Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-06

Had our policy been dictated by reason
and true political economy III the past the
false ideas of more negroes and "more
cotton " would long since have given way
to the surer and more certain ones of a
general industry, and, instead Of our great
States being deserts with furnishing house
holds. as they now are, we would be pros
| porous, wealthy and happy, for verify be-
| lieve the late terrible war would have
been avoided by it. Will not our people
d" learn wisdom from poverty and change
their system ? Who can doubt it?
After the establishment of our indepen-
dence and government, it did not take the
people of New England and the other
Northern States long to see what was their
true policy to pursue. They knew the gov
erDment would encourage all kind of manu-
factures, and give them full protection by
excessive duties levied upon those i'm
| ported. LII was certain, too, that they could
not proftably produce cotton; the money.
therefore, that their negroes would bring
down South, would be worth more to
them than the negroes would be, so thew
were sent down here and sold to the cot
| ton planter, and being thus, to d great ex-
tent, provided with ample means, and as
| sured protection, they went to work all
branches of industry receiving at once the
care and attention necessary to provide for
all the wants of the people. Well may it
| be said Of them, that they saw 1.-The ad-
vantages of great variety of industry -
| zone of the highest of which, was the fact
that, all classes and capacities, young and
| old, male and female, could be furnished
with something to do, and with a motive
for doing it, and thus labor in some form
become the rule, to which there were few
exceptions" Consumers and producers
are at each others door, or commingled in
the same household, and carriers and 60
betweens absorb but small portion Of i'll
dustry." &C Excess of production and great
| expense OF transportation are alike I'M
known" Much the greatest number of
their people are engaged in commerce,
their fisheries, manufactures, and in the
mechanic arts, and the farmers there reap
a golden harvest in supplying them with
the demands for the inner man. Now we
have lost our long cherished insti,
tuition of slavery, and with it the
profitable production of cotton. [ look
upon the labor OF the negro as also lost
to us and the world to great extent. We
are now for the first time in our history like
the balance of mankind, and that pecu
llarlty, as shareholders, which made our
system what it was, and which SO much dis
t1ngulshed us from the balance of the
world, no longer exist. A new era is upon
us, the revolution which has been SO sud
denly brought about by the abolition of
slavery, at once confounds us. We are at
dead lock and cannot go forward, for our
surroundings are such that we know not
what 10 do, and sadness and gloom hover
over all the land. Why? Simply because
we have tried the old machinery and ii. aoiN
not 'corh. Growing agricultural products
for expectation and importing everything,
doubtful policy at any time. Sad ex-
perlence Of a few years has taught lis. ''agM
no! pay," if done with radicalized, Union
leagued freedmen, OF free and hired labor
of any kind, and this whole system, cotton
and negroes, must all go down together in
one common grave. We must now take up
our march on the real path Of progress, a
diversified industry. We must duplicate the
work of other lands and parts of the world
study more the teachings Of their political
economy, make their system our system,
plant the same sort Of crops they plant,
cultivate and improve our lands just like
they do, raise all kinds of stock, encourage
manufacturing and the machine arts, and
mo longer neglect the Inestimable gifts
Of God IN our midst or spurn the labor of
man"
Let the idea of raising cotton or any
other agricultural product for expectation
Ill a crude state and importing everything.
be transferred to heather India, Egypt,
Algeria, Australia and the South American
and Central American States, and blotted
from the memory of our people forever.
What then, IS the first grand step for us
to take This Is no ordinary question for
us, conteTn plate as you will. First OF all /
then Il, let us prepare for an abundant /
harvest let us bend all our energies to |
that. Let this Southern land and country |
once more rejoice III the superabundance OF
something to eat Let the f201TW cry of |
hunger and starvation once more be hushed |
and let our land be d land of plenty, yea. a
land OF milk and honey, and then the
the mechanic. the artisan,
the skilled farmer, can come here with
prospect and hope of entering largely into
the competition of the world, for their
wants can then be supplied at their doors,
at the same rates and even less than they
now are in other lands. And with system
of universal industry that would thus soon
be built up among us, that tide of emigra-
ton thlther, OF skilled labor and even CAPT.
tai, SO much talked about, and so much
needed lire, would set in from all parts of
the world, If it ever does, and not until then.
And why not Have we not coal, iron and |
copper ore, the precious metals, cotton,
wool and all other material for manufac-
turing purposes in boundles extent, with
water power unsurpassed, sufficient to turn
the machinery of the world ? Surely we
have. Have we not climate and scenery
the most beautiful, grand and pleas
ant that man ever saw or felt ? Have
we not soil unsurpassed in fertility
and variety of production, and facilities for
cheap transportation equal to any? Most
we have. Is there anything, then,
in the way of progress, radicalism " ex-
cepted, but our own needless, cold Rip
Van Wrinkle" idea that has always been
our besetting sin?
Fellow citizens and fellow farmers, think
over these things and let us change our sys-
tenn TO suit Tie times, and from our folly in
the past and our present poverty learn real
wisdom and PROGRESS.
THE ETECTJDNS.