Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-08
THE PLANTING NTERESTAND
WlIGR YTON

and shades OF views are eApreSseu az
rejecting each ones interest, ana no
general conclusion or opinion seems to
have been reached. During a promis-
cuOus conversation recently had upon
the subject among several planters, !
was asked what the Convention had
donea and WhatI thought Ofthe scheme.
stated that l had not attended the
Convention. but had read the reported
proceedings with attention and
interest. That the Convention de-
sired no discussion of the eXpediency
of importing the Chinese, either ignO-
ring it altogether, or considering that
point sufficiently settled among them
selves; assuming that there could and
ought to be no Well-fOunded objections
to the plan-sOmewhat of a summary
conclusion i thought, affecting to so
great an extent as it must, the pro-
ductive interests of the great South
ern staple, leaving out of cOnsidera-
ton all moral, political and other
questions, materially involved. There
seemed TO be but little if any OF the
practical planting element favoring
Its Observation-Disclosures they
could not be called. Planters by
proxy, or those who want to cultivate
lands at a distance were there, and
agents to import the Chinese were
there, and perhaps railroad interests.
All showing that it was simply and
merely a meeting of individuals to
organize a company to import Chinese
Iaborers. And that now belonged to
the real bona fide working planter
| the very important duty of carefully
examining its merits before he gives
il his cOuntenanee, or in any manner
commits himself to it.
On account, no doubt, of the lack
of more knowledge as well as the
novelty of the celestial subject, there
seemed to be but little satisfactory
| information elected. The proceed
ings were but little practical, and the
6peakers andcOmmitteeS' reports were
consequently eloquent and platu-
din0us; their propositions and logic
grouped in harmony with the head Of
/" miscellaneous" One orator insisted
that we should have five millions i'm
ported ut once, and another, equally
ardent and capaciOus in his views,
figured out the area of Southern terri
tory to ascertain how many Cinnamon
il will hold. Had l been there /
might chad the Convention given its
doubtful assent have inquired of the
one how many bales of cotton he sup
posed these five million remarkably
@patient," wonderfully "dOcile,"
and extraordinarily "enduring"
MOngOls would annually produce, and
what would be "the price of cotton "
then?-and limited to the other that,
because / possessed a very capacious
c~Offee-pOt, on other grounds as well
as cOf~ee-grounds, l did not think it
incumbent or sensible to have il filed
when a less quantity would answer
my purposes equally well. And so,
upon similar grounds of economy
would 1 enter my dissent against hav-
ing too great, or any considerable area
of Acknowledgements putunder imme-
diate or too hasty cotton culture.
Do you ask me why? l will frankly
tell you. 1t is not my interest nor
yours to make cheap cotton, nor to do
anything hat. will ~depreeiate its sell
ing value. We are producers. If we
could increase the demand for our
products without decreasing the price,
then could we afford to increase the
amount. But this cannot be done.
And as a rule, just in proportion as
YOU increase the amount of prOdUe-
ton do you diminish its value. The
producer and seller of cotton no more
wants cheap cotton than a Kentucky
farmer wants cheap tobacco or mules;
or Ohio farmers cheap pork. They
are producers and sellers, and not buy
ers.
The price Gf cotton for ten years pre-
ceding the war did not average more
than nine cents per pound, if so much.
Raise as much now as we did then,
and prices would grayitate TO near
that point. Increase the cotton pro-
ductiOn one million bales, and twelve
to fifteen cents per pound would like
ly be its selling price.
The South has in its cotton a mine
Of great and lasting wealth, if it be
not OverwOrked; and here lies the
great danger. And if this point be
not well guarded it will soon become
less and less remunerative, precisely
in proportion as we increase the
amount of production, No n will
dispute the truth of this axiom of POI
litical economy. Then why not pFe-
serve il to ourselves? Are we under
any very great obligations to the
North, or TO Europe to furnish them
cheap cOtt0n2 Or is it 20 our interest
to do so? Clearly neither. In this
matter then we have them on the hip.
Let us keep them there and make the
most of ii while we can. This is sim
ply common practice and common
sense. And we would be idiots to
permit them, becausethey want cheap
cotton to deluge our cotton fields with
imported labor.
| maintain that neither the plant
ing interest, nor the general prosperity
Of the South is suffering for the want
of more labor. Admit that all the
lands that could be cultivated
are not, and that labor in
some localities is difficult TO OBJ
tain. Still it is estimated that
our cotton crops now, amounting to
less than two and a half million bales,
sell for about as much as our four mil
lion bale crops did before the war;
some two hundred and fifty millions
Of dollars. And when we take into
consideration our new habits of econ
Omy and saving now everywhere pre-
in contrast with the lavish
waste of spending money then, to-
with the great and cheering
iact that o~ne-fOurth of our cotton is
now raised by the labor of our own
hands and those of our children,
who dare say that our condition and
prospects are not most encouraging
and prosperous?
AS an Illustration of the happy
now going on all over the
and which of itself alone must
ensure her prosperity and abundance
-he most Astounding, (if not checked
by the former system of working their
lands by proxy, / will give my own
Ease. Then, my sons went TO college.
Now, they go to the pillow. i have a
lad OF fourteen who has plOwed and
aoed this summer-and the ringing
notes OF whose merry plOW song is
this moment feasting my ears and
warming my heart-fourteen acres of
with but four DAYS assistance
Of n hoe. And it has been done I
well. And so all around me u boys /,
are now blowing and singing, and the /,
Did folk are working and saving. :
of hunting and fishing. I
and wasting and spending. as 4.
hen. And how much better Is this
Or them and US and all. What a SUI
.DeFiorand more virtuOus and exalted !
aantood il will bring upon them! IL
glow all ever with a fresh delight
while contemplating It, Let not the
sfiulgenee be dispeiled nor yelled bv
.nercenary clouds that should be bid /,
. down."
~ Ill -