Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-07
How 40 Develop the wealth of Ten.
uPSSaa

nessee.
We assert it as truism, and propose to
verify it by a series of arguments and IL
Illustrations "tkot the hope of Tennessee IS IN
the Development Of her manufacturing Interests"
The idea which was once prevalent, that
the Southern States should devote their
labor to purely agricultural pursuits, has
vanished before the logic of facts which are
every day presenting Themselves, The
idea that the development of manufactures
in the South was, in the olden time, mimi
cal 70 the system of slavery, was ban to
their introduction, but the system of sla.
very having passed away, this fallacious
idea has been swept away with it. Ten
nessee, though comparatively an old State,
has only had her surface touched BY the
hand of industry. Possessing, as she does,
mild and healthful climate, great di-
versity of soil, and the most extensive coal,
iron and copper fields in the Union, with a
vigorous and industrious population, she
combines all the elements of wealth and
greatness which belong to the most favored
nations of earth, Her mountains are
made of iron and her valleys run with
oil. Her water power is not surpassed by
any State in the Union, and il only re-
quires the hand of industry to make every
stream vocal with the whir of the spindle
and rattle of machinery. God made Ten
nessee to be TO the Union as the heart 10
the body. Having all the elements which
constitute the very life-blood of commerce
il was designed that she should furnish the
other States with riches gathered from
beneath her own generous soil. When
we CLEAN among the statistics of our State,
we are panied as well as surprised, al how lit.
tie we have done toward developing our hid
den wealth. Our people have never seemed
to realize the incaleulable wealth of our
State. Under the old system of political
economy, we impoverished our lands try.
ing TO enrich ourselves by agriculture
alone. Our soil responded generously,
even to our wretcbed system of cultiva-
ton, and We sent the raw materials off to
New England or to Europe to be there
manufactured and returned to us, after
paying transportation there and back, and
enormous profits 10 the manufacturer.
This was one of the foolish Injuries in
which We have been indulging the greater
part Of our lives. Very few of us have
ever taken our pencil and made calcula-
ton of what we are actually paving for
the articles manufactured out of our own
raw materials.
To present this question in a light which
| will address itself 10 the understanding of
every one, let us take the article Of cotton
| alone and see what the State loses an
nually by permitting her raw material to
be manufactured abroad.
1 hn Of al,
cotton raised in 1859 in Tennessee, as 2l2,-
600 bales.
$4,000 bales. or 100000 lbs at l5c.
per h., would 80 900
] qS, 400, 0t0 lbs cotton at yards of cloth
20 the pound, would make Ssl .60O.-
600 yds at 3, 240 600
Price Of raw material deducted leaves
gross profit TO the manufacturer of 32, 930, 600
Here is premium Of $32, $4,000 paid
By Tennessee TO build up and sustain
foreign manufactures in one year on one
article Of production.
Suppose il is argued that We could not
have consumed so great an amount of man.
ufactured goods. This would be bat an
additional argument, proving our vast re-
sources and our ability to export to other
countries. To bring these figures a little
nearer home let us examine the cotton
statistics of this city for this season.
Take up the UNION AND DISPATCH Of
yesterday, and its cotton statement shows
that there have been shipped this season
from Nashville to Northern markets, TO-
332 bales of cotton. Why was this cotton
shipped from our city and State? The
answer is very obvious. 1T is because We
have no manufacturing establishments
here.
Suppose Lowell or Manchester bought
this cotton at l5c per H., say ,S4e, ACC
pounds--S1, 028, GIG.
5,S49, 40o pounds would make . ,S97. 600
yards Of eioth, at lee Per yard. would
Deduct the price paid fer material 81. 0, slt
Gross profits to manufacturers 0S6. 74s
Suppose this s,0S6,74s dollars, which
We have so kindly paid to our friends Al
Lowell and Manchester, had been expend-
ed here in building cotton factories in this
city, our city would in twelve months have
population Of one hundred thousand, and
our bonds, now at ruinous discount
would soon be at par, and the whole eoun
try start out in new and unparalleled ca
reer of prosperity and advancement. We
propose TO pursue this subject further 10
morrow, and to show what manufactures
have done towards the developments Of
| afha~ States