Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-02-21
C0RRRsPONDENCE.

Nm. EDITon: Our last left Us nine mile
out from Mayhsld. During our stay of ter
days, the ground was covered with snow and
slest to such an extent that We could no
judge Of the fertility of the soil from sight
but had to form our opinion in this PARTON.
lar from the ingathered crops and the corr
and tobacco stalks still standing. With thes'
data before us, we concluded that the sol
must be very productive. We were told
that from eight to twelve barrels of corn and
from ten TO fifteen hundred pounds of to.
oacco per acre was no extra yield. This sec
ton is not considered q very good wheal
growing country, as 1t lies so level and re.
tains water so long that wheat Is liable q
freeze out during very hard winter.
The item Of timber, Tenuesseeans would
regard As failure, blackjack and hickory
being the only growth. Tbis however, to
some extent Is counterbaIanced by an sbun-
dance Of timber ou the creeks. Hence, while
the uplands are brought into requisiiion by
the farmer, the bottoms are still clothed with
their primeval forests, and are only used 70
obtain such supplies Of timber as cannot be
obtained ON the more elevated regions.
From our observations we conclude that
this lacks but one element to make IL the
finest and most dssirable portion of the great
Mississippi Valley; and that ID little more
OF the spirit Of improvement which could
be fully Infused BY few public-spirlted men
located In each ueighborhood, who would Ia
. few years, BY the influence of their exam.
pie, develop the resources Of the county,
erect neat and comfortable improvement,
and thus bring about spirit OF emulation
and improvement which would add untold
thousands TO the wealth of the county,
But now It really seems that the country is
at least fifty years behind the times. There
are still many men Of means who are living
in log cabins, chinks daubed with mud, clap
board roofs and stick and dirt chimneys.--
Now We think this all wrong when men can
do better; 1t makes an nnfavcrable impress
sion upon a stranger; the casual observer
concludes that the land Is 30 poor that man
csu really do no better; hence the country
suffers While the more thoughtful seeing
the evidences Of productiveness upon every
hand, concludes the fellow Ia too lazy to
work; but then he sees q well kept farm;
large stacks Of hay and oats, cribs filed with
corn and well built barn; be finds be Is
wrong also, and as he recollects that be has
seen no neat country school-houses on his
way as % many fountains sending forth
streams Of intelligence to enlighten and ele-
vate the people, be concludes more justly
that the ow ner has no spirit of improvement
no disposition to adorn and beautify his
home and make it attractive, but is content
70 live as did his father fifty years ago.
Therefore, he can only pity the man who is
vining 10 ouy his talent sr .-,a 10 80 ,~.o,
lect, not enjoying it himself nor yet permit
ting others TO do SO.
Another evidence Of old fogyism is to be
found in the tenacity with which the people
still cling to OK teams. Almost every wagon
you meet is drawn by specimens of the bo-
vine species. A mule or horse team is about
as rare sight as well built, neat country
residence. Their manner oflaying of farms
3 greatly preferable to the Tennessee style.
All dividing lines run to the cardinal points
cf the compass. The roads are generally on
ection lines, and hence the farms are in
good shape and never cut up by roads run
ping obliquely through them. Land ranges
from ten to thirty-6se dollars per acre, with
very little at the first figure. Notwithstand-
log the seeming high price, We believe II is
easier to pay for farm here with the pro-
ceeds of the same than in some parts we
know of at Eve dollars per acre.
And yet another, and we might say the
browning advantage, here, is that . white
man Is still white man, a free and inde-
pendent sovereign, and the negro is where
God, his maker placed him, inferior In every
respect to the white race. The order of So
ciety has not yet been Inverted by bringing
the scum and dregs to the surface. Kentucky
has not yet been cursed with hypocritical,
csnting, parson for Governor, or praise God
bars-bones Legislature, to pass an odlous
franchise law, Wrestling all political rights
from their legitimate owners, and placing
them in the hands of q few political adven-
turers and their less debased and more igno-
rant allies, the negroes. May God In his
goodness and wisdom preserve Kentucky
from the fato of her sister Teunessee--a fate
more to be dreaded than the CALLING yoke Of
Russian serfdom.
This brings US 10 notice two conventions
We attended in May field on county court day.
II had been published for some time that the
democracy would hold convention then,
and Notwithstanding IL was very inciement
day, the town was literally thronged. The
Judge was requested TO adjourn court that
the Convention might meet in the Court
house, which he readily did; but no sooner
was court adjourned than the leading Rad Of
the place proclaimed that he wanted the
union men Of Graves county to meet In con-
vsntion for the purpossof nominating a can