The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-01-21
COTTON CULrURk-


There Ia amors tho ra...t.~. IA. the South q
very general ,disinclinatioa to conform to the
altered conditios Of thing. They appear 70 BE-
stoutiy opposed to the idea Of cutting up their
large plantations into small fnrms, and 10 sell
ing or leasing these parcels to any one They
look upon all this a. Yankee advies, and sesn
indisposed to follow II On this ascount. This II
very natural, and Is very much the same policy
that disappointed people who have been jostled
from their old positions are likely TO pursue the
world over. Systems change and new modes
and new channels are opened up to labor and to
the Industries OF the land, and he 10 the wise
who recosnisesThe change and svails himself Of
Its benefits at the earliest opportunity. There
Is probably no class Of people on the earth who
SO readily adapt themselves to the force Of or
cumstsnces as the Yankee. Whatever occurs to
break down one or more branches Of business
In New England tho people accept II and do the
best they can to obviste the difficulties which
supervene; that Is, they turn their capital and
their Industries into other channels, and take
fortune By the forelock and compel, even what
at first appears to obstruct, enterprise and
profitable investment to contribute to their sue
cess and their prosperity. . ~.
Many years ago New England was embarked
largely in commerce, and almost all her capital
was thus invested; and this state OF things lasted
until the time when what was Afterwards known
and we had the high tariff. The commerce Of
New England was largely crippled and almost
broken down BY this national policy Of fostering
manufactures at the expense Of commerce and
other kindred interests. The people OF that
region did not stop at this, but soon every drop
Of water that flowed along the river channels Of
that country was made subservient to the will
Of man, and riches flowed In 90 the reward Of
labor, industry and investment. So II has always
been when change Of policy or untoward cir.
eumstances over which human beings have no
control, have compelled the observance Of mex
orsbie laws as hxed as fate. Man cannot make
n successful resistance to what 10 Inevitable; he
can only seize the opportunities which the
altered condition Of affairs present for his choice,
and shape them to his advantage. And thus he
can and must do, or suffer the consequences Of
neglect. .rf.
The South just now is''Rasslng through one OF
these transition periods which will frequently
happen In this world Of change. Her system OF
labor and servtude IL at an end. II is useless to
argue whether as an economical system slavery
Is better than freedom, or freedom better than
slavery. Leaving the moral aspects Of this qnes-
tion out Of the account - system Of labor, sla-
very is dead, and cannot be revived. -Four nil
lions OF people once in vAssalage have become
free, and must henoeforth remain free. During
the existence Of slavery large cotton plantations
could be cultivated, and the planter made rich
from the products Of the soil II mar be done
again, But in order to insure the success Of
carrying on large plantations two things are
necessary. First, there should Be sufneient
wages to command labor; and, secondly, price
for the staple In the markets OF the world which
will enable the planter to pay the wages Of the
laborer, and pocket sufncicnt proat to warrant
the necessary Investment II this cannot be
done-and just now there 10 much doubt about
the success Of the large plantation system-then
let these plantations be cut up into farms Of
forty, fifty, or one hundred acres each, and those
who till the soil raise what win pay-a few
bales Of cotton, perhaps the cereals, fruit, vege-
tables, &c. In shoEt, let the Southern farmer do
as does the New England and the West tern far
mer, make the most Of the crops that will pay
The owners Of large tracts Of land In the
South may sit down on their plantations and
complain that their lands don't pay. Well, they
will not pay unless they seek to make them pay,
BY disposing Of them In the way which the times
and the altered circumstances Of affairs demand.
Some tell us that the freedmen will not work.
Others declare that the reason they win not
work on the cotton plantation IL, they are not
paid sufficient sum to sustain life. There Is
probably some truth In both o. these statements
1t Is n fortunate circumstance, however, that
neither party can hold out forever. Hunger will
break through stone wall Bread Is q necessity
that no mortal can Ignore and live.
"If the mountain does not come to Mahomet,
Mahomet must go the..mountain."
Our opinion Is, that the division OF the large
plantations into small farms Is the system which
will and which ought to prevail In the South.