The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-04
The South is not Ruined.

The day Of small things is not over, and those
who nav attention to them will in the end be Dene
fitted Every effort should be made to economic
and turn 10 advantage the gifts OF nature Ihe
Southern people are fast learning TINS an impof-
tant lesson and the good effect OF it will become
more and moro visible each year. They are not
going again to stake their all on one crop, and II
that is lost cry out in despair that God has ruined
the country and cursed the land. Great injustice
has been done to the planters by the accounts
given in the newspapers of superabundant cotton
crops. The last four weeks demonstrate conclu-
sively that the crop is absolutely ruined IN TEXAS
and Louisiana, and the worms are last dong tne
same work in Alabama Notwithstanding tnls,
some farmers set out with the determination to
make their farms support them, and III spite OF
OF cotton ruin they have, by means or gram ana
corn, secured suffcency to live on for the next
year. The country is not ruined, and the expert
ence now learning should teach those who culti-
vate the soil the folly OF planting all cotton to the
neglect OF other equally great necessaries.
We read on yesterday letter from North Caro-
lima, which said that corn would sell for 81 OF 50
per bushel in that State, because that crop was
failure, and yet the gentleman went on to state
that the people of the 'od North State" would get
through somehow, because they have learned how
to save AS an illustration Of their thrifty econo
my he said they sold $3.50 900 worth OF blsckber
ries last year, and sold more this year. They were
curtailng their expenses and the ladies', too, were
abridging the dimensions OF their dresses to suit
the present embarrassed times. The fall Of the
year is the time to begin to prepare for system
or farming that will go result as not to ruin plant
ers il any one OF their crops should prove total
failure. Begin with the determination Of raising
your own stock and for that purpose 30 use your
fields that they will answer until late in the
winter as pastures and feeding places for your
stock.
The South has got to learn to raise its own meat
and bread, and it would be good idea, too, to
weave its own cloths. Right before our eyes is
paragraph from q Rhode Island paper, State
hardly any larger than Montgomery County, CIV
ing the amount OF property owned by cotton spin
ners in that State at s25 000, 900. That money
was made out of Southern cotton, and mostly out
Of Southern people. The foolish cry was heard at
the beginning Of the war that cotton would decide
the contest in our favor. 1t didn't. Since it's
close nearly every effort to raise it has failed,
and it begins to look as if He who is praised in all
our Sanctuaries to-day and who sends the worm and
keeps back the rain, wants to help make US inde-
pendent by raising breadstufs, horses and mules by
making our own clothing and saving the surplus
to buy from other sections what we cannot make
ourselves. There is not sensible man but nows
we can do all these things, and until we do we will
not be an independent people. 1t is time for us
to cease being dependent upon those abroad for
the food we eat and the clothes we wear. We have
been doomed to much sorrow and suffering, and it
looks as if our great expectations OF cotton crop
are to be dashed to the ground again. But the
power is in higher than earthly hands. The South
is not ruined, and Gods curse is not upon it, but
it looks as if He frowns upon the attempts to
make it merely cotton country.