The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-03-24


sifed system of industry, might be saved to the
South. 1t is this suicidal policy of our people
which causes to feel so keeniy the abolition of
slavery. Had our policy been dictated by reason
and true political economy in 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 general industry and, instead
of our great States being deserts with famishing
households, as they now are, we would be pros
porous, wealthy and happy, for verify believe
the late terrible war would have been avoided by
it. Will not our people slearn wisdom from
poverty" and change their systemr Who can
doubt it? @
After the establishment of our Independence
and government it did not take the people of
New England and the other Northern States
long to sec what was their true policy to pursue.
They knew the government would encourage all
kind Of manufactures and give them full pro-
lection by excessive duties levied upon those inn
ported 1t was certain, too, that they could
not proftably produce cotton; the money, there
FORE that their negroes would bring 'down South"
would be worth more to them than the negroes
would be, so they were sent down here and sold
to the cotton planter, and being thus, to great
extent, provided with ample means, and assured
protection they went to work; all branches of In
dustry receiving at once the care and attention
necessary to provide for all the wants of. the
people. Well may it be said that they saw
| 1.-The advantages 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 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 go-be-
| tweens absorb but small portion of industry"
Excess of production and great expense of trans
portation are alike unknown" Much the great
est number of their people are engaged in CON-
| merce, their fisheries, manufactures, and in the
! mechanic arts, and the farmers there reap gol-
den harvest in supplying them with the demands
for the inner man. Now we have lost our long
cherished institution Of slavery, and with it the
profitable production of cotton. look upon the
labor of the negro 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, aud
| that popularity, as laye.holders, which made
! our system what it was, and which so much dis
| tinguished us from the balance of the world no
| longer exist A new era is upon us, the revo-
| luton which has been so suddenly brought about
! by the abolition of slavery, at once confounds u.s.
| We are at dead lock and cannot go, forward,
for our surroundings are such that we know not
what to do, and sadness and gloom hover over all
|
tried the old machinery and 1t ,cW not scork
Growing agricultural products for expectation
and importing everything, doubtful policy at any
time. Sad experience of few years has taught
us, "wiW not pay" if done with radicalized,
Union-leagued freedmen or free and hired labor
of any kind, and this whole system, cotton and
negroes, must all 60 down together in one CON-
mon grave. We must now take up our march on
| the real path of progress, 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 sort of crops they plant,
cultivate and improve our lands just like they do,
raise all kinds of stock, encourage manufacturing
and the machanic arts, and 'no longer neglect
| the inestimable gifts of God in our midst or
spurn the labor of man." '~- @f ~ fIt --R
| Let the idea of raising cotton or any other
agricultural product for expectation in 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. II.
What, then, is the first grand step for us TO
take ! This is no ordinary question for US, con-
template as you will First of all then is, let us
prepare for an abundant harvest; let us bend all
our energies to that. Let this Southern land
!
dance of something to eat Let the fearful cry
of hunger and starvation once more be hushed
and let our land be land of plenty, yea landof
milk and honey, and then the manufacturer, the
mechanic, the artisan, the slaLed farmer, csn
come here with aprospect 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 uni
versal industry thatwould thus soon be built UP
among u.s. that tide of emigration thither, of
skilled labor and even capital, so much talked
| about and so n,tch needed here, 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 aud copper ore, the precious metals,
| cotton, wool and all other material for manufac-
| turing purposes liz boundess extent, with water
power unsurpassed, sufficient to turn the ma.
ehinery of the world Surely we have Have
we not climate and scenery the most beautiful,
grand aud pleasant that man ever saw or felt 7
Have we not soil unsurpassed in fertility and
variety of production and facilities for cheap
transportation equalto any? Most assuredly
we have Is there anything, then, in the way
of progress, but our own needless, "Old Rip
Van Winkle" idea that has always been our be-
setting SIM ts. sas = sr& .r.
Fellow-citizens and fellow farmers, think over
these things and let Us change our system TO snt4
die times, and from our folly in the past and our
| present poverty learn real wisdom and progress.
| Wages went to the depot of one Of our rail-
ways the other evening, and finding the best car
full said in q loud tone: ''This car isn't going
~ - n -~nI wfn