Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-04

1
tho south.
The v,ry idea contained in the abov'
caption strikes tho mind as ludicrou
and absurd. Yet the Burlington IN. J
Gazette has long article attempting t.
prove that It ia easier to make living
out Of the ground in New Jersey than IL
Tennessee, and winding up with the as
sertion that "it will be found, in the end
that the Soaih will be good country "a
emigrate from, and New Jersey a better
enc to emigrate into" This has -four
ishing sound, and is calculated to keer
some of the "long established civilian
lions at home, which, Of course,
is the object of all such reasoning,
| if, indeed, such material can be
called reasoning. Still, the very effort
shows what other sections are doing,
and is suggestive Of what the South ought
TO be doing every year. When such q
sterile, bleak, diminutive, cranberry State
as New Jersey invites immigration, with
some degree OF success, what might we
| of the South not accomplish with our
broad, rich fields and inexhaustible re-
sources2 We copy portion of the
article alluded to, believing that our
readers may study it with profit, although
,h.v nil, nsrce;ve that the statements in
'"e' -. 80: !. AZ. GIL 49,
regard 10 anA''S :" '"e 'o''" "'' 's
gerated:
Last week q gentleman came here from
Tennessee in search of farm of some
thing like sixty acres. He was born
Philadelphian, who had gone South some
years ago, married a Southern wife, and
had continued to reside there until he
found things growing no better very fast,
and was now impatient to get back to the
neighborhood of Philadelphia. His des-
cription of matters in his part of Tennes-
see was not encouraging, though he was
living in what, before the war, was a
Hourishing city. He was unable to sell
his property there without loss OF one
third. Those who were DESTROYS Of
keeping such stock as poultry, sheep and
hogs, found it impossible to do so, as
every portable thing upon their premises
was stolen. But little money was in cir
culation, and business was comparatively
stsgnant. There was no market ter fruits
and vegetables, such as are grown by
rs, but the staples were cotton, corn
and bacon. When he had ridden over some
of our fine gravel roads, and for the first
time had seen the high cultivation prac-
tised in this vicinity, he could not under
stand why any of our Jerseymen should
be willing to sell. The contrast between
New Jersey and Tennessee was 80
great--the thrift of one and the squalor
of the other-that he found no difficulty
in making up his mind to sell there and
purchase here.
Another Northern man who has settled
in Virginia relates about similar ex.
perience. He also will lose at least halt
his capital in the attempt to get away.
But he prefers New Jersey with only one
half to Virginia with inc whole. de
thinks that in this world money Is not
the only supreme good, but that good
society, good roads, and unlimited cash
markets, are infinitely preferable to land
at twenty dollars an acre, without a
neighbor within five miles. He intends
to sell and come this way as soon as he
can get out with loss of only half his
capital.
In addition to Virginia, Florida is also
a fayorits place, just now, with Northern
men. Butthopgh the climate will pro-
duce fruits and vegetables iu profusion,
yet very few of these are seen at either
the stores or on the hotel tables. 1t is
hard to believe it, but nearly all the sub.
stantials of life are imported from the |
North. Florida is fed with Northern
cabbages, butter, beef, pork, aud even
Northern hay. No beef is raised there, |
because the soil refuses to produce the |