Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-05-29
Darlington Moves in the Great Matter

of immigration.
Darlington Districti it seems has been the first
to adopt practical measures for the resuscitation
of South Carolina. In this respect would it not
bo we'll for Edgefeld, sos1arge, and formerly SO
wealthy, 10 follow in her footsteps
On Saturday tho 18th inst, a large meeting of
the citizens and planters of said District was held
at Florence, on the Wilmington q Manchester
Railroad, for the purpose of initiating measures
for the promotion of European Immigration; and
to hear tho views of Gen. JOHN A. WAGNER, the
Commissioner of Immigration of this State, who
had been invited to attend. Gen. WAGESER's
speech before this meeting was long and Of e1-
traordinary interest. We will present it to our
readers next week, with the hope that they may
be Influenced by it to take some steps towards the
important end in view This address of Gen.
WAGNER met with general acceptance and-ap-
plause; SO much so that tho meeting resolved
itself into On Association for encouraging Immi;
grafton, and appointed Committee of five to
draft Constitution, and report at the next meet
ing to be held at tho same place, onthe first
Saturday in June.
Or are our people SO satisfied with freencgro
labor, and its prospects the future, as to deem
such effort as we suggest, unnecessary We
should think not; judging from conversations We
now and then have with intelligent and energetic
plantcrs-from men who owned beautiful homes,
and who once. thought themselves settled for life,
but who now seem to believe that they will be
compelled to give up tho attempt to carry on
their plantations. These men have no interest in
undertaking free negro labor, but every reason in
the world for wishing it might answer th.ir pur-
poses. ~,
It sometimes looks as if the North dictated
emancipation only that she might buy out the
South at sacrifice, and finally Northernize this
part of tho country. The only chance Of pre-
venting this result seems to be in immigration.
OF course there will be effort, to make radicals
of any new population that may como to us; but
there must also be strong efforts to prevent the
success of all such schemes. The removal of
slavery will probably prevent the entrance of any
element of discord between the new andthe old
population; and thus we may gain political power
along with the increase of our numbers by aeces-
sons from abroad. That there is "chance" of
a different result, We admit; but We can see no
better alternative than to run that risk. -
Mr.. F1rznUGu, we'll known as one of the most
prominent contributors to Do Bow, maintained
some months back, before the death of the editor,
that "white laborers from Europe would be
nuisance rather than an advantage to u.s." and
that our sole reliance hereafter, as heretofore,
for farm hands, must bo on the negroes" The
Editor of the Review, on tho other hand, held
and maintained the opinion that the negroes will
soon be utterly valucless, and that our great de-
pendencc must be on l,hing laborers from Eu-
rope. Here IL wide difference OF opinion. We
with Mir. FlrzHUGH some months ago, are now
rapidly coming over to the adverse opinion ;
which, as DR.. NoTr, that famous man of scienf C,
formerly of our own State, ha, shown, is fouD ded
in nature as we'll as corroborated by expert ,nce.
In the number of the Now Orleans M.dics and
Surgical Journal for July 1866, which has. lately
fallen into our hands, DR.. Nor7 shows that the
races of men, if not distinct species, arc at least
permanent varieties, and that the Physique Of
each race has kindred moral insep :rabie from
it. In the application Of thcse prin cioles, he mr.
CUES that the negro is, "by instr ct opposed to
agricultural labor, and will not till ho soil for
wages" This assertion, he soy,, isproyen by
the history of tho race in ond out of Africa.
China and India, with vastly los, territory than
Africa, have respectively o population Of four
hundred and two hundred millions. Africa h.: :,
only one hundred millions. This. difference ii
attributed to tho fact that the negro !, MOI ar
agricultural race, while the Chinese and Hiridoo
arc intensely agricultural. In the same paper
Dr.. Norr says: (" I nm aware that very acttcrint
accounts are coming in from all quarters, to th'
effect that tho negroes are working vol, and tha
a large crop of cotton, in 1866, will be the result
At forty to fifty cents per pound for cotton, it il
possible that the negro may, for time, be stimu
lated to some degree of industry; but am per
fectly willing to stake what little reputation.
may have, upon the assertion that the negro mus
fail as an agriculturalist, that the race will b'
gradually e1terminated in this ountry, that the.
will deterioratc morally and intellectually, ant
that nc must look to other 'iource, Of labor tc
produce the great staples Of che Gulf States"
The time that has elapsed since this was writ
ten has done much more, wo opine, to demon
strAte than to invalidate the prediction. And
therefore, it must be the part Of wisdom to nppea
practically TO those other sources Of labor,
while, meantime, we d o all We can to make ih
negro temporarily ari.lable. This last VIC ough
to do, but not leave he other undone.