The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-17
OUR AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.

InoSc as well In lines OF business collateral 10 aR
riculturc rs those directly engaged in that pur
suit have felt al interest in the result 1t is
generally conceded that il is the foundation
upon which the supcrstructurc of ull other
forms of activity and investment must depend.
merchants, trajesmcn and manufacturers all
realize that they can have butn moderate meas
urc Of success except i'll cousstcucc with an
abundant and prosperous rural population; that
cities, towns and public enterprises have hut II
precarous tenure of existence, even, without
local sources of support; that to have health,
vigor and advancement, thoy must be the ex-
pononts Of agricultural developments and there
has been the general feeling, therefore, that
there could be no assurance of The futures Of
this and other cities Of the South, and of the
business connected with thcm without the as
| surance, also, that there would be the conditions
| of n successful cultivation Of the country.
] OF that success there was room for doubt. II
seemed to be reasonably certain that plantation
culture, with free negro labor, could not be
permanently successful. 1t was not even GER
tain, in tho disturbed condition of affairs some
twelve months SINCE TINT colorcd labor could
be made available at all; but conccding that, ii
was not believed that the plantation system,
| it had before existed, could be sustained. 1t
was known that it Ind failed upon the cmanc-
patton of slaves in the West India Islands and
in Guinea, and it was known, also, that such
| system had never been successful elsewhere
cept with slaves, with people, rs in India,
| forced by starvation to discipline rs severe as
that of which slavery was susceptible. There
| ,vhn cnfn
ducts for foreign markets. but it is surplus
merely-it is that excess of the products Of
| their several farms not necessary to their own
| support but il was not known that there were
any people without laboring population under
the discipline of slavery or starvation, who
had been successful in the exclusive cultivation
of agricultural products for foreign market,
while dependent upon the products of foreign
market for support; and rs it had come to be
believed that the country was still dependent
| on that system, as there was experience of
any progress prosperity without, il was
gravely doubted whether there was, in fact, n
future of material advancement for the South.
II were too much to say, perhaps, that these
grounds Of apprehension have been entirely
removed. 1t is yet to be doubted whether
plantation culture can long be continued.
While rice and cotton are at their present ele-
waited prices, they will absorb, to a great ex-
tent, the available labor of the country. But it
is not to be supposed that these present elc-
waited prices will continue. Absorbing the
labor of the country, and drawing other labor
in, which they must do, these products must
ultimately transcend the present extraordinary
demand for them. The production must be-
come very nearly as great as it was before the
war, and when so great, these prices must nee
essarily diminish. 1t is probable that they
will never be 80 low Us they have been. The
costs Of culture must be greater, and, before
reaching their former prices, they will cease to
be pcrceptible; but it is reasonably certain
that they will sink TO an equilibrium Of other
pursuits,-fall to the point at which the enter
prise becomes precarious; to the point at which
it cannot offer the inducements to withdraw q
rural population from its natural tendency tc
, farm culture. There is q natural disposition
among every people, black or white, to indi
vidunlity of life,-to some separate holding O
their own, admitting more Of ease and indie
pendence. From that they will be withdraw
to plantation culture only by extraordinary in
ducemcnts, which that culture must ultimately
fail to offer; and il is reasonably certain there
FORE that such form of agricultural activity
: cannot be permanently continued and to thi
: extent, therefore, the misgirings of our peopl
: as to tho prospects of the country have no
Il boon entirely removed.
But in other respects, however, the prospec
is unquestionably bright. For the time, n
= least, our plantations must be cultivated, ant
d that culture must be profitable. Nor is it ne
i, ccssary to the welfare of country that i
s should be permanently devoted to plantation
70 culture. If that shall absorb the labor, ther
y" !" can of course, bo mono for collateral pursuits
- In consistenoe with that there arc apt to be
= and can be, perhaps, no trades, manufactures
IN arts institutions, or even towns, in proportio
to the general population. Tho profits Of sue
e enterprises are apt to be expended elsewhere
70 and it s, perhaps, true in principle, as it ha
! been in experience, that plantations make.
~ province.
a. In the prospect Of the Abandonment
70 suoh culture, therefore, there is no onuso
ID apprehension if, in consistenoe with that, ther
is shall be tho reason for believing that couI
try will retain or attract O more prospcrol
-, population, end for such belief the reasons al
III certainly abundant. There is country
y, tho world presentinp TO q fnrminr population