Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-01-05


office, andswea undivided allegiance to South
Carolina.
Gan the South Sustain Itself by its Own
Resources2
Under the above caption the Now York
Herald takes very sensible view of the abili-
ty of the South to sustain herself in the event
of secession, from which we take the follow
ing paragraphs :--Abbc0iWc Banner.
Gone of the arguments of Helpers book
against the practicabity of the independence
of the Southern States is the poverty of those
States, and the alleged fact that they do not
produce food in sufficient quantity to be self
sustained; aud those who believe in the Cos
pei according to Helper are now putting
forward the same argument, since secession
has become imminent, and a Southern Con-
federacy seems inevitable. But nothing can
be weaker or more fallacious than such an
argument. The Southern States, including
Virginia, Kentucky, Tcnuesscc, North Car
DINA and most of South Carolina, are the
finest grain growing countries in the world,
and were not cotton, tobacco and rice more
profitable, those States might export corn,
wheat and other cereals in large quantities
The slopes of the Alleghanies on both sides
are as fertile and as we'll suited for the pro
duction of brcadstuffs of all kinds as any
lands in the country. They are covered
with beautiful farms, the soil and the climate
are alike favorable, and it is the height Of
absurdity to talk of the poverty of the South
crn States TO some extent at present they
cultivate other crops, which they exchange
for food, because they can do so with ad-
vantage to themselves; but throw them on
their own resources, and cut them off from
Northern and Western supplies and they
can produce not only enough for themselves,
but compete with the North in expectation,
to the serious damage of its interest.
In the interior of the Southern States
almost every description of food abounds, and
is far cheaper than in the Northern and
Eastern States. 1t is only strip of the
scaboard that forms the exception to the
rule, and there the production of cotton and
rice amply compcnsatcs for the deficiency
of the cereals. 1t is only because the con
veyance by sea of food to the Southern ports
from the North is cheaper than the carriage
by railroad, from the interior of the South
ern States that wheat, corn and other grain
arc shipped to any extent from the North
in exchange for cotton, tobacco and rice
But If the policy of non,intcrcourse should
prevail, the demand at the Southern sea-
board would soon produce the necessary sup
ply from the Interior. In the event of Sc
cession an | separate confcdcraccs, however
the North would only be too glad to send its
surplus food to the scabord of the South
for cash, or for those productions of the
South which the North does not yield, and
which arc better than gold to the Northern
States. To use homcly proverb, the North
will not always cut off its nose to vex its
face, as it is now doing and the great dan
ger will be that the South will wholly with
draw its trade and its exchanges from the
North and transfer them to England, France
and other European countries.
"Thcu, the South produces food of bet
ter quality than the North Southern -four,
for instance, commands the highest price in
the market of New York The average iai-
ly sales of Southern flour in this market are
from 200 to 1,500 barrels; and if VIC take
into account the quantity of -four and other
breadstuffs sent here from Virginia. Tcnucs-
see, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina
and other slave States, perhaps the balance
against the South on the score of food would
be exceedingly small.
"Thc South, moreover, cXcclls the North
i'll its water power, and teens with coal and
other minerals. 1t has cheaper labor and
better climate, and therefore can successful
Owing to the midness of the weather in
winter, its factories can work all the year
round, aud the South requires less clothing
and less fuel for ~ population (two main
items i'll the expenditure of the Northern
mcchnnic,) aud therefore higher degree of
comfort can be obtained or the samc labor
at the South than at the Nor,A.
"In word, the South possesses all tbs
clements and resources of great nation, and
can prosper perfectly independent of the
North if wall of brass was reared between
them to the skies. As for coercion on the
part of the North, that is out of the ques-
tion. Even the Tribune admits the alb
surdity of such an idea. In yesterday g
nuniberit INSISTS that the cotton States can
not be prevented from seeding, and that the
attempt must not be made" And it goes
on to say:
"' Five millions of people, more than half
of them of the dominant race, of whom at
least half million are able and willing to
shoulder muskcts, can never be subducd while
fighting around and over their own hearth
stones. If they could be they would no
conquered dependencies. Suppose they could
be overcome and their military forces de-
stroycd, what then2 Can you COMPEL them
to send members to Congress? Can you
make them accept federal Offices? Can you
prevent their tarring and fcathering those who
they do? If not how idle to talk of subdue
ing them ?
THAT the South, therefore, can maintain
her independence and sustain herself by hei
own resources does not admit of doubt