The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-03-06
NO 43
From the Georgia Constitutional.
WHAT THE SOUTH MOST NEEDS.

III
yer that the wealth and strength Of the South
lie in its agricultural resources 80 lar as
these remain in state of nature, or are de-
vcoped in way seriously to impair the pro-
ductivcucss of the land cultivated the public
either gains nothing therefrom or reaps bene-
fits Of themost ephcmeral character. plain
statement of facts will set this matter in q
clear light before the reader
1st The Southern States contain over one
hundred million acres Of land, which, for agri-
cultural purposes is not surpassed, and proba-
) not eonalled. all things considered, by any
other equal area on the habi,able globe
2d All the enclosed land in the South, ac
cordnr to the census of 1850, is ffty.fve mil
lions. three hundred and cighty.four thousand,
seven hundred and six acres, or less than one
acre IN ten
3D.. Experience has abundantly proved that
negro labor, rs employed in the planting States,
is best adapted TO the production OF those tro-
pical and semi tropical plants which are the
staple crops Of the South.
4th. Experience has also shown that we
cannot rely on immigrants from Europe to
supply labor, the cultivation OF cotton, rice
and sugar in this country.
5th III consequence of the supply OF labor
crs from Africa having been wholly cut oil
since 1903, and the great demand for negro
labor in AL cotton, sugar and rice growing dis
tricts with the unavoidable high price Of
slaves, planters have been placed in that un.
natural and unwiSe position which renders it
more profitable to wear ont the very cheap
lands Of the sunny South than to maintain
their virgin fertility. Had labor during the
last fifty years been approximately as cheap as
farming lands, or were slaves now as cheap AS
u antnliors. they could be bought at prices
that would enable every ente. prising man to
improve his soil, and thus soon double the
wealth and every kind Of business connected
Herewith, il the ,lavcholdmg States. tthe
present perfectly abnormal, not to say extra
vagaut prr, Of rood field hands, no one can
afford to use slave labor or the production OF
manure, unless il be ii purely exceptional ca
scs 4 system Of planting applicable to
all cotton aud corn fields, ours is cmphatically
in false position.
No thoughtful, intelligent man can survey
the old fields from the Chesapeake to the Mis-
SiSsippi, and not bear witness TO the fact that
there il something fundamentally wrong IN
southern agriculture. To right this wrong is
what the South most needs; aud it can never
enjoy lasting prosperity until lt> citizens have
the good sense to find out where the wrong
lies and remove it
The wise and good men who framed the Fe-
deral Constitution did not, and could not, fore
see The Importance that was soon to attach to
cotton culture in part of the United States;
= nor how indispensable more laborers from
Africa would become in the course OF time, to
meet the growing wants Of the civilized world,
y in reference 10 our present great agricultural
> and commercial staple. Could they have look
; ell into the unknown future, and III place OF
: prohibiting importation OF slaves after the
; lapse Of twenty years from the adoption OF
= ihe Constitution, provided for the suppression
4, Of all the clneltieS Of "the middle passage,
y and giycn to this class Of immigrants into the
:. New World, every necdfn protection that good
d laws rigilly enforced can afford, the South
y would today he worth three times more than
Y it il. Land and labor would then have borne
relative prices, based on equal availability and
: sound agricultural economy, so that the soil
rapidly approaching in value, because Of The
/. abundance OF labor 10 improve it, wonld have
:. been too useful to society to permit its dc
"a Strurtion Now the great misfortune lies il
y the fact that southern public sentiment fails Il
i see as the people equally fail to feel the pro
a. priety Of consuming the natural fruitfnlness 0
a the fields which both feed and cloth them.
pa Without laborcrs to cultivate and improv
!, the indefinite millions OF acres OF impoverished
u. lands, our present practice of skinning ant
# bleeding the soil will not he abandoned 70
~ many years The pnbc interest demand
r. more aborors in the planting States; and thi
,t interest should be respected by all parties
p. The highest statistical liberties at the Mort
,t estimate each abe-bodied adult immigral
lv from Europe into the free States as worth Oh
~ ~. thousand dollars to the public there. AT til
v. rate, two hundred thousand immigrants a yea
No give the North every twelve months two hui
cp dred million dollars worth Of imported abo
cd ers. viii the planters and business men
-. the South fold their arms in distress, and sa
ga that the large area OF farming land IN tn
-. quarter Of a common confcderacy shall haV
on no benefit whatever from the introduction
he human muscles from abroad!
Is, Dh7g~ | never see II person proud OF his III
~ dress but think, "WeII, he has only cast-o
an clothes after all he has the jacket of I'll
of lamb, aud the great coat of the sheep. Fro