Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-06-11
Chinese Immigration and the Future of
the South.


Chinese Immigration and the Future of
the South.
Chinese immigration, and it's con-
uection with the future of the South
its material development, social COM
plexion, and political safety--is a sub
ject at present Of eager enquiry and
absorbing intcrcst-awallening by
turns the hopes of the capitalist, the
doubts Of the economist, and the fears
of the patriot and philanthropist. Is
this hide of dusky celestials, which is
now beating upon our Western coast,
and threatening to inundate us with
the tceming millions of the East, to
sweep away every vestige Of our
civilization like that Northern horde
which '.n
Came like lelug. on the South. and spread
Beneath Gibraltar to the Lybian sands"
Or is it to be a fertile stream of
more than Nilotic richness, quickcning
enterprise, giving employment to
capital, developing wealth, and laying
deep and extending wide the founda-
tions of an enduring prosperity !?
This enquiry which tho Present so
naturally suggests, tho Past furnishes
no sufficient data for determining, and
must find it's only proper solution in
the Future which is fast pressing upon
US.
Labor is at present tho great want
Of the South" the beginning, the
middle and tho end" Of our material
devclopment-bcing'to that what the
"action, action, action" of Demos
themes was to oratory, or tho "bold-
ness, bold1css, boldncss" of Bacon to
success in the business of life. 1t is
the true philosophers stone which is
to transmute the products e4 our
fields and the ores of our mountains
into rich store Of glittcring wealth.
1t is the handmade of all the sciences
tho nurse of all the arts; and never
was it moro needed at tho South to
.developc our hitherto neglected re-
souroes-not only again to cnthrone
King Cotton, but to call to his aid
thousand valuable auxiliaries. There
has never been a sufficioncy of pro-
ductive labor at tho South, and now
since the emancipation of tho slave,
the available working force here
whilst it has been reduced moro than
one-third in numbers has suffered even
more in efficiency. A number of
causes have contributed to this result !:
sickness and disease which have dcci-
mated the ranks Of the.frccdmen-the
love Of case and excitement which
has attracted laborers to the cities-a
false pride which has kept the women
out Of the fclds-delusive hopes
famed by intriguing demagogues
which have drawn one and .all.into the
vortex Of political agitation, and
enticed them into the hortus siceus OF
barren strife, away from the fertile
fields which would furnish to their
wc!l-directed industry, bread and
meat and clothing. -
| How can this want be supplied ?
1t is probable that for many years
European emigration will furnish an
uncertain source of supply. The
negro himself in our midst is a scare
crow to frighten away tho white emf
grant; and again the character OF
our staples-rice, cotton and sugar
present fewer attractions than the
products of the. grain growing States.
These hes prejudices are famed by
agents in the interest of other sec.
,Itions, and in the ,meantimesthe tide OF
European emigration rolls by US to
fesrtilize the pfairies and valleys OF
the far West. ~ :,
-; We are thus. forced BY necessity to
! IIseelS supply Of needed lakor. from
iother sources, and this il. furnished in
the.coolie labor, of tho Chinese, which
is now most ,onportunely kn9eking al
'}9or doors, and promising to- heet all
the requirements, ,of Of sAnflc Anfll llcieaey5 5oheap'
ness and eficiency. ,aIf ,s.s1 ~
+ list. Sy6seienry, There, are Tow be.
tween two and three hundssd thou.
send Chinamep ,in i btbis county, and
they iare Constantly arriving at: the
frats Of more than tea. thepsana pc,
ennam.' Pbee completion Or the
}Rseide railroad facilitates, their trans.
mission from Galifornia and skeY can
pc furnished jim any naub bsas for, the
tnexsieropss .iiei b .qsgssff ay5SS ,st
tr' 3D. GAsapasss, Major HapatSs 7etbe
tAgent 'pf tho ChinssS sImhafe saticn
\ conpahy nofs Isf1 sI,onis, sisssnpw III
Selma; Ala,r matlng coHtS dsfs with
Iths planters afbr thss suppa ay1lE these
IabOrers and eott,naf asst ~ ss..22 - /.