The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-08

terested in their physical and moral well-beine
only; now we have still more important In
terest in their intellectual Improvement. How
ever premature and hazardous we may rightly
think the enfranchisement Of the negroes. we
cannot fail to sec that it is irreVocable. What
ever danger there may be, comes from their
ignorance, not their maleyolence, and their
ignorance may be enlightened. Education is
not dependent upon schools, nor does it nee
esearily rest upon reading and writiDg--these
are best, but they are not essential, and
meanwhile until these can be afocd-
ed, let us lose no opportunity OF advising
and encouraging these simple people in
the difficulties and perplexities of their new
responsibilities. We need not fear that the
african race will ever impose it's inferior cul-
abandon the field, they may walk in and oc-
cupy it, if we should unwisely exclude them
from political association with as, and drive
them back upon themselves, they will find
leaders Of their own blood or Of ours, and will
make their influence felt; but If we resume the
personal influence Of the past with them, re-
tam their affection aud continue to deserve
their confidence, they will not be slow TO learn
that what is our good is theirs, what brings
prosperity to us brings it to them, and that as
we are able to think better than they, 80 they
will do we'll to listen to our counsel and sup
port our measures. 70 gain their confidence,
we need not soil our hands with intrigue nor
stoop to become sycophants; they have been
studying US all their lives and know when we
are in earnest; our kindly and sincere purposes
towards them will bo most annrneiated r. when
least demonstrative, and our own position is
sufficiently assured to make US absolutely free
to approach them frankly, unaffectedly and in
the open light OF day.
Such intoroOIlreo la not inconsistent with
either the past or present relations OF the two
races; it is in harmony with the great law OF
Christian charity, and is plainly pointed out
by the most practical common sense. Once
established it can never be again interepted,
because its benefits will bo too much apprecia-
ted ever to be resigned.
Let equal Justice for all be once fairly estab-
lished, let mistrust and suspicion be dispeled,
let law be seated above politics, and truth and
justice pr sferred before party, and the future
Of the South becomes assured. Then may we
widen the basis OF our prosperity, enlarge
the area Of our enterprise, multiply the enl-
pigments, the interests and the aspirations OF
our people.
Nature has set no limit to our development;
the genial soil ofthe South would nouris sh very
mucn larger population than that now inhabit-
ant, our mineral resources are almost un-
touched, our harbors and rivers are sufficient
for all the commerce Of the Atlantic.
We need population and capitalize one will
come if we open our doors the other will fol-
low If we assure it OF, protection. The thirteen
ware, contained in 1860 $4,000 square miles
and II, 100000 of inhabitants, which is less
than fourteen to the square mile. II all the
South were as densely populated as
South Carolina, it would contain nearly "a. .000,-
600 OF inhabitants; il it were as densely peo-
pied as New England, the number would be
10000, 900 and over. That the population Of
the South did not progress in the same ratio as
that of other parts of the United States, is no.
torious. Our northern frontier, washed by the
living tide which has flowed even up to the
base of the Rocky Mountains, has been almost
a barrier to immigration. Between 1850 and
1860 the foreign born population of the North
crn States increased 2,550 000-that Of the
Southern States only 325, 900, or as eight to one;
yet in 1860 at the South, only one acre in every
seven was improved" while at the North one
in every five was improved. In Illinois farms
were worth on an average twenty dollars an
doubtedly ut the South the best lands only in
each State we're under cultivation.
1t is trite to say that slavery was the cause
of this difference, but few who arc ready with
this explanation have considered in what way
slavery prevented immigration. It has been
speak Of tI6 nsrrcts t1 q taefa5
supposed sentimental objections; but this is
uuphllosophical and untrue. Immigrants bad
certainly been taught, by the experience OF
those who had tried it, that the South was not
the place for them, but the causes that exclud-
ed them were physical and not moral; they
were economic and not sentimental. They
arose not from any obloquv attaching to labor
at the South. but from the fact taat here slave
~ moblzed the laboring population and en-
abled ii 10 be massed together IN large force,
to be rapidly moved from place to place, and to
occupy new and rich soils just as soon as these
became accessible to immigrants.
Under ordinary circumstances, the natlve
population of q country is permanently seated;
attachment to the soil and the lies OF family re-
tain 1t until its density becomes excessive, and
emigration is embraced as the alternative to
hopeless poverty. II such conditions had OBJ.
tained ut the South, or ii slavery here had not
been contemporans9us with the extraordinary
facilities for transmigration which the present
century has introduced, tho original slave
States would probably have contained to-day
the eleven millions which constitute the South
ern population, and European immigration
wonld long since have filed up al
the rest OF our present territory. Bu
when the whole intelligence OF the South
was intent upon discovering the best and rich
eat soils. it's whole capital was available fol
their acquisition and it's whole laboring popu
lation ready to occupy them, the Immigrant
found himself at hopeless disadvantage
Alone, and without capital or credit, he came IL
competition with the master Of many slaves
Occupying tho poorer lands, ne e. earned me ies es
| comblna ion augments production and econo
miz,s consumption.
The mobility Of our laboring population no
| only excluded immigrants from our new terri
| tory and prematureIy diminished the laborlns
population OF tho older Statos, but in these tn
slaves became massed together as the compo
tition oil the West came to be more and NOR
felt. Thus 7roftable planting required larg
capital; small proprietors were at dlsadyan
tace. Free labor was too expensive for boil
| laborer and employer, hence many were forced
| to emigrate and 80 extensive was this emlgra
tion that the census of 1860 showed that Of th
white persons then living in the United States
WHO hhd been born in S1uth Carolina, 277, 90
only remained at home, while 1893 600 wer
permanently settled in other States. Nortl
Carolina retained 6Si 900 and had parted wit
272 600. Virginia retained 1,000,000 and ha
sent off 400 600 of her native white population
The same cause practically prohibited manu-
factures, because manufactures are more de
peudent than agriculture, even, upon f1xt
of population. Cheapuess Of living, uniform
ty and regularity in the supply. OF the neces
aarics Of life, aIe conditions which must be l
existence in every locality before manufactur
ing becomes possible there. These condition
caHnot obtain where population is shifting
uur will capital consent 10 permanent invest
ment where values fuctuatc with the move
mcuts of uomadic labor.
With the extinction of slavery the South pre-
sents to Immigration an entirely different as
pect. Our native population, no longer migra
tory, is already beginning to fnd the countr
too large, aud to conjecture how immiSratio