nor too pro.
tracted is natures universal stimulus to industry in
vention, and studous acquisition. The people of the
North happily illustrate the soundness of this theory
but ii there takes the heat of tao summers to ma
: ture crop of wheat, and one of the same
land, succession, and the wheat of summer
sufiCes in Georgia, it is plain that labor in the South
n has greatly the advantage.
J ANY gwen amount of money and muscular toll
Yields larger return in the Southern thal in the
= Northern >tates because vegetable vitality in the
II seeds of agricultural plants operates some months
l. longer and therefore effectively in the warmer
climate for the benefit of both tllage and husband
ry Wherever there is sufficient industry and knowl-
edge 10 turn all The multiplying forces in plants and
Z animals 10 profitable account In Southern eli.
J. mate, consumption being reduced to it's minimum
with comfort, it is obvious that wealth in plants
and animals may be rapidly accumulated. | am far
Is from saying that the self multiplying power of the
T. cotton plant, any other is fully deveioped in
e. Georgia it is, however, cultivated with much great
e. er skill and economy Than is generally crediled
Hitherto land has been too cheap and abundant &c
be treated with that care, and attention 10 enduring
fertility, which are observed densely popula
5. Ell countries Time and necessity, if nothing else
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