Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-04-03
IMMrGRArIoN.
Letter from Colonel r. NJ. Yerger, OF
Mississippi.
MEMPHIS. March %. 1s

MEMPHIS, March 20, 1869.
Messrs. w. II. Cherry, President Chambc
OF Commerce, Hons, Henry G.. Smith
others:
GENTLEMEN--I have the honor t,
acknowledge the receipt of your not,
or this date, inviting me to address
the citizens of Memphis, and on tn,
eve of my departure from your city
hasten to reply.
Visiting Memphis in the interest c
the scheme to which you have 81
fiatteringly alluded, it would give no,
a special pleasure to comply with
your request at once, did not othel
engagements of paramount impor.
tance demand my immediate atten.
ton. If however, it meets you
pleasure, 1 will address the citizen.
Iof Memphis on the subject of immi.
grafton during the sitting of the Com.
mercial Convention, which Is to as.
semble in this city i'm May next.
In consideration of the vital inter.
ests which Memphis has I'm the sue.
cess of the plan proposed, / will
briefly allude to such portions of the
scheme as are now deemed expedient
to be laid before the public.
1t is admitted that agricultural la
Dor Is the source of all wealth, but IL
Is also known that the unaided efforts
of a laborer simply supply himself
without producing that surplus oi
capital which sustains the non-pro.
ductive classes; therefore the mer.
chant, the manufacturer, the railroad
man, the artisan and mechanic, are
directly interested in an enterprise
which promises to reclaim our deser-
ted fields, open our valuable forests
and develop the magnificent resour-
ces of our unfortunate, yet God-bless.
ed land.
From the first of July to the first
December, 1858, one million of immi-
grants have sought permanent homes
In the United States. They brought
with them an average of eighty G0'-
lars in gold. They belong chiefly to
the producing class, and we thus see
that in little more than three years,
our population Is increased one mill
ion-SS0, 900, 900 In gold added to the
wealth of the country, and estima-
ting their average productive labor
at $500, we reach the great sum oi
$500, 100000 indirectly added to the
resources of the country. These fig
ures will be found verified by refer
ence to the report of the special Com
missioner of the revenue for the year
1868.
BY cooperative movement estab-
fishing consolidated interests in the
South, we can divide this population
and wealth with the North and West.
At the same ratio in ten years. pop
ulation from this source alone, will
have increased about three million
$240, 900, 900 in coin added directly,
and fifteen hundred million indirectly
to the wealth and resources of the
country. If we of the South will
throw of the lethargy which is hang.
ing upon us like death chill, and act
with promptness and energy, in my
Judgment, we can, i'm less than ten
years, command two-thirds of this
vast wealth and population. To dc
this, we must place our surplus lands
in the market and undersell the land
owners of the North and West. The
most practicable and speedy mo ie OF
accomplishing this is the formation
of Incorporated agencies in the States
of the South to direct immigration
from Europe and elsewhere, and en-
courage emigration from the North
and West. For this purpose it is pro.
posed to form q joint stock company,
based upon the subscription of lands,
to be exchanged for the stock of the
company, reduced to gold basis-a
maximum and minimum price foI
lands at their present valuation to be
established-the association to be es-
tablished upon the basis of a credit
fOncier and mO6aier-a capital OF
S5,000,0 900 to he raised, consisting of
lands, a small per centage of cash
subscription, say two per cent. will
be necessary to establish the home
office, foreign Office and all necessary
brances in the North and Europe
1t Is Believed that the gradual and
inevitable appreciation of lands will
command a premium for the stock
within six months after organization.
1t is not intended at this writing to
develop the scheme entire--suffice II
to say that plan has been conceived
which has ELECTED predictions of sue
cess from some of the ablest and most
practical minds of America.
TO the end proposed, a charter has
been granted by the State of Missis-
sippi, very comprehensive and lib
eral in its privileges, and an immi-
grafton association will soon be or
ganized under the same. The char
ter contemplates cooperative insti-
tutions in all the Southern States,
but the design of the Commissioners
appointed under the Charter, and OF
the distinguished citizens of Missis-
sippi who are alive to this movement,
is To secure organization and success
in our own State first, as the surest
means of guaranteeing success In
Others. The merchants of Memphis
and New Orleans are directly inter
ested i'm the success of the movement
in Mississippi, as the sale of our cot
ton is chiefly divided between these
two cities; and IL is hoped ut proper
time they will afford material aid II
the enterprise.
1t is, in my judgment, of great ma
tional Importance that the spirit o
trade should now yield to the spirit
VI pIOuucllOH. Inc HuCtudiohs u
the price of gold place all CONNER
cial transactions upon an unstable
basis. A speedy return to specie pay
ments is the remedy. This eanno
he obtained without the balance o
trade in our favor; and this canno
be accomplished without an increase1
production of our great staple--a
least one hundred per cent. Let us
therefore, hope that the spirit of dis
sension which has so long divide,
our unhappy land, may soon yield Il
more fraternal feeling-then, perhap
the men of the North will see tina
the elevation and prosperity Of th'
South is the greatest security for ma
tional welfare and glory.
Your obedient servant,
II. Nj. YERGER.