The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-06-13
For tie Herald.
The Lagor Question.


lost great part of the flower and strength Of
our society-not only have We wasted the wealth
of the land in unsuccessful war-net only has
much Of our territory been So desolateias to be,
for time incapable of recuperation, under even
the most favorable circumstances; but we are
drowned in debt; we are threatened with grieVous
taxation; our permanent property has scarcely
any value; our productions are prevented by the
absence,of the capital and the labor essential to
produce. To be Indifferent to this state of af-
fairs is as criminal and absurd in theory as it is
impossible in fact. Our better reason and our
better instincts.equahy counsel US, nay command
US. to look these things in the face, to weigh
them in all their proportions, and to make our
most vigorous effort, not merely to save ourselves
from disaster, but to iuaugurate some system by
which to sustain the present generation and to
Srender possible the Happiness of posterity.
3 Obviously, this effort must be made either at
home or abroad?
The general mortfcatien at our future to es-
tablish the Confederacy, and the general poverty
OF the nation-assisted BY the vague love of ex-
citement necessarily engendered by the war-led
US to look to foreign countries fer relief. But we
we're soon convinced that we could expect little
profit to our labor in old countries, where there
is such competition of Lborers. And when we
turned to new countries we found the view limit
ed almost solely to Mexico and South America.
Perhaps these comparatively unknown lands still
have charms for some Of US. think they will
vanish on careful examination Let US, in the
first place, look at Mexico. There the soil is un-
doubtedly productive, and so abundant as to be
obtained at prices little .aore than nominal;
and the climate is, in many places, probably as
delightful and saiubrious as one could reasonably
desire. am not disposed to dispute one sylla
bic of all the long eulogiums pronounced By
Southern travellers on the natural advantages Of
the country. Bat feel entirely secure in deny
ing that Mexico offers enticements TO any pru-
dent man. For we should not only be obliged to
take long journey in order to reach the coun-
try ; we should not only have to ex.
ercise great energy in conqucring an untamed
nature there; we should not only require ,snfi-
cient capital to live upon while we awaited the
preparation of the soil for agriculture but re
should be subjected to the greatest hazards Of
life and properly, on account Of the political dis
orders Of the land. Coud the Emperor Maxinril-
ian establish his authority, We should el,joy in
Mexico not only the security Of a settled govern
ment, but, as Ithink, the positive favor and as
sstance oftliat government. But not only has
Meximiian failed to.quen the lawless, revolution
ary element, and thus subjected citizens to the
violence Of TWO armies and the depreciation Of
bandits as cruel as they. arc cowardly; but his
Withdrawal from tie country is rendered abso-
luIely certain by the decision of the French to
recall those troops to whom has owcd all the
little au!hGfICJ|E has heretofore erjoyeds Aus
tria could not have assisted him materially; but
even that little chance is lost since she has desjs-
ted from her preparations to reinforce him. The
Emperor Of france is q brave man and wise
man, but even he will admit that he is not the
master but the instrument Of destiny. / know
that he set his heart on establishing European
monarchy over Mexico but know that he eq 1al-
ly set his heart upon liberating all Italy several
years ago. And think that as ne stopped be-
fore the orti6eations of the Qnadrateral in 1859,
so he wjll come to halt in the face of jealous
Europe, the hestile United States and rebeIlious
Mexico, and confess now, as he did t.,en, that he
had entered upon contest whose rewards were
far from commensurate with its disasters A
Southern man wifnd no difficulty in imagining
the theft, robbery, bloodshed and general disrup-
ton which must follow the abandonment of Mex
ico to its Own lusts. -'... ..---
- need net dwell at an7 length upon the obiec-
tions to South America Almost all the northern
half of thccontinent is so hot and uphealthye.as
to be suited only to its most numerous inhabi-
tants-the monkeys, parrots and savage Indians.
In The extreme south OF Brazil, on the plains of
Buenos Ayres and among the high tabe-lands of
the Andes, we might live comfortably, could we
establish large colonies, which might save us the
unpleasant conflict with strange language,
strange politics and religion, and that hafbarba-
rism equally strange and hacSh to us. But these
lands are new tossing ina perfect storm ofpclti-
cal commotion. Brazil is at war with Paraguay,
Peru is at war, Chill is at war; and scarcely ~any
section can hope to escape the complications.
Then l think it is pretty well decided that our
only chance is at home, as gloomy as it looks.
BIT if We remain at home, we must, of course,
maintain ourselves by some branch Of industry
1t would not pay to hunt gold, nor to strain our
branches for diamonds, nor vet to search our
oyster banks for pearls. There are but three
methods of creating wealth, which are 1st to
grow natural products, or to collect those spon-
taneousy produced by patvre-which is repre-
sented by agriculture, mining and fshing; I'd to
work the productions Of nature 80 as to give them
new forms and new uses-which is manufacture
Sd. to transport and exchange the productions
Of agricultural and manufacturing industry, and
thus put men in possession Of articles OF erwise
denied them-which is commerce. All ether &C.
cupations are instituted for the securing Of men
in the enjoyment of these three classes Of produc-
tious and all other occupations must be support
ed by the values derived from these branches Of
industry. We have next to no commerce, in the
Sonth next to no manufactures: therefore the