The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-03-24
Correspondence of the Wilmington Journal.

10 ToSpT1W ...
Correspondence of the Wilmington Journal.
KENANsvILLE, N. c., Feb. "a, 1868.
have read with much satisfaction various
letters and some editorials, within the last few
months, about farmers, farming, labor, crops, &c,
OF the South, and hope not without profit As
your columns seem to be open for a free discus
sion of these all-important subjects, propose to
do SO in few short communications in the form
of letters. The impression with the most of our
people, that the abolition of slavery has Frustrated
and ruined the country, to some extent, is true
but that it is altogether So certainly erroneous
1t may be blessing in disguise, at least we ought
to try to think 1t has ruined the negro, there
is nothing more certain than that, and is the be-
ginning of his gradual extinction from the land.
1t has also limited the production of cotton, to-
bacco and sugar here
The unjust tax on cotton will soon find but
little substance to work Oh and prove fr1itless
source of revenue; for honestly believe that our
people will soon find it to be to their interest to
abandon the production of it altogether, as an
article of expectation in the crude state, and if
they would tax it two dollars and half pound
instead of two cents and half so as to kill it out
of the way at once So much the better it would
be for the people of the South But to my sub
ject. If the abolition of slavery is not the sole
cause of our prostration, what is it that is I To
answer this question to my satisfaction, only re-
quires few words of the history of the farmers
and people of the South, and little contrasting
of their policy with the course pursued by the
same class of men in other parts of the country
readers to tell you in the early history of the
| South men were opposed to free Schools and to
newspapers too, but if the historian has given US
| correctly the facts it is nevertheless true. Sir
VIM. Berkley, one of the first Governors of Vir-
ginia, in reply to enquiries made of him by the
| British Lords Commissioners, is reported as say
ing, among other things, But thank God there
are no free schools or printing" and concluded
with these words: 'sGod keep from both"
All lovers of learning and general diffusion
of knowledge, rejoice to know, however, how
| little the future generations of glorious "Old
Virginia partook of the feelings and notions of
her Sir William Then came the dctestation and
opposition of the people to internal improvements
| by the States or general government, which too
soon gave way to an appreciation OF them, limited
only by their importance and the means of the
| State to build them up. These prejudices and
| singular notions of our people have thus passed
away, and for education, perhaps, nothing more
could have been done, than has been done, and
| the same may be said of internal improvements.
! l e,
| statesmen as well as others, seemed to have for
gotten that these things alone, though all impor-
tant could not make us "a great, thriving and self
| sustaining omnunity There appeared to be
one grand leading, controlling erroneous idea,
which could not be gotten rid of; everybody,
every generation from the earliest settlers in the
South down to the present day, have pursued
the very same beaten track and it is so indelibly
| fixed in u.s. in this living, moving generation,
that there is scarcely lingering hope change.
That idea is this, that We must necessarily pur-
sue policy of 'groving agricultural products
for erportotton ond ndimporting eer:ytAing" Now
| we come by this notion honestly, for it was one
of the imported ideas brought here by the lords.
Proprietors sent over here by England to colo
nize the country more than two hundred years
ago, for we are told athe brick, iron work and
much of the wood work" of their houses were
imported" And sships from England brought
them their annual supplies of merchandise in ex-
change for their crops of tobacco, while smaller
crafts came with the products of the New Eng
land fisheries and of the West India plantations,
| to barter for their tobacco ,rheat corn" It
was quite natural to see how this thing came
about between England and these States, every
thing must be tributary to her, and in colonizlng
| this country you may be sure she did not intend
to lose by it. and being all of one family, the in
terest of the mother country was fondly cherished
and promoted. England could do the rnanufac-
turing and have the carrying trade, and the
colonies would grow agricultural products for ex-
portation and import everything they needed,
manufactured articles and many things that were
not manufactured. Just like we are doing now.
In order that this system might be continually
kept up the population of the colonies in
| creased large premiums were offered by England.
to induce and stimulate all sorts of productions,
first for wine, then raw silk and then I know not
what but almost anything of the earth's produc-
ton, but no premiums for manufactured articles.
Up to the Revolutionary war of 1776, and the
final separation of the colonies from their mother
country, this state of things continued, and
strange to say, has been going ever since, only
We get no premiums for our kindness or what we
raise. ..
In 1894 new impetus was given to the South,
and the commerce of the world, by the discovery
of the cotton saw-g gin by Eli Whitney, of Georgia.
It so stimulated the production of cotton as to-
at once, place it foremost among our national
exports" And its influence upon the industrial
interest of the human race is without a parallel
It completely controlled everything, and, with
the people of the South. there were soon but two
leading ideas Negroes and cotton" overshad
owed everything else, and thus, to this day, rem.
dering hopeless the advantages of a diversified
industry" 1t is negroes and cotton get, and tho
same old idea Of exporting agricultural products
and importing everything at an expense of count
less millions OF money to our people every year
that so terribly distresses Us now Just think
for a moment of the vast sums of money the hare
earnings of our distressed people, that is ever
now being annually paid to the outside world fo1
exporting and manufacturing our products, ane