The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-05
MISSOURI,

This border State 10 at the present time the
theatre of a great and mighty reform-no less
than voluntary change from slave labor to
free. The Stale is gradually separating itself
from its close alliance with slaveholding States
is each year Strengthening its ties with the
great cities of the free States, and will ere
long shake eff entirely the incubus which has
from her birth into the Union, cramped her
energies and dwarfed her growth. The free.
labor sentiment is already in the ascendant
AT st. Louis and other centres of civilization
the opponents of slave labor are in decided ma
jorities, and are earnestly at work, scattering
the truth broadcast over the entire State.
Bat there are many circumstances which
combine to render the present an auspicious
time for the regeneration OF Missouri. The
German element in the population of the State
is strong one, and it is arrsyed against Sla-
very. The fact that Missouri is peculiarly
fitted for the culture of the grape, continually
attracts masses of German colonists, who sue
coed admirably in the business. We clip the
subjoined paragraph upon this point from the
Missouri correspondence of an exchange:
with reference to the capacity CT the State
for this branch of culture, Prof. Swallow, the
State Geologist, ID reported to have said that
Missouri contains more good vine land than
all France The business is now almost en-
tirely in the hands of Germans, most intelli-
gent and thrifty class of people, who are deri-
wing from it large profits. Some of the vine.
land--passed over by the American pioneer for
its unfruitfulness-they have bought even at
l23 cents an acre generally they purchase it
of the planters or proprietors for 81 an acre.
Even the improved hill-tops, with wood cleared
and soil broken, and good eastern exposure,
and sometimes with planting on it, could be
bought for $l5 an acre. The German peasant
comes in with small capital of say $500 or
$500, builds his log. house and his wine.cellar,
buys his cattle and implements, and plants his
vineyard-at the same time laying out some OF
his fields for common crops. For the first
three years, he lives on his farm, the sale OF
his wood, and the like. By the fourth year, bis
vines make a return, and even if the year be a
bad one, are certain to pay the wages of his
labor.
"After this, his average yield is at least 300
gallons an acre-worth from $500 to 1915. 1t
often reaches 1000 gallons, or $1,000 to
$l,250 in value. One man can work two or
three acres easily, and often much more. Ifhe
p
from So to SIS month. Provisions are very
cheap, 80 that the returns from this branch OF
culture must be among the most profitable Of
any to be obtained from agricultural industry
through the whole country. After innumera-
BILE experiments with vines from all vine grow
ing countries, the Missouri cultivators have set.
tied down on certain native grapes, and from
these they have produced some new varieties.
1.-The tavorite native grapes are the Catawba
Isabella, and Virginia seeding. Of new and
old varieties, there are now some fifty in Mis-.
souri,. The wines made are much lighter than
the Ohio wines-one (red) from the Virginia
seeding resembling Burgundy, and another
(white) being much like a common Rhine wine
In some portions of the south of Missouri, the
culture has fairly changed the face of the coun-
try, covering the slsty and barren hill-tops with
the beautiful green of vineyards and giving the
air to a new district of old cultivation. One
village alone, (Hermann,) with some 10000
German inhabitants, produced last year $1,000
gallons of wine. There are certain great ad.
vantages to Missouri in German agricultural
population, which the people are more and more
appreciating."
1t seems that the German makes an excel.
lent farmer-in many respects better one than
the American. He loves trees and flowers, and
will take more pains than the native to cultivate
them around his dwelling. He is thrifty, and
is also very industrious. These qualities, when
arrayed in contrast with those developed by
Slavery, are sure to affect the institution unfa-
vorably. The same writer from whom we have
just quoted Gays:
4 The tendency of the vine. growing business,
as well as Of the Teutonic habit is to small in
dependent freeholds. For the planters and
large proprietors, it becomes vastly more profit
able to cut up their estates into small farms,
and to sell it to Germans than to cultivate the
whole under their wasteful system.
"Besides, the fact appears-which eventually
ia to sbatter the system of Slavery in all but
the Gulf States-that German laborer, hired
at $l2O year, is much more profitable than
negro man, bought for 81 200, where capital is
worth from 10 to Is per cent, and with all the
peculiar losses and accidents to which such la
Dor is subject.
From this slow, sure, inevitable influence
of free labor on force labor, Missouri is becom
ing gradually emancipated. The progress may
be slow or rapid, but it is certain as the prog
ress Of the seasons. Many difficulties are be-
fore the people for the final solution of the
question as to the disposal of 10000 or 100, 600
slaves, and the proportion in which all shall
bear the indemDities of emancipation. These
they must meet and solve themselves, in their
own way. But whatever course they take, it is
certain that each year--yes, each month-the
free Teuton lsborer is driving out of the State,
or bringing over to his own cause, the Ameri-
can ssve-owner. He does it unconsciously.
He works often better than he knows-but
he is none the less accomplishing the great oh.
ject."
70 r
men at st. Louis-Blair, Brown, and a hun.
dred others-who are showing the people of
Missouri, shareholders as we'll as non-slavehold.
ers, that it is for their interest, for the honor
and glory of the State, to abolish system of
labor which not only degrades its immediate
victims, but all kinds of labor and laborers.
CoMFoRTED.-The Richmond South, which
has for so long time been deeply exercised
over the Anti Slavery condition of the North,
is comforted. 1t says:
"The truth is, that the feeling or conviction
of Abolitionism has deeayed so rapidly within
the last two years, that it now plays but An in
significant part in the politics of the North.
Even the Anti Slavery issue is ignored by the
Anti-Slavery party. In Congress, we hear
nothing about the wrongs of the negro. The
newspapers of the North are engaged in the
discussion of other topics. There is disgust
for Uncle Tom literature, and Mrs. Stowe is an
obsolete scribbler. And more significant than
all, it is now perfectly plain that the Presiden.
tial election of 1860 will be suspended upon
some other than the Slavery ISSUE"
If this be so, we suppose the South will no
longer publish articles squirting at Disunion