Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-22
immigration TO Tennessee.

The movements recently made by the General
Assembly TO encourage immigration to Tennessee
have been duly chroncled in our columns, as well
also the response which Washington county,
Knox county and other counties have made. 1t is
not the purpose of this article to make partic
usr alluson to these facts much less to rece them
but to state few general principles bearing on this
subject, which our readers would do we'll to keep in
mind. Emigrations of all large bodies of people
have usually followed the lines of latitude upon
which they started. Thus the settlement of North
ern Europe was by the hardy resolute Tartars, who
starting from Northern China after travel ex-
tending through many generations at last rested in
the districts Of Europe within the same degrees as
the point of departure.
In the United States the same law has been OBJ
served. Ohio, Illinois Wisconsin have not been
settled by emigrants from South Carolina, Georgia
or Alabama. Nor have Mississippi, Louisiana and
Texas been mainly settled from the New England
or even. from the Middle Atlantic States, though
both the sea and the Mississippi river favored such
result Chiefly, Tennessee, kentucky, and the
States lying west of Them have received their germ
population from North and South Carolina and
Virginia, while Ohio Indiana and the States lying
westward Of them, received thsfr population from
the States to the east Of them. So of the more
North western States Michigan, Wisconsin and
Iowa.
| If California and Oregon seem to be exceptions
to this rule, it is less in reality thar in seeming
and for this apparent deviation there were two spe-
cial and adequate causes. These we're the donation
law by which Congress sought to induce the early
occupation of Oregon, by giving six hundred and
forty Of land to settlers in Oregon prior to
certain date; and the gold excitement which for a
time pervaded not only sli sections Of The republic
but all parts of the void.
In addition to the general law of emigration, and
which STILL substantially, holds true the unsettled
condition of the late rebel States has had an effect
to hinder the influx of population and capital to
our section Of the couatry.
These statements are made, in part to account
for the comparative smallness of immigration 10
Tennessee hitherto and also TO urge the necessity
of strong persistent effort to overcome these obsta-
Giles, and TO All these fruitful valleys with laboring
population thus enhancing the material prosperity
and resources of the State
| What should those efforts be ? The State Board
of Commissioner of Immigration is a good thing,
and they will doubtless do their part we'll The or
gsnization Of auxiliary societies in every county
and leading town of the State would greatly assist
in the good work.
The personal efforts of every new conner into
Tennessee to inform those of the community whence
be came to the astonishing resources of this State
which await and invite development, and also to
the incompatible advantages Of soil and climate to
be found here, would have marvellous result
A writer in these columns a few weeks since
urged the amendment of the usury laws of Tonnes
see as likely to induce capital to seek investments
here. This may or may not be We shall not
deny nor affirm to that; but thing is certain
Native Tennesseeans must themselves put away
local and sectional prejudices; must to pro
scribe and persecute those who settle among them
for opinions sake Oh account of the accident OF
birthplace Citizens in the Northern States have
been accustomed to hold and freely express opinions
on all civil political and religious subjects, not only
without fear of interruption, but also and especial
" without fear Of prescription either social po-
liticsl They will not come to Tennessee, if they
come they will not remain here, If ihis freedom is
at ell abridged or denied.
Another important inducement to immigration is
the maintenance of an efficient system of public in
struc.ion. No man is coming with his family 10
Tennessee if bis children cannot be educated here
He will not leave good school house ard free edu-
cation for bis children to come to State where
those advantages cannot be found nor created
Soch, then, are some of the means whereby citi-
zsns of Tennessee may develop the incalculabe re-
sources Of the State and enrich not only the CON-
4 monwealth but also themselves. That they have
great Inducements thereto, is too obvious to need
moments argument.