Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-27


the gist of thewhole thing those PRACTICE,
honest men who will do right, and wbosa
industry and skill, &C., &C." Where arc
they !? Are they in the State, or must we
look elsewhere for them? Ask Battle Ho we
& Co., Them or any other land aren't IN
any poor debtor who has attempted to ro;oa
money on his land, what success has beo'9
had In inducing emigration or in effect;na.
sales at home. If the Sentinel will fad ms
chasers there will be no difficulty in en-,
plying them with FARMS either small r.
large. u
But is it true, either in fact or tbao,.,,
that small farms are more profitable +b.2,'
large ones Is the business of farnoir s.-e'n
exception to the general rule abont a. al al
ISOLATION and division of labor and tba o 90
gregation of capital In my opinion IT,
only criterion by which to decide upon the
proper size OF a farm for any man, is the
amount of brains, energy and canitoI bo
possesses. Upon this question, however,
find my views so well expressed in the fol.
lowing article from the american FIo,,1,o,
that L must beg you to insert it, and 70
pardon me Tor having detained you from
it's perusal so long:
CHARLES COUNTY, VA,l
March 18th, 1867.
COrrc8DOnG6nt
Of Augusta, Georgia, has made some yaInaLs
suggestions in relation to the rehabilitation of tb
South, and L am happy to see that Won are direct
ing the attention OF your correspondents to this
important subject. hope you will hold it up he
fore them until the proper solution of this dficpIt
problem has been reached.
The same general principles apply to agricul-
ture which control any other business that il
to say, that the size of q mans farm, and the
number of acres cultivated, must depend mainly
upon the amount of capital at his comma I'd. The
capitalist, with his thousands, can easily cult
vate his hundreds as the poor man his small patch
But the question is, which can be most probably
titled, the large the small farm, where the cant
ical Is adequate in each case Of course there
are many modifying circumstances, such as loca-
ton, market facilities, character of CROP soil la
Dor, &c, which might vary the rule in each and
OF which the practical business man would speedi
~ avail himself But let the question be discussed
with reference to the great planting interest of
the South, cotton, tobacco, sugar and rice for il
ID to these snat we must look for the restoration
OF our section to prosperity once more. l affirm
that if the experience of the last fifty wears has
developed any truth, it is that all great enterpri-
ses must be accomplished by associated capital
and associated labor. It is no less true in apri-
culture than III commerce and manufactures. The
expenses decrease, aud the profits increase, with
the augmenting capital and labor, until you reach
a certain maximum. This maximum is varied
by every variety of circumstance nevertheless
the law is the same. Let every practical planter
look to the cotton, rice and sugar plantations
OF the South, as conducted before the intro
duCtion of the steam engine to the gin house
the sugar mill, and the rice mill, the change
wrought thereby, ana no further proof or illus
tration will be needed t. establish this fact
admit that free labor is not so easily associated
as slave, but free capital is more so. The capital
OF the country is longer locked UP in the labor
Of the country. The disenthralment Of capital is
some compensation for the loss sustained by
emancipation. But the real, pressing want of the
South at this time, is not labor or the ability to
control 1t, but capital to command it. Capital
always has, and always will, both command and
control labor but the capital we have not
There is no accumulated capital in the South
the fruit OF two centuries toll swept away bv
four years of war. We have nothing left now
but real estate-land-a the question is how
shall this be made available? The universal an
land. reduce the size of your farms thereby &C.
curing the capital to cultivate the remainder"
Moreover, it is affirmed that this is the inevitable
tendency of free society. 1t may be the case
where dense population exists, under demo-
cratic institutions; but we have none of those
things in the South-the reverse, a sparce pOpu-
lation and military despotism. Moreover it is
folly to speak of cutting off lands, those fine
old patrimonial homesteads, and selling off the
surplus, for ii those who own land-the only prop
erty left in the SOuth-cant hold it and cultivate
it, how can those buy who have nothing left p
Everybody, except the land-holder swept
clean by the war, nor have the few exceptions to
the rule, any disposition to profit by the cad ex-
perience of their friends. Everybody wants to go
to the towns and villages and live by their wits
nobody wants to eat their bread in the sweat of
their brow. Yet the only lands which'have been
sold in the South since the war; have been sold to
Southern people. The unsettled condition Of
things, growing out of the emancipation Of the
slaves, and the unfriendly legislation Of the
Federal Government, discriminating against
Southern products, has kept out immigration has
kept out capital nor can it be induced while this
condition of things continues. For one, do not
wish to see foreign immigration. l fear 1t
may prove an addition to our already over
grown rauper population, and fuel to the flame of
tanatcism, which is now scourgipg u.s. If we
cGn get skilled mechanics, and men with capital,
who can buy our lands, and add mechanical
skill and enterprise to the country, shall gladly
receive them but these are too smart to come
here under the present condition Of things.
Then what shall we do Why, rely upon our own
brave hearts and strong arms as gallant and
people should. Let US realize the fact
that we are mserably poor, and at once adapt our
style of living and business to circumstances.
Whatever Congress may do there is no escape
from the CALLING yoke of poverty, and when this
fact is recognized, and fully realized, there will
be less difficulty in knowing what and how to do.
Then say to alleviate much as possible the
and Affections of our bankrupt and
people, let US form associations Of
capital, associations of skill, associations OF land
associations of labor, and associations Of all
oined. There has always been too much indivi-
duality in the South. MESSING FORD,