The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-03-11
SPEECH OF GEN. JOSEPH 9. ABBOTT,

Ma. PRESIDENT: solicit the attention of this
Convention to the remarks which am about to
submit in connection with the Commttee on
Finance. 1t is my design to examine, under the
light of unquestonablc facts, into whatever
basis the State may have for present or future
prosperity and for maintaining its public credit
l hope. also, to utter some words.c Cheer 10
those who take respondent view OF present al
I fairs, and to demonstrate that there Is no just
cause for this depression, but that we have ready
at our hand the material to do all that is incum-
bent upon us as people or as state, ana 10
render the future one Of success and glory, III
comparison with which that Of the past shall be-
come dim and pale. At all times we must re-
member that as body polite We have reached
totally new era. 1t is not my purpose TO alude
to the process by which this great transfOrma-
ton was wrought 1t is enough TO know that
the old basis of all State economy, the old means
Of production and resource, as we'll as the old
modes of lite are, of necessity, replaced by new.
When, from the blue sea to the swarthy sides OF
the Apprentices, new style of life supplanted that
of Latium and Etruria, or when al later period
the Roman arms bore new laws to distant Spain,
or more distant Gaul, or when still later William
of Normandy reached England, the changes in
tue ordinary routine of life, though not of the
same nature, could hardly hnve been greater
We are now free society, standing out In ALI
ance and competition with other likeSocieties,
and in considering this subject that great fact
ought never to be forgotten. This great Change
of which have spoken, modities oil calculations
very much OF present. as 1t will more In the fu-
ture. This is said now incidentally, but before
closing shall consider more in detail the effect
of those momcntous changes, at present, under
such facts as may be at hand and also sepbpit.
some suggestions in regard to- their effect IN the
immediate years before us. Now, the wealth. OF
State is primarily its territory and Its people.
From these proceed everything which ls va ,;l
and the people as whole industrious, energetic
and skliul, then the State, in due time, arrives
at the highest point of prosperity and civiliza-
ton; because by this combination the most is
made of the material in the hands of the people
Indeed, there cannot well be any higher style Of
life than that where the people make the utmost
of their territory; because as result OF great
products they put themselves in possession OF
means of further advancement, which means
constantly accumulate, aiding all the mechanical
and other arts, all learning and philosophy, and
all the great virtues which pertain to men. If
the most productive region on the face of the
earth were occupied by the most industrious and
earnest and correct people on earth, and they
should maintain their character as such, then we
should see the highest possible modes of life,
and the height of prosperity as society.
But this advantage of a productive territory
is often in the possession OF an indolent people
while on the other hand, sterile region may be
in the possession of vigorous people, and SO it
has come about that the Scandinavian, who forces
his sustenance from reluctant soil, attains higher
prosperity than the Italian, under the purple
light of his mild skies; and so it is that Massa-
chusetts, with an unfavorable climate and ste
rifle soil, produces more per capita than South
Carolina, notwithstanding her advantages of soil
and climate; and immeasurably su,p passes her in
all that pertains to greatness as body polite.
North Carolina has, 10 remarkable extent,
both the acquisitions for great society. 1t is
shown beyond contradiction, that in climate,
soil, production and resources, she has no supe-
riOr; and her population as whole, have always
maintained an honorable position for industry,
temperance, and the honesty of her people,
Let me utter SO as not to be misunderstood this
great palpable fact ut the outset sc, 900 square
miles of territory yarious in climate and pro-
auctions, inhabited by 100000 people, hardy,
honest, vigorous and intelligent Given these
two conditions, what are we TO say of her capa-
city? Is she i,nbecile! Is she unable to coit-
front the present or the future? Nay, is she not
able to confront and grappe with both. Is she
impoverished? Rather is she not opulent in the
wealth OF her hardy population, and in her
magnificent territory:
LIT us descend to the details of figures and
facts, so that we may sec with more distinctness
the extent of our wealth and the prospect of a
full sasperity. The value of the property of
theky as taken from the census returns of
1S8ls s491 200, 600. We all know that in
such 4 return property is never given in at a fall
value 1t is probable that at that very time the
real value of the property OF the State was not
below 5000 600 900 1t is true that in this proper
ty was included slaves, who were the property Of
individuals. Theysrc no longer $50, put they
are the property oil the Statey as are 'ulso the
white population; that is, they are to be reckon
ed in rating thesactual productive capacity of
the State, so that for the purpose in hand
might add the value of each white person to the
above estimate. ut is to be considered also that
the tax paid on this property to the State was
merely capitaton tax, as it is now, SO that the
State does not necessarily lose in its revenue by
their emancipation.)
Now this State yielded in the year 1869, pro-
ducts 10 the amount of S1S1 ,255, 00O according
to the census returns. will not undertake to
estimate what the actual value of the products
may have been, but it was probably not far from
double that amount. Reckoning, however, the
products as given in the census returns, and the
population ut 200, 600, there to each person.
man, woman and child, an income of $lS1. 1
repeat, that if every article of product which
came from the Garth or IRON the hands OF men
were accounted no doubt the amount would
have been doubled.
Let us now consider the question of loss in pro-
ducts in consequence of emancipation. Waiv-
ing the question of the comparative products of
free and slave society, it is enough to assume
that the former contains more of the elements
of healthy growth than the latter-that its in
crease Is greetcr-that its activity is more stimu
lated-that intelligence, which is the soul of in
dustry and progress are its more natural accom-
paniments-in short, that freedom is in itself the
superior of servitude So we have seen the
State OF Ohio, which was the hunting ground
for savases when North-Carolina cut her Great
Seal of State and number, d her 800, 900 inhabi-
tants, with a less number of square miles, and
territory not on the whole superior, more than
eoublc North-Carolina in population, and more
than quadruple her in wealth. As certainly as
this pros perty has come to these free States,
1t will come to us. provided North-CarOlina can
apprehend her position, and show by her laws,
rpfrpchad from IN Mt cnirif fhase irna
that she sOlicits and accepts this destiny. 1t is
undoubtedly true that the present products of
the State, notwithstanding the change in the
form of labor will not show large decrease on
former years, in consequence of that fact. 1t
has been assumed that the State lost $50, 600 900
of her producing capacity in consequence OF the
War. BIT it must not BIZ overlooked that other
productive capacities which has been dormant has
been called into activity, under the exigencics of
the times. No statistics relating to the pro-
ducts of the present year are at hand, excepting
those of the Committee of Agriculture ct WASH
ington, and these are imperfect. These shows
falling of in the production of corn since 1860,
while in the production of cotton, shows an
| increase of 5000 bales. At any rate, enough is
learned from the experience Of voluntary labor
for the last two years to satisfy any candid mind
that there need be, under that system, no disaster
! but that the State may proceed upon the assump.
| ton that products viii increase from year to
7 year in quality as well as variety. This seems
the more reasonable, when considered in view OF
the facts presented above as to the superior &C.
| tivity of free society. How rapidly North Ca o.
lima will attract to itself capital and enterprise
remains yet to be seen; but the ultimate result
cannot be doubtful. !, therefore, assert this in
ecntrovertible fact, that no State with our popu-
lation and territory ought to be other than pros.
| porous. assert that we have all the means ai
hand, if we will but use them. What is wanted
is the mil, like that OF the mes who hewcd down
| these primeyal forests and laid here the founda.
tions of State
We want the will to face these difficulties, to
take account of stockn and see where VIC