Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-02-19
DIRECT TRADE
Address Of John Everitt at the
chamber Of Commerce Last Even

Chamber of Commerce Last Even-
ing.
A very large assemblage of ladies and
gentlemen greeted John Everitt at the
Chamber of Commerce last evening and
listened attentively to bis discourse on
direct trade and immigration. o. the
subject Of industry, the cultivation and
subdivision Of lands, Mr.. Everitt said
In order to increase the prosperity OF
the people OF the South it was necessary
to do many things; and first, they must
do SO by building up the industries, so to
speak, of the country. To do this, how
ever, labor was necessary, as, since the
world began, there had been no country
that could exist or prosper without labor.
This was to be achieved by thrifty peo-
Pile of small means, by patience, perse-
verence; and he thought it would be
work of supererogation for him to say
that labor was not required in this
Southern country. There were certain
other things that were highly necessary
for the prosperity OF the Southern
country, and that was to bring the large
tracts of land under cultivation. When
be had addressed them on former occa-
sion, he had hoped and believed
that the efforts put forth to place these
large tracts of land under cultivation
would lead to them being taken up by
emigrants from abroad, who would put
forth their strength and soon bring them
under full cultivation. Experience had,
however, shown him that they must not
wait for these combinations of peaceable
emigrants from Europe, as the process
would be too slow; but that they ought
to embrace what, in his opinion, was a
better plan, and that was, when any per-
son had more land than he could culti-
vate, to subdivideit He strongly RECON-
mended that whenever person had FIVE
hundred acres more than he could Guilt
vate, then the proper plan would be to
subdivide it into plats of one hundred
acres each, and for FIVE families
from Europe to come in and
take possession and settle on the
land. He even advised that when
a person had one hundred acres more
than be could cultivate, then it was his
duty to get some one to settle on the
land, and be assured them that even
from such small beginnings there would
be great increase in the prosperity of
the country. He thought that they
should also seek for new kind of labor,
and they also wanted every kind of han.
dicraftmen to settle in their midst and
he could assure those present, that across
the sea there were thousands of skilled
workmen who would be glad to come to
this country and leave the place where
they we're almost furnishing for want.
He thought they would be able to ge' all
the help they wanted from the Old
World, and thus build up the prosperity
of the country.
In respect to the raising of cotton and
corn he said:
The country surrounding Memphis is
most admirably adapted for the cultiva-
ton Of cotton, and in regard to cotton
market, Memphis, from its eligibility,
ought to be king. 1t was the great radi-
ating point, and he might almost call it
the pivot on which all the other markets
turned. Under such circumstances, he
must repeat he had not word to say
against cotton, but he did not want them
to get "cotton on the brain" But if
they did grow cotton they must not for
get to grow corn and other cereals. Ee
wished them to divide their crops, and
he assured them that they could not
get rich by singly cultivating one
product, as it was against the law
of nature and of God, They must take
the full benefit OF every advantage placed
in their power, and this we're done the
country would be prosperous, and the
cities and towns of the country built up
If they again shopld get cotton on the
BRAIN" and neglect to grow cotton and
other cereals, he would tell them that
they would be throwing away their sheet
anchor, and might lead to an inevitable
crash throughout the entire country.
He did not see any necessity
for going to Cincinnati, Chicago or St.
Losis to buy corn and other provisions
when they could produce them all at
home. To do so was just taking away
so much money from Memphis. If
planters, however, would insist on grow
ing cotton, then he wished them to do so
with as little borrowed capital as possi-
BILE. If the planters borrowed money on
their crop, then they simply mortgaged |
it, and bad to get the cotton into the |
market as early as possible. They had
TO send it to New York or Liverpool or
some such market, in order to sell it to
pay the money due on iii in fact, the
cotton was not the property of the plant
ers. He would, therefore, urge them
if they did grow cotton not to borrow
money on the coming crop. He must
say that he observed an increase in the
business of the city, and better feeling
existing than he found last year. He
attributed this to the fact that q greater
amount of corn had been grown in the
of Memphis last season, which
had enabled the farmers and planters to
hold their Gotten, aud they had, there
fore, succeeded in getting better prices
for the staple He hoped they would do
the same THE year as they had done lest.
On Memphis as point for cotton
mills and railroad centers, he said:
Surely Memphis should be the place
for cotton mills. What had made Man
chester but her cotton MILL What had
made Bolton2 Why, cotton, to be sETe,
What had made all Lancashire so pros
perous2 1t was cotton factories. Then
II it was cotton factories that had made
why not establish cotton
factories here that Memphis be made the
Manchester of the South2 [Great APP
plause.] Let the people send here for
The manufactured goods and not the raw
If the people would set
about building cotton factories, it would
increase the population and foster
railway aad many other inters
ssts. All would feel the great benefits.
The city would grow up, all kinds of prop
- ,.onId ;noraasa In valne and The