Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-20

year saw them reasonably hopeful of re-
suits from the ensuing season. Unhappily
the second season did not fully realize their
hopes. They had staked all on their cotton
crops, and neglected to plant grain enough
for the succeeding year. The consequence
was mournful. In many places the amount
of cotton raised scarcely sufficed to pay the
cost of labor and the price of implements
employed in cultivation, and during the
last winter incredible restitution fell upon
the poor. The crop now coming to maturity
was planted in the midst of dearth. and
most of it is mortgaged to corn spectators
in advance of its production. Still, the
prospect of the present crop is fair Before
the war it averaged 10000 bales. The
yield this year will not be less, if fair
weather continues, than from $3.50 600 to
| 9, 500, 600 bales. More grain, too, has been
raised than last year; SO that, though
great part of the price OF what has been
produced will be Immediately consumed in
considerably less outlay will be necessary
to produce the crop of 1868. The country
at large will be immensely benefited by
the present crop, which will throw not
much if any, less than 100000, 900 of dol
lars into the lap of the nation, although of
this sum mere pittance will remain in
Southern hands. Another and another
equally good year must follow before
Southern men begin to keep the wealth
which is the product of their industry.
But the financial future of the South is
bound up with the future of her politics
and the former has been already sacrificed
before the Moloch of political party, the
single object of whose future is to keep
few men, as we lately said, in the enjoy
ment of fat salaries, with the stealings"
The corruption and the decentralization of
the cotton raising negro population has
now passed beyond all previous conception,
though it bids fair to become so much
worse that the culture of the cotton plant
in any systematic way must speedily be-
come impossible. Already we learn from
private sources, in which We have perfect
confidence, that the negroes go armed to
the teeth; that their nights are spent in Sc
cretassemblies, where the vilest of white men
incite them to the most exaggerated bitter
ness against the planters, and, indeed,
they confidently look for speedy confsca-
ton Of the landed property, to give to
every negro s. forty acres and mule -
that on the plantations they are insolent
and menacing in their demeanor ; that the
planters are compelled for their own safety
to overlook and wink at the most fragrant
idleness and dishonesty ; that when they
threaten their delinquent laborers with
election or stoppage of rations, they them
selves are threatened in reply with arson or
with personal violence and that neither
| negro nor' planter looks upon the present
state of affairs as one that can be perma-
nent. The truth is, it cannot be perma-
nent. NJ industry in the world can be
permanent under such disadvantages. While
Pennsylvania and New England require not
on u tah 1pOt I'm
bonus from the nation to enable them to
sell their iron OF their manufactures: TO the
people at a vastly greater price than Eye
could buy them for elsewhere, it is in out
rage on common sense thus by infamatory
legislation to destroy an industry that
brings nothing but profit to the country,
and that needs and asks for no other than
the same laws as protect the States at large.
A continuance of such legislative national
self-destruction as now prevails may not
impo5sibly result in universal bankruptcy,
and the reputation Of our public debt !;
but, at least, it cannot fail to cause the total
ruin of the agricultural productiveness of
the Southern States. It is necessary to the
existence of industry that the relations of
the laborer to his employer should be har-
monized. Mr.. Wade's late somersault shows
how zee should shrink from the Inaugural
ton of agrarianism among ourselves. Yet
our legislation in the Southern States has
precisely the effect as if it had been delibe-
rately planned for the disorganizing of all
reasonable harmony between the Southern
laborer and his employer and the igno-
rant enthusiasm OF the negroes has been
reused by propagating such wild notions
of agrarianlsm as neither Of the Gracchi
ever dreamed of. Once again, To uicis :
Unless some sudden inspiration of wisdom
shall unexpectedly possess the government
the South has this year seen the best year
it can hope for through a long space in the
future. But We have said that the finan-
cial future of the South is bound up with
the future of her politics. What, then, is
the future she has to look forward to? Let
us see.
The plain meaning of the pseudo Recon-
struction acts of Congress, now being push
ed to their most merciless contamination,
is simply this: 1st, To register in the south
the entire negro population and such whites
| as may unite with them in supporting the
Radical party in Congress. I'd, To pro-
hibt the registration of the vast ma ority
of the whites who have real interest in
the quiet and prosperity of the county
Sd, 70 submit to the voters of the State
thus registered the question whether they
will or will not hold Convention for the
reconstruction of their States under the
Congressional plan. Under this mode of
procedure, it may be seen what a hopeful
future lies before the South and the whole
country Either the States will vote for
Convention or for no Convention. The
white vote will be largely cast against Con-
vention; for the present military rule with
all its disadvantages at least affords protec-
ton, while reconstruction, such as has been
perpetrated in the State OF Tennessee,
gives little protection but to negro bri-
gands. The Radical whites and the negro
voters who are interested in subverting all
decent rule and authority WILL of course,
unite in favor of Convention. Now, sup
pose-although the case is hardly possible
that the Convention is by such Il mocke-
~ of suffrage rejected. Then the Radicals
will avail themselves of the cry of Southern
contumacy; Mr.. Stevens mild confiscation
is brought into play; the South is wholly
ruined by this villainous atrocity for mere,
ly saying, as our generous Congress has in
vited her to say, that she prefers the rule
of military satraps to the harder rule of
uninstructed negroes and white bravoes.-
On the other hand suppose-and this is
the Only suDDOSitiOn justified bv he legis-