The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-09
Meeting OF the. Farmers and Imuaigra,
ton Club Mt BntesYIlIe.

Meeting OF the Formers and Imnaigra-
tion Club Mt BntesvIlIe. =.
Col. J. P. Thomas, of this city, deli
yered an address before the above club,
on the 23d nit. A correspondent of the
Edgefeld -Adce'Iiser speaks of it as fol-
lows: ~i
Col. T. expressed his acknowledgement
for the honor of the invitation. He
came to make no elaborate address, but
proposed briefly, and in q suggestive
way, to give his views on the subjects
that concerned the club. He regarded
the formation of an agricultural and i'm
migration club at Batesville good and
wise movement. No interest was more
important to the wealth and general
prosperity Of the State than the agricul-
tural. It was proper for this interest to
rally and bestir itself-well for it to Sc
cure the advantages that spring from or
ganized and systematic effort-well for
it to exert the influence to which it was
entitled.
Col. T. stated that among the many
subjects of thought suggested by the oc-
casion, none was more important than
that of labor. This seemed to be the
question of the day. On this point Col.
Il. remarked that his views were very
decided. He regarded it unnecessary to
refer in detail to the events of the last
five years. We stood amid changed cir
cumstances. He was not there to rake
up the ashes of past issues-to lament
events that had passed into the domain
of history. 1t was wise philosophy to
accept, without sacrifice of principle, ac-
complished facts, and to mould and ia
shion to our purpose such elements as
we might find around us. Let this be
done wisely, and discreetly, and energeti-
cally, and it was often possible to elimi-
nate what was obnoxious, establish what
was advantageous, and out of chaos to
bring order. Col. Il. went on to say that
O. brief resolution which he had the ho-
nor to present in the late State Agricul-
tural Convention ooncisely indicated his
opinions on the labor question. He re-
garded it the policy of the South to
make the most of our present labor, and
ut the same time to reinforce ourselves
with foreign and Northern white labor
ers as rapidly and as fully as our means
and opportunities shall allow. The ne
gro was in our midst-he was on hand
he understood our modes of cultivation
his labor was cheap-politics aside, his
control was easy. Although, therefore,
he might often prove unreliable, and
may become more so, we must and
would, from the necessity of the case,
utilize his labor-give it fair encourage
ment-in fine, make the most of it. To
undertake at once to throw this labor
aside, to pronounce against it, would be
folly; would be to give q bird in the
hand for two in the bush. At the same
time, whilst making the most of negro
labor, Col. 7. was cordially and decided
ly in favor of introducing other labor in
the Southern country. We needed, and
greatly needed, additional labor. Sta
tisties show that only about per cent.
Of the area of the South was annually
cultivated. and here in South Carolina
we have IL, ,623, ,859 acres of unimproved
land in farms to 4,5S2,O6O acres of i'm
proved land in farms. The question
was, what kind Of labor was to be in
vited and encouraged. This it was that
was now engaging the minds of men in
this section. Col. T. was aware that
many very intelligent gentlemen looked
for relief to the teeming millions Of Chi
M, and advocated the introduction of
coolies into our midst. AS for himself,
he did not look for the solution of the
tial to the disciples of Jos; he wanted the
care neither of their persons nor their
bones. 1--WE learn that every Chinaman
who agrees to come over from China
contracts to be sent back, or in case lie
dies, the contractor agrees to transport
his bones back to the Celestial Empire! y
Col. II. thought that the introduction
of coolie laborers into the cotton States
might lead to mushroom growth-to
an evanescent prosperity. But not in
this way, he thought, was the fabric of
Southern prosperity to be reared upon
an enduring basis. He took it fer grant
ed that it was intended to build up this
Southern country, and to make it de-
sirable country for ourselves, our chill
dren and our children's children. To do
SO, considerations intellectual, social and
religious were to be considered. We
were now suffering embarrassments from
the presence in our midst of O differing
race. In his view, the evil was not to be
remedied by the introduction of yet au-
other race, widely removed from the
white race in religion, tastes, manners
and customs. We wanted here homo
genous people-a people occupying the
same social plane-a people who would
identify themselves with us, and make