The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-06-25
Radicalism, Perchance a Political
Blessing to the South.

Radicalism, Perchance a Political
Blessing to the South.
1t is thought that the tendency of the
course of the Radical party in Congress
towards the South, so utterly adverse :, to
the true spirit of Cancellation, will drive the
South to more exclusive reliance than ever
upon her own unaided resources. This
opinion is not without reason, and is entitled
to grave consideration by all moderate and
conservative men at the North, upon whom,
in great measure, will rest the responsibility
of perpetuation of the rule and ruin of the
present dominant party. We say, the opin-
ion entertained that the South will be driven
to more exclusive reliance upon her own
unaided efforts, to resuscitate her shattered for
tunes, than ever before, is wise one.
For its truth is now manifesting itself in the
views of some of the most prominent and
leading Southern journals. The reliance upon
herself for sympathy, and what she may
achieve by her own outstretched hand and
mighty arm, would, as matter of course,
force her to a more equal distribution of her
labor. This has been heretofore more exclu-
sively devoted to the pursuit of agriculture,
Now, however, if the intense and bitter poll
teal luminosity, which, since the close of the
war even, has manifested itself in the halls OF
legislation, is to have no end, and its result is
to be Southern self-reliance, then, very large
portion of her labor and attention, which has
hitherto been devoted to agriculture, must be
diverted from that field or sphere of occupa-
ton, and devoted to the conversion of its
own raw material into that form which con-
stitutes one of the largest elements OF COM
merce, the production of which the South
has heretofore relinquished to England and
the North. In other words, she must turn
her attention to the subject of manufactures.
The clothing which she has hitherto bought
from the North, by an exchange of her agri-
cultural productions, she must now make for
herself. And this is the course which lead
ing papers at the South are now urging upon
her great planting interest. They are telling
the planters, indeed, that the proposed tax
upon cotton, if not the bitterness of radical
antagonism, must drive them to home manu-
features, which are clearly indicated as their
true policy. And it is urged upon them to
plant less cotton, or only so much as they
may be able to manufacture, so soon as they
prepare themselves for the latter pursuit,
which is earnestly recommended as their true
policy and soundest wisdom To enter upon
this new and untried sphere, she must awake,
as giant refreshed with wine and put forth
all her energies, by which alone can she erect
herself into mighty power. Instead of
waiting for change of policy in Congress,
let persistence in that policy be stimulus to
exertion, rather than a retardation or parali-
zation Of her powers, By this course she will
furnish to the world evidence of the same
craftsmanship, and self reliance, which she
has exhibited in the councils of the nation, as
we'll as upon the battlefield.
Of this greatness and self-reliance she gave
an earnest in her muster rolls of a million
men. Let the energy and devotion she has
displayed be now exclusively expended in the
development of all her resources, in nearer.
approximation to due distribution of pursuit,
and the day may come, as has been said,
when she will regard the deep-seated enmity
Of radicalism as blessing designed by a
higher Power. If she is to be regarded as nm
incubus upon the nation; if Shelf to be treat
ed as political inferior; if her people are to
be regarded as unprepared or unworthy of
participation in Government, whose boast
has been thatit was based upon the consent
Of the governed; if her vast and prolific ter
1iiry of eight hundred and fifty thousand
squw miles Of unsurpassed fertility, per-
ne tied by the Father of Waters, into whose
generous bosom thirty-six thousand miles of
tributaries are beautifully emptied; if all
these, with her engendering climate, are to be
regarded by dominant radicalism as unworthy
and undesirable elements to enter into the
cement of the union; then let the South proud
ly point to the past-her record in peace as
we'll as in war-as an earnest of what she can
repeat under the stimulus of noble devotion
and self-relan ce-to her own interests and
upon her own powers. t-=.5s.g,a
DiminutiOn Of the Cotton Culture and
Product. 4g @f,.s 81.
A statement is before us of the cotton Gull
ture in the counties of Kinds, Chickasaw,
Carroll, Madison and Copiah, Mississippi