The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-19
THE SOUTHERN CONVENTION.

We have no .diRpositOn to underrate the import
nnce of the deliberations of intelligent and patriotic
men assembled in any quarter of the Union for law
full and laudable purposes. 1t is not possible that
such disposition could actuate the present writer
in regard to tho convention of southern men now
assembled in Montgomery, Alabama. Yet we sure
that we express the sentiment Of an overwhelming
majority Of the southern people, less than Of the
northern when we confess our utter disappointment
at the results Of the southern commercial conven
tions'' which have been annually held for several
years past, in the chief southern cities. We doubt
if single railroad, single ship, single dollar
of additional wealth, has resulted the peculiar
product Of these conventions. We have no doubt
that good has resulted from the social reunion
Of citizens and interchange Of opinion between in
telgent minds gathered together from various quar-
ters of great section of the Union but farther
than the nero benefits that come Of social inter
course and attrition, we doubt if there has been
any good result whatever.
Nothing could be more laudable than an effort to
expand and diversity the commerce of country
and if this work could be accomplished by conyen-
tons Of agrcultursts by resolutions of conventions
or by even the most able and patriotic deliberation
and disquishon, we should have Witnessed long ere
this the tangible practical and substantial results Of
our southern conventions, in a multiplied and mag
nifed southern commercial sail and steam marine !;
in the sprnging upin every part Of the South of
factories and varied manufactures; in the general
development Of mineral resources and mines in the
rise of population Of artisans, mechanics and ma
chinists snumerous the agrculturists themselves
and in system Of railroads the result of con-
ventonal resolves, vast that system which the
South already possesses tho result of individual
and local enterprise. No such results however, can
yet be pointed to the fruits Of these commercial
conventions; and we think the judgment of the
country is already pronounced against them -.~
:. Behold come seeking fruit on this Ag tree and
find none cut 1t down. why oumberethit the ground r.
Commerce is growth and not fabric; and it is
growth, too, which does not flourish in an agricul-
tural soil The old English chronicles inform us of
the genial growth Of the grape and copious produc-
ton ofdecious wines in early times in the interior
counties of England; but the same chronicles tell
also Of the decay Of the grape culture and wine
production III those counties, by reason Of the fact
that as good wines as theirs could be obtained from
France, just the channel; while no lands in all
Europe compared with those of these English coun-
ties in The production Of The result has been
that for many centuries the culture of the grape in
thoss counties has been dim tradition, while they
have been, in fact, the granaries of western Eu-
rope. si
Commerce 10 not fabric that can be erected by ar
tifcial means and specific processes much less by
al. IA r
logical demonstration, Of eloquent invocation or Of
the most intense and ardent patriotism; and there.
fore the most able, wise, and enthusiastic conven-
tons cannot speak or resolve it into existence any
moro than they can speak trees or crops or muscle
and snew, into existence. twill grow spontaneously
where the economy Of nature ordains it to grow {;
and all the ingenuity and cunning of men, all the
wealth Of empire, all the cultivation and nurture Of
public patriotism and pride, cannot force it into an
unnatural growth anywhere else
These declarations are abstract, and are not in
tended to intimate that the conditions presented in
the South incompatible with the growth of a
southern commerce We do believe, however that
agriculture must forever be the leading pursuit. the
speciality every southern State and that commerce
mines and manufactures must forever remain seconda
ny and minor interests. We do not concur in the pre-
dominant idea of age of materialism that vast
overlapping commerce il the summon bonum of
greatness and prosperity in State. On the con
trary, we are Of opinion that healthy and flourish
ing agriculture presents tho highest condition Of
moral health and material wealth and we should
consider that people the victims Of an unfortunate
delusion who should strive to exchange buoyant