The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1865-12-09

piCsCuI ulOSb pIeSo5HlS hCCtoSlIg VI
is an industrious laboring population, and indeed,
an accession of white men to balance the prepon-
derance Of the colored. Virginia has already taken
steps in this matter. Fer agents are abroad and
her invitations in print. North Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama Mississippi, even Florida, all are alive to
her example. 4 Northern friend of our sunny land
sends his greeting to us in the following words:
''The South is victorious to-day, and in her pre-
sent victory she secures such lien on the future
as she has never had before. With oil her rights
restored, nothing can retard her progress in ca
reer of prosperity such as the world has never
yet Witnessed. Let her people inuae among them
tie right kind Of immigration to develop her re-
sources; Let them beware of Yankee propagandism,
and they will once more resume their position as
rulers of the republic Heretofore the North has
reaped nearly all the advantages dervable from
this yearly influx OF labor. 1t Is now for the South
to say whether she will adhere to old customs
and thereby retard the recuperation of all her
industrial interests, or become a competitor for
the skilled labor that is daily landing on our
shores. She has cities, Sown4, railroads. mills
ard foundries to rebuild, abundant mineral re-
sources to be developed fields to- be fenced and
titled millions OF acres o. unproductive land to
be reclaimed and made productive, machinery to
q thousand other things to be done before her
rehabilitation can be made complete. She has been
forcibly, wantony, unusty de5poiled of the labor
upon which her former prosperity was based, but
that cannot now be remedied She is at present
powerless to right her wrongs; but the time is not
far distant when, by a wise, judcious OF the
means now available she will recover the material
status demolished by the events of the last four
years. Her wealth was great while its basis re-
mained undisturbcd Slave labor WAS that basis
and that system being uprootcd by the will and
power Of the North, the prosperity that grew from
it has perished 1t is now necessity with her to
establish another system. The means to do this
are within her reach it remains for her to say
whether or not they shall be employed" Will
South Carolina do it? Shall we follow the example
of the great the noble mother OF Presidents and
heroes, of Washington and Lee? Shall we follow
the example Of our Southern sister States! As
solemnly believe that we ard must do It, for our
salvation and well-being, pray to my God with my
whole sou that He will so bless, enlighten and
guide us in our deliberations and counsels, that
we may choose what is really good for our sorely-
stricken yet noble Palmetto land.
If we find, then, that our colored population can
not for the present, be depended upon for the re-
cuperation OF the State that our comfort security
and future prosperity make 1t desirable to have
Industrious white immigrants come among us;
that we have resources to develop, lands to culti
vatc homesteads TO occupy; that We want labor
ers, servants, farmers, mechanics, artlZans, the
grower Of the vine, and the man of capital and
enterprise, to build mills and factories-if we
agree that we shall want all these, the question
will be asked How shall we get them? Will they
come without invitation? Will they come without
knowing the advantages we can offer? Will they
come without fair prospect Of prosperity? May
we not answer all these questions, best and truest,
by asking ourselves how re would choose? Now,
Mr. Speaker, refer gentlemen to the bill be-
fore us. Let it be examined carefully. 1t is an
answer to these questions, as fully as answer can
be given. This bill is honestly intended for the
benefit OF the State and, at the same time, to
establish the prosperity of the immigrant. l will
not pretend to say that tho plan is perfect-for
what work OF man is? 1t may be susceptible Of
great improvement. There may be many minds
| In this Assembly better able than mine to COM
prehend end shape this very important legislation.
But, to do so, it is necessary that ON opportunity
should be afforded al, to fully examine what has
been proposed. However, let us see, first, is the
State at present able to carry out the plan? The bill
will entail an expense for the first year OF about
| 10 900 dollars out Of the contingent fund, for
which, according to my calculation, We may per-
haps obtain 1000 immigrants. 1t is true people
are sorely afraid CT taxes; but would the refuse
to pay about four cents per head to carryeut an
| But, said gentleman III committee, there are not
provisions enough in the State to feed our own
people, much less the immigrant. should be
sorry to think 80, -ThoIt may be- reatsdesatu-
ton in some parts OF the State, but there certain
ly will be surplus in other parts. However, if
that really be So does not this very want prove,
more than anything have said or could say, the
great necessity OF O removal of our working popu
lation? Do we expect to behold crop spring
from the earth spontaneously? Do We expect to
reap when we can't sew? Or do we expect that
the population which has failed to make crop,
or to realize to save it this year, will be more
successful the next? The immigrant will make
provisions for himself, or will purchase them
either for cash or for all equivalent in labor. We
should not entertain this objection. II our insti-
tuition of slavery had been in existence now, would
any man have refused to purchase hands, il he
was in want of them and could have obtained them
cheap, for fear Of starvation? Why should We re-
| fuse, then BETTER moro available and cheaper
labor for the same reason, which, in truth, has
real foundation? Besdes is there any pros
pect that we will ever be any better off
under our present system? But am
provide for all emergencies, and | am thoroughly
satisfied that our State will be fully competent to
do so. Whenever South Carolina is restored to
her position in the Union, and her financial state
ment fully and openly made, she will be able, with
out ever taxing her citizens this year one dollar,
to borrow, without discount or loss, on her own
never-violated faith, any amount OF money that
she may need, not only for her poor and unfortu-
nate citizens, but for all her projects OF improve
State is not poor. She owes less than almost any
other State in the Union, and she is immensely
rich in her untainted fidelity, her bold and honest
uprightness, and her proud scorn Of all and every
repudiationI Oh, noble South Cardinal pure and
unsuied in thy great distressl Let thy sons but
take heart and boldly breast the storm, and
bright beam of glory and greatness will iumine
again thine own desolated fields! God bless thee
eyermore Yes Mr. Speaker, what South Carolina
wants is not so much the means, but the will the
strong and manly determination, the all-pervading
consciousness that the past ~ rrevocably gone and
new world opening before us. When the pioneer
strikes his axe into the first tree in the western
Wilderness to lay the foundation for his log-cabin,
there seems to be endless labor and difficulty be-
fore him. But his courage does not fail. And as
the monarchs of the forest fall, the bright sun