The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-05-22

AS u nation, on the contrary, 1t has not betn
&C ebratcd for its manufactures though with.
In quarter Of century this section of the
land is beginning to take rank with the most
advanced nations in this department of indus.
try. And when we consider the almost count
less rivers Of nll sizes aud descriptions coursing
through our country from ocean to ocean, aud
from the lakes to that gulf that has brcn call.
ed the great heart Of the ocean, ami con.
template the countless waterfalls Afforded hy
mem, "ll ready TO propel machinery enough to
90 ti'e manufacturing Of the globe and when
we tl'l',k OF the cheap labor, free and slave,
!h't eau be commanded in all portions of the
l'.t'l, aud the abundant commercial advantages
Tor conveying American manufactures hy sea,
alrl land TO every nation aud to every isle,
through our swift ships, and swftcr rail ears,
u appears to he no stretch of imagination To
conceive of this nation as being the greatest
manufacturing land of the globe, century, or
even half century hence.
AS for the south, we see no reason why she
may not embark very largely in manuractnr.
ins within the next quarter ofa century She
has the capital size has the water power in
great abundance she has 4. 900 900 of 81 ives.
the estimated number of whom will he S 900.
/
some unexpected event shall prevent their won.
ted increase and she has besides II great mnI.
titndc of poor white laborcrs who ar, much in
want oil the employment that manufactures
would afford. BrsidS, cotton and wool are
great staples OF the south, and she can use
them 10 II much greater advantage than to cx
port them abroad, since the cost Of cxporta
ton is SO great, anu since she needs II large
portion OF the manufactured goods for her own
consumption. Great Britain is now the great
consumer OF American cotton Our foreign
exports OF the article in 1910 amounted to
1894 ,O6l pounds while the home con.
sumption Tor the same year reached lis. 9l5,-
2oO. lii 1890 we exported 635, SO ,60i.
pnods, and consumed at home 1875, | OF 500.
Our cotton factories, in 1850, consumed as
much cotton ms did those Of Great Britain i'll
1881 tn Us aflording encouragement that they
may, by proper management, be 50 multiplied
as to consume the whole crop of the country
at no very disinnt day
In the year 1916 the talcntc Hon a Albcrt
Lawrence, Of this city, addressed scvcra! lrt.
tiers to the Hon. William G. Rivcs, Of Virginia.
Oh the policy OF Virginia and the souib in ref
crence I" the introduction Of manufactures
ana internal improvements. In one Of these
icticTs MT. Lawrence sad
on cannot do anything in Virginia that
viii SO completely promote the Introduction of
railroads us the placing of manufacturing es-
tnbliS''mcntS on your beautiful waterfalls 10y
The water power OIL the James river. mt Rich
mond, Is nnrivallcd, and it seems II great waste
OF natural wealth to permit il 10 run into the
sea, having hardly touched watcrwhecl. III
TIE prominent men of Virginia, of both poit
ical parties, will give up their party warfare.
and resolve themselves into a committee of the
whole on the commonwealth, to improve the
state OF agriculture, by making two blades Of
grass grow where there is now but one if |
they will establish manufactures, and carry on
a well adjusted system of internal improve
mcnts, they will then have done something that
will be substantial abiding-whch will stand
as substantial memorials of their patriotic de.
voflon to the interests of the people tbr ,uuh
all time
Undoubtedly the worn.out condition of mncll
oi ~" lnnd in the older states of New Enc.
'n"d was one principal reason for the intro
'thci'oh OF manufactures with us. The same
Gehsoh urges Virginia, the Carolinas Georgia,
ana other southern states to make what they
nave lost by the depreciation of their lands,
by improving their waterfalls, and bv mnnu.
hcttrInE their co' ton at home instead of sen
ing 1t abroad. The south can produce cotton
10th, and better article, cheaper than either
Old or New England, because she has the cot.
ION on The ground, and in better condition
man IL can possibly he after II removal of hun.
ir'JlS or thousands of miles, thus being expos
'l 10 drenclling rains to he rolled in the mud
II w''nrveS, or to he blcachcd or rottcd by cx-
'oS''r', IN long travels by sea and land. IfI
'o''on has done so much to make England
!reat during the last sixty or seventy years, or
nre she received the first bnlc from our shores:
it has added so much to the industry and
prosperity Of New England, what will it not
10 for the south when she learns to u,nuf:c.
nre it at home, thus producing many valuable
iom' markets for the agricultnralist, and ma.
i'ng cotton king in n double sense.