Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-12-12
Can the North Prosper. Until the
Southern Planting Interest is Re-
SuScitafed +,s,r..

Can the North Prosper. Until the
Southern Planting Interest is Re-
Suscitated ttE.f,T+ .4f s.,@. -
New YORK, Thanksgiving day, 1867.
?, While the political cauldron is seething and
foaming, and trade and commerce languishing
to an unprecedented degree, permit a private
citizen from the South, to offer few remarks
upon the condition of affairs there, and with
all due Difference suggest a remedy, remarking
10 advance that it is only through the kindly
feelings of some Northern Journal that our
voice may be occasionally heard2.sl gsA.-l
I am citizen of the State of Georgia; am
engaged in the land agency. There are planta-
tions placed in my hands for sale, amounting in
value to over two millions of dollars nominally,
and priced IN every instance at less than rope-
half, somo at one. third, and some evena at one
fifth what they would have sold for before the
war. have exerted myself faithfully here at
the North for two years to effect sales, have
agencies established in nearly all the Northern.
cities, and to show that there has beenA0e eff
fort spared to give them publicity, there have
been thirty thousand circulars giving the de-
scription and price Of a portion of this prpp
erty, distributed throughout the Northern
States from Maine to Michigan, and if there.
has been one single sale effected, am yet to
be advised of it. S1ai-s y. - a.:4J
am assured by Northern men-by my agents,
and by other sources that there are thousands
OF good Industrious farmers in every Northern
State that most earnestly desire to move South,
purchase our fertile lands, and settle there
In the summer of 1866 Gov, Andrew assured
me that there were thousands of farmers in
Massachusetts, that desired to settle in the
Southern States, and that there; were millions
of money 10 Boston that would seek invest
ment there, but were deferred by the political
excitement of the day. The same season
gentleman from Elmira said to me, SMr B.,
like the description of the property; Lam
satisfied with the price [ want to move South
and several of my neighbors want to 60 with
me, but l am afraid to move there for fear that
i somebody will hurt me. y 6..l.45a@
Just before the election of 1866 certain jour
mails here were teeming with the most exaggera-
ted accounts and most infamous lies of bad
treatment that Northern men EXP erienced at
the hands Of our Southern people Theseiac
counts were reiterated by the country papers,
der then that the people "were afraid to move
Now at this same time our people in Georgia
were very much interested in the subject Of
immigration. They held public meetings. in
the cities and counties, and at the Planters
Convention the subject was urged inviting am
migration, let it come from what section it
might Our Legislature took up the subject,
and would have passed some acts favoring it,
but it was opposed by some on the ground chat
many of our people were thenin state of star
yation, and that if any movements were made
towards the introduction of Immigrants 1t
would have the effect of making provis-
ions still more scarce and high. As for the
social conyition Of our people,1 will venture
the assertion that more orderly and law abid-
ing people could not be found on the continent,
and that there were fewer crimes committed
In the whole State than in one single Northern
city, Last year the Northern people were
afraid to move South ssfor fear OF the white,
folks" This year they are afraid to move
there ''for fear of the nigger,'''' and thus the
matter stands, while there are hundreds of
plantations lying idle, untouched by the. plow
fencing and houses rotting down-and the
once fertile cotton fields growing In weeds and
bushes. attl . Il a'l11a il#>@'s.A .c.
o.t Our Iaboring element--the negro-is getting
fewer in numbers every year; more insolcnt,
and moro and more indolent, thriftlesss and
shiftless. ,, 4, Il I sly1lIIIAiU ;3-&
Nineteen hundred bales of cotton in 1866
against five millions In 1860 attest the truth of
this assertion. This year, 1867, although the
seasons have been far more propitious for the
cotton crop than they were the year before, yet
our crop will hardly exceed that of last year.
:: Next year we may look for still further re .
duction of at least one-fourth, for many Of our
planters tired and disgusted with the freed
mems labor, are going to, give up the culture
Of cotton altogether and SOW q portion i9t their
fields in grain and convert the remainder into e
pastures for the raising Of stock. i. with our
. production of cotton getting less yearly, and
the home consumption Of the raw material
somewhat on the increase; it IS not at all i'm; m
probable that our commercial and financial i[ ii
men will soon wake up: to the. reality that cot
j ton has ceased to be an article Of export.- ~.
York Journal of Conanerce.iat.i . s!'*Ls., ~
~ CANA RADICAL CoNsTlTUT8oNBE DEFEAT
ED IN Va -- Before the late elections the num-
h., 20 o.:,4o.od ,,orSone white and black was