Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-23
The Future of the s0ufh--Her Adyan-
ta<es for Manufacturing.


| From the Memphis Appeal
A system Of fSouthern mannfach1e, broad
enough to convert every staple grown in
Southern soil into fabricated forms, Is the
only foundation upon which prosperous
future can be constructed. Such system
has always been, with many OF our thought
ful writers, and statesmen, a subject Of fond
consideration. But culpable mertness of
character, and the easy afiuence arising
from familiar processes Of agriculture, made
the scheme, for all practical purposes, a
mere text for day-dreams. That fern Of
agriculture is past the obnoxious labor
which informed it IS dead, and now, the
actuations Of fselfdevelopment, and the as
surance of heavy dividends equally solicit
the people at home, and the capitalists
abroad, 10 the subject of Southern manufac-
tories 1t is matter of curious speculation,
that Northern capital, so proverbially alert
eager, and sagacious, has not before now,
sunk shaft into this golden mine. We are
acquainted with no field Of enterprise, which
offers fairer promises offruitful returns.
Judged BY the considerations which enter
into the estimate of such matters, it is not
hazardous to allege, that manufactures at
the South should yield richer profits than
anywhere else in the United States. These
considerations deal with but single ques-
ton, and that is the question of cost. In
the solution Of this, three things present
themselves as determining forces. They are,
motive power, the price of crude material,
and climate. With reference to the first, the
South may safely challenge comparison.
In the brawling constituency of her noun
tain streams, she possesses water capacity
of unsurpassed magnitude. Amid the brok-
en- regions Of Virginia and East Tennessee,
and in northern Alabama, and Georgia, she
has motive power furnished to hand by
nature, able to turn ten thousand mills If
steam is preferred 20 water, she can provide
the ore from which to forge the engines, and
the coal to drive them when they are made.
Concerning the price of raw material,
there is obviously no room for debate. We
grow the stuff we design to fabricate. The
factors may literally overlook the cotton
they are destined to weave, the hemp they
are destined to twist, the tobacco they are
intended to press, and the sugar they are
appointed to granulate. They are at our
very door, and thus the cost of transporta,
tion, which sways so potently the general
result, is reduced to nominal significance.
When we explore the matter of slimate,
we are yet more forcibIy arrested by argu-
ments, which advocate a preference in
favor of the South. In her vernal
temperature, lie considerations of deci-
sive pith, and moment. The question
of climate includes to large extent
the cost of living, and the cost Of living in
wolves in an equal degree, the point in dis
cussion- An operative can live cheaper in a
warm, than in cold climate, because ia the
former, the great necessities Of life appeal to
Elm in a less rigorous aspect. These neces-
sities are food, clothing, fuel, and house
room. Now in high latitude, these things
necessarily arise in an expensive form. Ex-
treme cold requires nutricious food, warm
clothing, abundance Of fuel, and close, costly
houses. In low latitude, the very reverse
of this is the case. The short, mild, and
open winters, and the long summers, render
necessary less nutricious Diet less and
cheaper clothing, smaller amount of fuel,
and much simpler habitation.
We conclude, therefore, that in all the el-
ements which concern the question, the
South can manufacture more cheaply than
the North. Standing in the full light Of
this fact. it Is assurediy not too much TO
hope, that we shall pluck up from our tradi-
tional lethargy, and fulfill the destiny which
bcckons us on Heretofore, our eloquence
has expended itself in complaint. Hereafter,
let it assume the incarnate form of action.
We have deserted in bootless defamation,
the abject manner in which we have submit
ted to be pensioners upon Northern energy,
when all the while, the means Of emancips
ton lay in our grasp, inert, and rusting.
The gods help those who help themselves,
and if we have not the will, when we have
the power, to lift ourselves from bondage, les
us at least have the grace to bear our vassal-
a.-e with tacst meeknass