Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-04-09
AGraphIc NnrratIve.


In the Virginia State Convention, on the
25th ultimo, Mr.. Bruce, of halifax county,
gave spirited narrative Of the troubles Of a
southern planter. We copy it below. Those
southern journals which seek to magnify the
manufacturing capabilities of the seeding
states may derive valuable lesson from this
story OF practical experience. The members
Ofthe "SOuthern Manufacturers Association, y
who lately held prolonged session in a
Georgia town, will find hard nut to crack
in Nj. BrucSs statement that Rthe South
cannot compete with the North in manufao-
tnres."
Mr. Bruce said;
al was once, sir, a southern planter. In
the year l844 went to New Orleans. Ny
sugar. sUgeHeiia9 a S5 Saf kipdled by the quantity of
raised in that sunny region teaE esiElg planters
and was invited to address an agricultural
society in neighboring county. I advised
my friends who were large planters to carry
portion Of their negroes South, where their
profits were great and not keep them here
where our profits were small To show nv
sincerity in this belief, I went to Louisiana,
and became cotton and sugar planter. The
first year made nothing, as might be ex-
pected, because l had heavy expenses; but
the next year afterwards, there was genial
climate, there was fine season, there were
fine showers, and I thought that our crop
was very great. Well, sir, It was sent to a
mission r1nornfouF sr, No-r- 7
went there IN the spring, and told him that I
wanted my money. Ah, said be, am sorry
to tell you that your expenses have been very
great and have no money of yours in my
hands. What, sir Where are all the
hundreds of hogshesds Of sugar and bales of
cotton Is there no money coming in from
them2 he opened his portfolio, and drew
out a paper, which he presented to mel think
he called it an account current The thous-
ands Of dollars for the proceeds Of my crop
was on one side, and then on the other side
l found that account more than balanced
How is it2
al took the account, carried it to the plan
tation and examined it carefully. l found it
all right. had no money. I found my
pockets empty-not a dime in them-my
purse turned wrong side outwards did not
reveal picayune-l began to reflect upon
the matter. l found that had no money. l
had been muni6eent patron Of all the arts,
which gave me some comforts. had bought
scientific instruments in Philadelphia, chrome
meters, barometers, sacharometers, and spy
glasses. bought from Lynn all my shoes
bsught from the Northwest all nv stock !
had bought my pork from Indiana-I bought |
H., T,g
wagons and carts from Cincinnati |
-cotton-goOds from Lowell, and hats, blank
cts and other woollens from New Orleans
found that all went into the pockets, not of |
shareholders, but of the non-slaveholder. |
say now, sir, that if had given these planta- |
tions to the North and let them manage them |
believe would have been the gamer. No |
doubt absut it. five had free trade instead |
Of protective tariff, the profits derived from
the plantations would have been handsome. |
All the profits went North, and all l got was
.he support Of my negroes, and money enough 1
10 pay the overseer.
Why is this2 Why do you encourage
he manufacturers of the NorthR They had |
derived all the profit, and had received moth
ing. Well, sir, / don'tm mean to say would /
not be understood as saying-that all the
planters in the South were as bad planters as
am; but this know, fhGt they raise notking
bat their main staples, and bug everything else
N The North. Well, we are asked, why,
lnder this high tariff, has not the South the
benefit as well as the North 2 have Just
Ihown you, hope, that the reasons were OBJ
Tious-tbat the situation of the North was
Iuch as to enable them to get the benefits of
he tariff, and that the South did not apply
herself to the pursuits which might have
.iTen her those benefits. We are to blame.
md not the North. With the advantages
which they possess over US, it would be i'm
,ossible for US to compete with them. Il
you'd be just az d6eislt for ~ to compete t0ith
he North in manufactures as it is for the
North 10 compete with Louisiana in the pro-
Iuction of sugar"