The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-30
To the Farmers and Planters of Mecklenbnrg.
IMMIGRATION, &c.

At mseting of Farmers and Planters of the Hope
well District of this county, held in their neghbor
hood week before last, committee appointed to
request your earnest cooperation in d movement
which has for its object the speedy and thorough
Development Of the great agricultural resources Of
this section Of our State. As will be by refer
ence to the published proceedings Of their meeting
they propose to organize society for the promotion
Of immigration, both foreign and domestic, to this
county, and ultimately, successful, the State
generally.
The vital necessity of the movement is too apparent
to require extended consideration at bands 1t
is painful and notorious fact that the negro, from
variety Of has fallen far short of the expec
tation of his friends here and elsewhere a aborer
and has demonstrated to that FOR the present, at
least he cannot be relied upon meet the demands
for labor here. We afford TO wait until our
fields wasted with the eeaseless and mprovident
actions of past years be restored TO fertility by
reorganized system of colored labor. Indeed, the
Improvement and future capacity Of the negro Is a
problem uncertain that it would be hazardous in
the extreme to permit the agricultural future of the
country depend upon his efforts We must have the
patient, hopeful intelligent white man here whose
life has been passed in school where necessity has
disciplined and experience has instructed him we
must have such labor progress if progress we
make, must be slow, unsteady and uncertain. 1t is
an admitted fact that in those palmy days before
the war, our farming not remuneratiye employ
inert of capital and herce we saw many sagacious
men converting their land and slaves into money,
and investing it more probably elsewhere. while
those who retained this species of property relied for
their profits upon the increase in value of their slaves
and not upon the products of the soil. We had and
have soil of great natural fertility and susceptible,
in high degree, of improvement. We had climate
adapted to very large variety of agricultural pro-
duets, and had, too, a cheap systeil of labor.
Yet with all these advantages did not grow rapidly
rich indeed, beyond the increase of saTes, we
hardly be said to have prospered at ALL and even
this profit from slaves may be fairly offset by the
continued diminution in the value and producvcness
Of much of our best land &c. in sober TRUTH wewere
not at the canstaeacfment of the great deal
richer than weasdf1' nifty years ago Why was thiss
Why it that While less favored sections made
such giant strides, and gave TO astonished world
those almost fabulous instances of progress, that
staenant?
Our enemies imputed il to what they called the de-
m1ta iizJng influences of slavery Such was not the
Tact tIfhe in which they used the term de
mffalfzation, but in another sense it was true.
Those ~ ho had land and slaves here found it easy
to realize handsome support, and to procure all the
appliances Of luxury without personal effort. that
they became improvdent and thrittless and if they
theg cOnsolcd themselves with the reflection that
other land good could be procured elsewhere. In
fact our farmers were many of them but sojourners
here, who made haste to out their lands and
then 10 transfer themselves, at all events their
slaves, to the Southwest. The result was that we
had here such thing scientific experimental
farming, but followed corn, wheat and cotton in
endless round with the same crude. primitive and
imperfect system of culture from year to year.
Intellect. which has pushed this department of
human knowledge far in other countries, NOT
employed upon ii here. We did not attempt to fer
iize: did not study the problem, '-tht largest
Weld with the lcas, amount CT labor, but anIb
ton ''thc largest number Of slaves and the largest
number Of acres We did not experiment with veg
ctahe fertilizers: we did not experiment with i'm
proved agricultural implements: We did not expert
1nent with many Of the products 10 which soil
and climate adapted; we ploughed with the old
plough in the old way, cultivang corn and cotton
blindiy, and left nature unassisted. TO supply the
drain upon the soil. Such system has been album
dainty disastrous in the past; such system
now propose to abandon.
Necessity is driving farmers to employ their
brains we'll their muscles IN the work, and their
efforts must in order be successful. be seconded
tv Intelligent laborers; by who will execute
their allotted work, and who can be re-
lied TO discharge their contracts with answering
fidelity Such laborers, it is proposed to Introduce,
and along with this labor propose 20 bring class
of men whose long experience in experimental agri
culture will enable them to give "s many valuable
lesson Of which stand in need.
We are that many persons regard all etfcrts
in this direction doomed TO failure, and that they
point 10 the i-succcss that has ate uCcd similar CT
forts III other portions OF the South. But we must
remember that most Of those schemes have been i'll
devised and feebiy prosecuted; the Immigration So
ccties merely contening themselves with inviting
nts and then quietly sitting down to await
their coming. In every Instance which we have
heard of where agents have been sent to Europe to
explain the advantages Of the South, and to make
terms with the immi grant, their efforts have been
successful
/, will not do TO wait until the immigrants have
arrived in this country, because they have IN most
instances left their homes under engagements with
Western agents to take lands the border. SO If
we would speedily turn the current in this direction
we must enter into active competition with those
Western agents in Europe 1t is great mistake TO
suppose that the advantages of Western location
are at this time vastly superior to those we can
aeD,iC
In order obtain desra bic land reasonable rate.
he must go far out the frontier and begin seclu
dcd life OF dangers and exposures not at all congenia
to men fresh from the thicky populated districts Of
the old world where they enjoyed perfect security
and contracted fondness for social life. They must,
too subdue the forest and build their Railroads III
order open up communication with the markets
of the world. Here we have society more TO his
taste; VIC have security for life and property; we
have or will have eoon schools establshed we have
bringing IS in close communication with
the best ports OF the Atlantic coast and we have
a abundance of land which, with anything like proper
culture would s.laugh with golden harvest With
these advantages them there is nc conceivable reason
why We should not compete successfully for the i'm
migrant if we but exert ourselves properly.
This proximity to the markets of the Atlantic coast
is alone n great advantage. The farmer who plants
away upon the Missouri. lis tributaries, must
carry his produce Eastern markets long
line of Railroads ruinous expense, he must en-
por ti.e slow but cheaper mode OF boating for all
immense distance by way Of the Gulf Of Mexico, !
while reach the point in less than onc-tenth
Of the time, and less than one-half the expense
Under such circumstances it is easy 10 see that
Foreign emf grants would be eager enough to take up
oar surplus lands if they properly assured be-
fore coming here that it would be disposed OF to them
at low rates and upon reasonable time.
TO the owner Of land who had disposed OF ono
fourth or one-half of it these engrans, sag in
alternate sections Of fifty the profit would be
immense in the increased value Of those sections re-