Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-25
TIE RIGHT SPIRIT MANUFAC
TURES IN HE SOUTH.

people to develop the resources OF
their region. None will deny it.
The soil teens with riches, cereal,
mineral and of textile fabrics. The
last is the greatest perhaps-the
staple cotton. 1t is their duty also
to invite the attention of capital to
aid in this work to extend induce
ments to it; to exhibit the advan-
tages they possess; and to solicit
the energy, the experience, and the
skill of the world to assist. Their
Northern fellow cOuntrymen, with
whom they held manly contest,
have these artificial means.
They are highly favored in
this respect-nO people are su-
perior to them The owners of the
earth and the raw material, and
the pOssessors Of wealth and trained
labor in manufacturing pursuits,
are citizens of a common govern
ment. The past and its strifes and
hatreds should be buried. They
are to live together, and they should
work together. An alliance of en-
ergies can be made agreeable and
profitable to both. All this has
been often said and better said, but
cannot be said too often. The an
tagonisms of political opinion be-
tween the American people should
not retard enterprise, or repress the
development Of their industrial re
sources. Speaking for the portion
of the Southern people whom we
claim in part to represent, we have
felt it proper to say this in sincere
reciprocity of an article in the
Washington Chronicle ola late date,
an extract from which is appended.
That paper will atone for much of
the pestilent political heresy it has
disseminated, and the wanton iniu-
ry it has inflicted, if it will con
tinue to write thus sensibly about
matters non-political. If it can
succeed in directing the surplus
capital of the North, and the in
dustry and skill of her thousands
of experts to this section, we can
underwrite that the South will re-
ceive them on liberal, courteous,
and hospitable terms and will not
begrudge the credit the'comer5 de.
serve, nor the profit they earn.
The article referred to was chief
" devoted to cotton manufacturing,
and will be found interesting in its
statistics, but its spirit is wholesome
and catholic, and applies to every
species of industrial enterprise.
1t says:
We earnestly desire to impress upon
our people the vital Importance Of ex1
tending cotton manufacture in the South
The great advantages Of an ample and
sure supply Of the raw material right at
the factory door, of unsurpassed water
power in the localities most favorable to
the enterprise, and Of an abundance Of
the kind of labor needed for it, actually
begging for employment, must commend
themselves forcibiy and convincingly to
the minds of our mOneyed men of the
North Millions Of capital are lying idle |
to-day in our Northern cities for want |
Of sufficient inducements, 0r are seeking |
sale and profitable employment, knowing |
not where to find it. Let these millions
be applied to the extension OF railroads |
and Of cotton fabrication in the Southern |
States and an impetus will be impaired |
tG the producing capacities ard general |
commercial operations Of that section
that will unfailinglY mark the dawn of
new and br liant era taaIe. The pros
peritv of tn S,uth means the prosperity
Of the Moth also, and whatever we may
contribute toward bringing about that
happy result for the former will return to
us four fO,d in divers ways
The dearth Of complete ana reliable
statistics relating to the extent Of cotton
now existing at the South
prevents us from laying before our read
ers exact data either as to the number of
mills and spindles, the quantity Of cotton
annually fabricated, or amount of CAPT.
tai invested; but, thanks to the zeal and
Of the National Associa-
ton Of Cotton Manufacturers and Plant.
ers, ian admirable and valuable Orgaui.
cation, which we design to speak of as it
deserves at future day. we are enabled
10 give almost complete results.
According to the figures furnished by
this association, there are now eighty
tx cotton mills in operation in the South>