The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-04-18
Can Manufactures Succeed in the
South

There is much truth contained in the fol-
lowing communication which We take from
the Nashville Gazette. However humiliating
the acknowledgment may be, the people of
the South are genarally sending North for
Superintendants, not only in cotton Manu-
featuring establishments, but in almost every
other branch of Mechanics. This fault should
be remedied, and the communication is we'll
tuned and sensible. The correspondent says:
In the March number OF Hunts Merchants
Magazine there is an article which declares
the startling fact, that of the four million bales
OF cotton raised last year. only one hundred
thousand was manufactured into cloth in the
South. OF this amount, North Carolina man.
ufactured $4,000, South Carolina 10000;
Georgia 10000; Tennessee, 1900 and Ala
hama, 10000 bales There has, however,
been a gradual increase of the amount In
1855 there was only 900 bales made into
cloth, which amount has gradually increased,
and in 1859, 100000 were manufactured,
which shows an increase of nearly double the
amount in four years. The reports from most
I Of the factories shows healthful and prosper
Gus condition, and gradual increase Of the
number Of bales manufactured, proves conclu-
| slyely that the business is paying
This writer says that "the great bug bear in
the South, is the cry that labor is too high, an
assertion which is not true, as can be proven
by the history Of the factories which have been
successfully managed in Georgia This kind
of labor required in cotton factories, occupies
persons to whom it is almost charity to give
employment, and the compensation is estab-
lished by the employer. Women and chill
dren do most of the work, and cotton facto-
ry well managed, operates as a blessing to a
town, by giving the poor and helpless people
employment
1t is true that all the factories do not nav
good dividends in the South, neither do they
all pay in the North if badly managed they
do not pay North or South ; and the fact that
some do pay, is conclusive evidence that all
might be made to pay. The objection is often
urged in Nashville, that we must have nor
thern men to manage our manufacturing es-
adjustments that we have not the men here
to conduct such establishments. Is this not a
humiliating confession? Is Tennessee ready to
make such a confession Are we dependent
upon the north for every thing? five have
no brains in the South, it would be well to i'm
port cargo. Or to save our people the trou-
BILE of using the little they have, hire some one
to do our thinking for u.s. Shame on such
contemplate old fogies- No man can teach
our children but northern man and not sa-
tisfed with that those of ripper years are to be
taught to manage their own business by men
of the same sort-they must manage our fac
tories. If such is the general feeling and SEN
timent of the South, then they ought to be
made 1.-THE hewers of wood and the drawers of
water" for the north. If the northern people
are superior, they deserve to enjoy all
that superiority. But it is not so. Hear what
Georgian says on this subject:
when the Macon Factory was first estab-
1ished, it was under the control of a man
brought from New England at high salary,
but he soon convinced his employer that he
did not understand our people, and would not
answer for the place. Mr.. William S. Holt q
Georgian born and raised, was then appoin-
ted as his successor, position he still occupies
with credit to himself, and satisfaction to the
Company and this is not the only case in
Georgia. Mr.. Bennington King manages fac
tory at Raswell with marked success. The
Augusta mills are, also, prosperous"
Then, according to this testimony, we may
manufacture profitably in the South, and we
are not dependent upon the North for mana
ger. The point is then settled as to our abili-
ty. We have the capital, we have the ma
4erial. the hands begging for employment, and
a market at our own doors. Shall we have
manufactures in Nashville ? There are many
young men who would like to remain in Ten
nessee who are too proud to work; the coun-
try Is over stnckad with rnOrohants as well as
al tie learned professions. what are thew to to
do Do the parents ofsuch wish to see their
sons set ofgentlemen leafers and drunkards?
If not, let them have some useful employment.
'ldleness is the great fomenter of evil" Here
is field of usefulness, in which they NAV be
made blessing to the community in which
they live Let some of the capital be employ
ed in manufactures, and our beautiful city
will grow to be giant in size, and make glad
the hearthstones of many poor family.
w r H