Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-11-13

put We uo propose 10 sn'" tnij WIN 'Ne
present free negro labor, the Industrial re-
sources Of the South are in no condition to
contribute tc the prosperity Of The country.
II is the part OF wisdom to lock our inisfor
tunes in lilo face. We should not deceive
OURSELVES, either at Tic North or at the South
Three years Of experience, by both North
ern and Southern men, attest the fact that
the cultivation Of both rice and cotton-thc
greet staples of the Souh-is, under the
present sys en- of frce negro lab r, The mCst
uncertain, the least ccmumerative, and the
most harrasSing employment i'll the world.
Iai gradua! system of arcipation been
adopted, melI would, By degrees, have accom-
mcdatcd themselves to the gradual change,
aud tie industry Of the country would have
received no such shock as row prostrates the
South and overwheims Lcr in despair. Upon
the agriculture of the country mainly depends
the wealth and prosperity of the country !.
But a few years ago, the cotton exported
from The United States controlled foreign ex.
change, anri held tie monopoly in ioreign
markets. fIow is it today. and how will 1t
be in Tie fltcre? IuS.cad OF 100000 of
bales, sent forward to exercise the former iI,-
fu nee upon trade, We have not more than
oue-third Of The crop of 1850, coming into
market, and that Ia price per pound, IN cur
reacy-the revenue tax considered very lit
tic, ii anything, in advance Of what was re-
allied per pound for the large crops Of former
years, paid in gold. Why is this +? it may be
asked Tie lands are the sawe-the seasors
are the same-the climate is the same-why,
then, the difference? 1Yc ansacer, tile labor is
not tie sane. Instead OF industry, we have
| idiercss; instead of system, we have disor'
der; and instead Of profits, we have losses.
Shall we be able to drive out competition in
the future, as we have in Tie past? Surely
NOT. Bu: few gears before the war, one OF
our most intelligent planters represented this
State i: the Wcr!i's Exhibition, in Paris !;
and, upoa Lis gctarn, reported that he saw
upon exhibition there, the co,tOns from Al
siers and from the East which were in every
way equal to the finest productions Of the
United States. He asked, why cannt.t these
cottonS pete with Tic American cottons?
| Tie answer vas, because We canpot produce
the article lor the same price We are co-
pe,ieri !n hire the labor which ynu o,c's-ours
i; unreliable, Idle a..;l c.st.y, while yours is
under control, steady and cheap. Far these
reasons, YOU will always bc able to dri-e US
|
condition OF the Southern planter? His
labcv is much more costly than tha; Of AL
giers CT the East, equally unsteady, and, pro-
bsbly. less under his control and he finds
himself now, after an eXhausting war, driven
from the market By prices which his former
competitors can afford to take. The present
iow rrcc Of cotton is but the evidence of the
canses already stated. And it may be that,
in few wears, we shall b importing cotton
and rice into the United States, instead Of
exporting these great commodities. We arc
now eating, in the interior of South Carolina,
rice imported from China, and we have been
credibly informed that East Indian cotton
has been Imported into New York. How
soon tie State craft OF Great Britain mag
find it expedient 10 impose an import duty
upon American cottons, who can tell :?
But i. may be asked, is there No remedy
for these calamities to the Southern people?
We answer. most probably no immediate
re;ncdy. Time is the great master of the
situation. If our people will give up the de-
lusve hope Of growing rich by the cultiva-
ton of cotton-thereby probably working
their utter ruir-il they will cultivate less
cotton and more breadstuffs raise for their
own use and for sale, horses, mule. and stock
of all kinds; cure their own hay, make their
own butter, and sell the surplus: if they will
labor to fill the land with plenty. they will,
in a short time, realize change ioc the better
in their OWL condition and the condition of
the South-at least, thev SHALL lot have
debts and disappointments added to their
other calamiles. And in raising our own
food and shgRss at the s.g1as s0atb as fh9Ha fps
ments upon our own soil. There can be no
more auspicious moment than the present 10
begin in, at the South, the manufacture Of
goods from our own raw material. This was
done to great extent during the war. No
matter On how small scale, let the work
begin. To be successful, we must begin at
the beginning, and work upward, as our popu,
lation and wealth increase. We repeat, that
we would not now re establish slavery at the
South. It is too late to correct the error of
its sudden extinction. 1t is to our interest
to make the most OF the circumstances BIZ
which we are surrounded. We cannot recall
the past. "Let the dead past bury its dead"
But let us not be entirely hopeless of the
future.
Little more than half century ago, the
great commodity exported from this State
| was indigo 1t ceased TO be profitable here,
because it could be more cheaply cultivated
elsewhere Cotton was introduced IN Its
stead, aud was cultivated with unparalleled
success Tobacco and rice contributed to
increase the wealth of the South. If these
stap!cs cease to be as remunerative in the
future as they have been in the past, we still
have great country left to US, and, with
something like good government, our neces-
sites will give rise to new expedients. 10
conquer our difficulties, We must meet them
with patience, fortitudc and courage. But
shall we have good government? That is
the great question presentcdn in the next point
that we propose to consider,
To admit as fact, as has been assumed to
be the result of the war, that the Govern
ment of the United States is supreme, and
that the States have no rights; or if they
have rights, that they are subordinate to the
Government Of the United States or, which
is the same thing, subordinate to the will of
majority having control of the Government,
is to admit the abrogation of the Constiiu-
ton, and 70 ignore the facts Of history. In
other words, it is to acknowledge that re have
q Government of absolute powers. instead Of
Government of limited and del. gated pow
e-s. 1t is admitted, that any Government,
however limited, may for time usurp all
power. a single man may rise up and say,
!. l am the State" Any assembly OF men
may, fo. a season, arrogate to themselves all
power-executiye, legislative aad judicial. But
the question recurs, is this law, or is this
usurpation? Is this good government Or Is
it revolution? Mere physical force is not
law 1t may compel obedience, but it cannot
give to its acts the sanction Of law unless it
be in those countries where the will of an
absolute despot is the recognized law of the
land. 10 admit that the war has established