Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-06-15
Gbgefeeb abbrttisn
The Manufacturers, Convention.

4
recently in Augusta, WILLIAM GREGG, Esq.
President of the Association, delivered the
following address, which, in juaticeto South
ern Manufacturers, ahitherto much abused
class of our people, we take pleasure in lay.
ing before our readers. 1T willrepay pc
rusal, and will, wethink, serve to some ,e1-
tent to place the Manufacturers in proper
position before the reading public:
GENTLEMEN: It affords me great pleasure
to meet yon again in conyention-there is
strength and power in association. We par
ticularly need, just now, all the power and
influence that association can give us in pro-
curing machinery audsuppliesthst must come
from foreign countries.
In the way. y.of. shipping cotton and import
ing supplies, one individual or manufacturing
company can do but little, while combined to-
gether We might effect great deal. We
may collectively bring an, influence to bear
on our Government, that would be irresisti-
bic in obtaining permission torun the block
sde to take out cotton and bring in supplies
and Unnecessary steamships might be pur.
chased for the purpose. Ifthe war continues,
it will be absolutely essential that machinery
and tools to make it, shall in large Quantities
be imported. and in order teobtain sufh-
ient.supply, many cargoes Of cotton will
have to be sent out, and many ship loads OF
machinery returned. These articles may be-
come quite as important to the country at
large as arms and munitioas5 of rsr, and a
protracted war may rendersit necessary for
our Government to offer bounties for the s1.
tension Of manufactures, Instead of e.elogs
heretofore put upon them.
Since we assembled here in November,
1862, there has been an unprecedented de-
mand for our goods; and fabulous prices have
besn paidfo 1them-but, unfortunately for
the manufacturing interest, profits have been
withheld from US and transferred to traders
and speculators, and, contrary, to all expec-
tation at the commencement ofthc war, man.
uiactnring production has not increased, but
retrograded; many mills have been destroyed
by the enemy, au&1ome by accident, wtile
noae have been built, and no ,ew machinery
have been put into operation. The Cause of
this singular stateof things will be noticed
in the course Of these remarks.
1t is known to many ofycu that | have
spent better portion of my lie in assiduous
efforts with my pen, and by my working ex-
ample to establish the manufacture of cottap
on : permanent basis in the South. 1t 1885,
M career as manufacturer commenced. In
l845, raised company and applied to the
Legislature of South Carolina for q charter of
incorporation of the GraD.teville Company.
As public sentiment in political circles. was
opposed to manufacturing corporations, and
fearing that We might fail to obtain charter
in South Carolina, we made simultaneous
application TO the Legislature of Georgia, in
tending, if ne failed in South Carolins, to &C.
cept charter from Georgia and locate our
capital in that State. Aftor much opposition
AID hard struggle, We obtained charter in
in South Carolina, but, strange to say, our
application was rejected in Georgia.
From 1915 to 1850 quite number of large
factories were erected in the South simulta-
ncous with that at Grani:eyille. Many of the
companies Eailld from bad management ana
ether various causes, but principally from the
want of proper support and patronage By our
own people; come of them. sinking the entire
capital invested. Such was the Indifference
of the SouthSrn, people to the success Of these
thousands OF bales of our fine, honestly made
domestics, we're shipped annually to New
York, Philadelphis and Baltimore, to fnd
Northern and foreign customers, while cur
people were contented to be supplied with an
inferior Northern made article, composed Of
material not much better than the waste we
discard FROM our mills. Such was the current
that carried many customers and eeery speciea
Of manufactured goods from tie South to
Northern cities, that many of our lnanufac
turers were forced to send large quantities CT
their goods North in order te ind customers
and raise money to keep business going. In
many instances these goods, after pa,ing
freight, storage, commissions, interest on sd-
vances, and other expenses, which were ruin.
GUS, were sacrificed in Northern markets and
sent back to compete with and break down
Southern prices, where domestic goods were
invariably sold at rates 80 low that an En-
glish manufacturer could not come in COM
petition with us, even if he were allowed to
bring his goods in free of duty.
From 1913 to 1861 the manufacturing bus
mess dragged hcavily-the best managed
mills not more than barely paying interest on
capital, without laying upea fund for renew
ing machinery that was wearing out, and be-
coming suparanuated and unfit to make the
style Of goods sufficiently attractive to CON-
mand the markets Of the world. The impres-
sion was becoming general that our Southern
States were not the atmosphere Cor manufac-
turing, and the great body of thepeople8esm
to be quite reconciled to the idcs that South
ern manufactures would be altogether aban-
doned. Indeed, many had become inimical to
such enterprises, and regarded them as moth
ing less than hot-bed attempts to rear up q
branch Of industry sntagonistic to free trade,
;snd exclusive agriculture, if nos nurseries OF
abolitionism. The price of Southern domes,
. tics did not advance for four months after the
blockade of our ports, and not until our man
,afacturers beganato be alarmed at the pros,
pect ofa SHORT supply of oil, card clothing,
:snd many other scarce and indispensable az
ticles. When it became apparent that The
supply on hand was being rapidly exhausted
and bad to be renewed By running the block
ade, everything of the kind advanced in price
to such degree that manufacturers were up'
G.r the necessity of raising the price OF cloth
long before cotton or any agricultural pro
duct Except bacoh) had risen at all By tht
time a. sheetiAgs, drills and osnaburgs haf