Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-20

tanned, or do now entertain, any such
dlsparaging estimate Of laboring men
simply because they are laboring men
nor, ON the Other hand, we are frank t
say, have they made the standard Of in
tellectUal and moral worth TO consist oatJ
in manual labor. In the South, as every
where amongst sensible people, men
were and are estimatedb by what the man
Is, not by his vocation. Our oorrespon-
dent, we a~pprehend, has founded his
Judgment of southern society upon what
he has seen Of the vulgar rich' at
northern watering places standard
that would be as unjust 10 the great mass
Of southern gentlemen and ladies, a. Il
would be for us to judge northern people
by the funkeys who cringed and toaded
10 their upstart ~pretensions. So far from
labor, in itself, having been, orbeing now,
a drawback in the South TO men Of mind,
moral worth and manly self-respect,
there exists no surer passportto distinc-
ton and public consideration than to
have w0rEod their way up the ladder
Nor do we agree with our correspondent
ina his philosophy about slavery; but as
that is a dead issue, let the difference
pass. The body OF his suggestions are
50 much to our liking, 50 much IN ac-
coldance with what we have for years
advocated, that we welcome him as a CO.
laborer, leaving to time and a better
knowledge of our people the correction
Of any erroneous notions he may enter
tain.l
For the AppesL.
SOUTHERN MANUFACTURES.
Eds. Appeal: In a recent article in
your "Oa Change" column, Ifnda ques-
lion discussed that has occupied much Of
my thoughts since I have beena resident
! Of the South-the question indicated by
The caption Of this article. It is well
/ known to all who have any knowledge
IF this country, that heretofore raw ma
5erial has been produced album
iandy, but little or nothing was
lone in working up that mate
rial into articles Of consumption. For
instance, the South could produce cot
ton, and tobacco, and minerals, and tim
Der and everything else, in fact that
any country could produce, but not a
traction Of that cotton or tobacco was
manufactured here, or prepared for use
not a fraction even Of that which was
consumed here. The minerals, Of which
his country has undoubtedly an abun-
lance, have been allowed 10 quietly
lumber in their native beds, while the
vast forests Of valuable timber have, as
a general thing, been allowed to decay
IN the same stumps where grown, or
)nly been consumed as fuel.
Under the old system oflabor there
was a reason for this. Manufacture can
only be prosecuted successfully by skilled
labor. Slave labor was not skilled, and
il would not do to make it skilful, for
skill implies Intelligence, and slavery
could not be made intelligent without
destroying it. To have educated the
slaves Of this country, would have been
As fatal to the system as throwing a fire.
brand into a powder magazine, or gem
crate steam in 2 boiler without a safety
valve. Hence the consistency of slave
owners, in refusing to allow their slaves
70 learn to read or write. Slave labor
could only be made profitable in the pro-
luctiou of the raw material, con-
sequently this became the business of
labor. Not that the culture Of cotton
and tobacco, or anything else connected
with agriculture, cannot be far more sue
cessfully prosecuted by intelligent labor
than by that which is ignorant, but still
slave labor could be made profitable in
these grOsser pursuits. And it was inn
possible to carry on manufacturing pur-
suits by imported white labor, for how
ever skiIlful and honorable It might be.
while slavery existed, all labor was re-
gsrded as ignoble and dishonoring.
But all this is now changed. Slavery
is forever destroyed, and there no longer
exists any reason why labor MAJ not be
made intelligent. And it viii be-for the
Iaboring classes, both black and white,
viii now become educated, and when
labor is made intelligent it Is also made
honorable. And when labor shall be
made honorable in this country, there
viii be a large influx Of skilled labor
from those sections where It is already
honorable.
There il now no longer any reason
why the raw material should not be
manufactured on the ground where it is
produced There is no longer any reason
why the cotton Of the South should be
transported 10 Old or y ewEngland. to be
manufactured and then returned TO this
country for consumption, at an en0r-
nous cost for transportation and profits
to the different jobbers through whose
hands it passes. notice that the mer-
chants Of this city bring ON the ordinary
cotton batting from the eastern markets.
II there eve was an instance Of "cou-
Goals TO Newcastle" this looks
very much like it. The idea of sending
cotton "a thousand or fifteen hundred
miles and return, just to 90 through the
process Of carding, appears not
10 be a very wise one. Cotton batting,
it appears to me, ought to be furnished at
very triiing cost on the price Of the
cotton and yet, if ! am correctly
informed, the cost Of the article in this
market Is two or three times the price Of f,
he raw material. And it cannot be
otherwise 50 long as it is sent to New
England TO be carded, for the cost Of
transportation must be great. s
Neither can l see why the immense q
quantities Of tobacco that are both raised
nd consumed In the South, should be {
ent Off the ground where raised 70 be 4
repaired for use. Why cannot segars r
nd "fne cut" and every kind Of snuff /
e manufactured here as well a. in New
'ork, or anywhere else? Their may be !
reason why tobacco cannot be manu-
where it is grown audconsumed, ,
Ut I am unable to see IL.
Nor can I see that there T. any reason
the extensive forests Of valuable
mber should be allowed 10 decay
here grown, or, at the least, only be @
Jnsumed as fuel, while nearly every g
hing manufactured Of wood is imported
ere. Take that large class Of articles &,
3mprised in cooper work, such as hogs D.
eads, t~ierces, barrels, tubs, pals, cburns, p
C. How many Of this class Of articles a
e consumed here and vet how very q
W Of them are manufactured here \
Take that large class Of particles used \,
r agricultural purposes, such as wagons, II
ows, harrows, rakes, scythes, forks, "a
saying nothing Of the more expen- u
We machines, and how few Of them are -
ade on the ground where used? And h
t there Is no good reason why a wagon CO
a pillow, or any other agricultural i'm Do
smsnt cannot be made in Tennessee or
a. well az ina Illinois or Michi- ~
m And If il can be manufactured ru
IRE just As cheaply, it certainly can be !!
to the farmer the cost Of transpor- ~
ZION less than those imported. af
same is true Of all cabinet work M
hy cannot furniture be manufactured 70
Memphis as cheaply as ina Chicago -
.ineinnati or New York. Timber here t5