Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-21
WHY IMMIGRANTS DO NOT COME
To TENNESSEE.

TO TENNESSEE.
We are making great efforts to attract
immigration to this State, and have a
Commissioner at the North who is using
every effort tc awaken an interest in be-
half OF this State in the minds Of those
who prefer milder climate and cheaper
lands than they find in that section Of
the Union. The Commissioner finds a
great many people, who Would make val-
liable citizens who say they would like
to come down here and settle among ms,
and occasionally one Of these men pulls
up stakes and does come Now let us see
what is the experience of another man
who has been laboring to promote immi-
grafton to Tennessee. The Memphis
4Doldnche publishes the following card:
EDITORS AVALANCHE: For some monlhs
past have been engaged getting up an ar
raugemeut 60 open an office in Cincinnati
for the sale Of Southern farming lands, and
have on hand a large quantity Of the finest
lands in Tennessee, Arkansas and Missis-
sippi, Cor sale, at low rates. ] have, how
ever, ia the meantime, after diligent in
quiry, satisfied myself that it il useless TO
offer these lands for sale. The inyariable
answer TO my invitation il, Il cant live
under a negro government" am assured
Of thousands of good and worthy men who
would be glad to come among US and share
our fate a. people, and would do 80 but
for the difficulty above stated. My in
quiries have satisfied NE that instead of
capital and labor being brought into the
country, they are leaving it by thousands.
Many Of the letters from citizens offering
me their lands for sale say, 81 want to sell
aud leave the State" ! am satisfied that
no sales can be made, and must therefore
ask you TO discontinue my card.
Respectfully, p. T. ScRUaGs.
Mr. Scruggs is a gentleman of high
standing in Memphis, and his testimony,
founded upon experience, is entitled to
great WEIGHT The Northern people Of
every shade Of politics, are very much
averse to negro rule, and claim that this
is white mans government This Is
borne out by the fact that in every State
in which the question of negro suffrage
has been submitted to the people, it has
been defeated Only the other day it was
defeated in Michigan by nearly forty
thousand majority, and yet the Republic
cans carried that State. In Ohio the
majority against negro suffrage was about
fifty thousand, Notwithstanding the Rad
icals elected their Governor by nearly
three thousand In Iowa the majority
against negro suffrage was but about
twelve hundred, but the Radicals carried
the State by very large majority. Is
it a matter 10 excite wonder that peO-
pie whose prejndiees against negro suf,
frage are thus strong, should refuse to
invest their means an a Stale where
not only the right Of suffrage is conferred
upon negroes, but where they are made
ofice-holders and jurors, and where they
hold the balance of power in important
elections2 The crafty men who sought
in the enfranchisement Of the negro the
advancement of their own political aims,
never thought-perhaps if they thought,
did not care--how cruelly they were
stabb.nC the material interests Of their
State Here we have the testimony of
gentleman Of Acknowledged standing and
prohity, who sought to sell lands in Tens
nessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi to
farmers in the Northwest, that he was
almost invariably met with a refusal to
purchase on the ground that the parties
would mot live under a negro govern
mem" We now see where the effort to
induce immigration to this State is de-
fpatpl