Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-11
For the Daily Patriot

For the Daliy fdtllOb
The south must Manufacsure for Her.
self.
MEssRs. EDrroRs Now that the Lincoln
Government have. by their overt acts of OPP
preston and tyranny, succeeded in suppress
ing ell trade with the North, it behooves
wise and discerning people to look about
them and see what resources are left them to
supply the deficiency.
That the South has abundant natural
wealth, no one who is at all familiar with her
vast mines of copper. iron, and coal, as well
as the rich agricultural products of her soil,
can deny. Indeed. she has within her borders
every element of prosperit y which, if prop
erly developed, will, in few years, enable
her to take equal rank with the foremost ma
tons of the earth; bat hitherto, having de-
pended mainly upon the European nations
and the North for her "stock "a trade,n she
finds herself at this time in rather straighten-
ed circumstances for many of the Injuries, as
well as conVeuiences of life; but suffering
and outraged people will nobly bear all the
privstions and hardships thus brought upon
them, when they know and feel that they are
in no way responsible for the state of things
that now exist. But, while we are all willing to
do or die" in the cause of Suothern Rights
and Southern Freedom, let US at the same
time see if something cannot be done at home
to re-supply many articles of consumption
for which we have almost entirely heretofore
depended upon the North. If il can be shown
that any of these things can be manufactured
among US successfully, the apprehension that
we now feel of approaching scarcity will be
dispelled.
1t is true, to some extent, that we have not
those rapid, full-tide streams which are made
constant by the melting SHOWS dissolved by
the rays of the summers sun, which il one of
the grand features of Northern manufactur-
ing, but we have streams that will afford
power of no uncomfortable magnitude among
the ranges of our picturesque Cumberland;
besides, as a substitute, we have an abund-
ance of iron and coal for steam-power, which
is always available, and we have plenty of
mechanics and africans who can soon put
them into successful operation as motive pow
er. What, then, do we need but to will that
we will ..set up for ourselves" and show to
the North and to the world that we are in
earnest-in fact that We have "settled for
lifeD and are ''doing business on our own ac-
count"
The truth is, if Lincoln's blockade contin-
ues along the Ohio River, many of the neces-
saries of life to which we have become too
much accustomed to give up, will shortly
not be found in this market. There is not
Starch mandatory south of Mason and Dix
on's Line, and this article alone, when once
out of the market, will create want that
will be severely felt. True. some of the good
wives of our farmers and planters have in
past days produced very good article of
starch from potatoes, and l have no doubt
would do it again, but this would be done
only to very limited extent, and could not
in any way be made to meet the demand;
but the manufacture of starch is far more
simple than the people are generally aware
of, and yet it has been held as a secret, and
no person is allowed to visit the interior of
a starch factory, whose object is known to be
to learn the secret; and no individual is ever
allowed to enter such place without being
first invited by the manager, who always ac-
companies the visitor; hence, starch-making
has been to the world sealed book to the
present time.
But, Messrs. Editors, we have all the ele-
ments in the greatest abundance for making
as beautiful starch as can be produced any
where. The machinery, in every part, can be
constructed as well at Nashville as at any
other place; men can be found, and their
services secured, who have the skill to put up
the machinery, and run it when in operation.
Now, am convinced that the manufacture
of this article alone would not only be a
source of great profit to whoever will success
fully undertake it, but will bring with it a
trade which will be of incalculable benefit to
merchants and mechanics of Nashville. There
is no doubt an abundance of capital that
those who have the money will investigate
the subject, / have no doubt they would un-
hesitatingly take stock literally, should a
company be formed for such purpose. /
would invite the serious attention of the pub
lie and business men to this important item
in trade and domestic economy; and hope
that the conclusion they will come to will be
favorable to such an undertaking, knowing,
as do, that the profits arising from the man
ufacture and sale of starch is greater than
that of any other article of needed domestic
use.
Should any person wish to go into an in
vestigation of the above matter, the writer
will be glad to give any information in his
power to aid the object. B.