The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-07
CHI ES TON.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 7, 1859.


At the meeting Of the State Agricultural
Convention, held in April last, it was re-
solved that the various counties Of the State
be recommended to form immigration soci'
cites auxiliary to the central association in
Newberry. This was highly proper re-
commendation; but We are not aware that
the different counties have done anything
to give it effect Some stimulus, some ex
citing force is necessary, and it is hoped
that the Executive Committee Of the State
Agricultural Society, who meet in Colum-
bia on Wednesday, viii give this subject Of
immigration their earnest attention.
At this time, the immigration question
divides itself into two branches: 1. The
adoption Of the necessary measures for Sc
curing Cinnamon to work in the rice fields
and on the Sea island plantations, where
the European lsborer cannot live. 2. To
devise plan for obtaining European i'm
migrants for the middle and upper sections
Fol The State. Passing by, for the moment,
the question Of Asistio immigration, there
remains problem which is not easy to be
solved, viz: How to overcome the induce
ments which the Northwestern States offer
20 white immigrants, and how to remove
the prejudice which, other things being
equal, causes the European to avoid with
sedulous care tho fertile fields and rich
savsnnahs Of the South. The unressoning
distrust Of the Southern people which ex-
lists on the continent Of Europe, the effect
Of decsdA7of calunny and falsehood, will
gradually die out; but it is not wise to
choose the rugged road when there is q
broad and even path leading to the same
goal. We should direct our efforts in rela-
tion to immigration to those points where
the feeling sgsinst US is the weakest, and
where we can obtain the industrious and
hardy men, without whom We cannot quick
ly prosper. In Scotland and Ireland and
England, for example, the prejudice is not
nearly as strong as it is in Germany; and, if
We offer greater advantages than are offered
by the Northwest, We can 90 into the labor
market in those countries and obtain just
as many immigrants as can be obtained by
Illinois, or Minnesota, or any Western
State.
But can We offer to the Sootcbmsn, the
Irishmsn and Euglishman create odvan.
tsges than are offered by the North vest 7
We think that We can. There ere huud reds
Of thousands. Of acres Of good land in
South Carolina which have hardly mar
ket value. The fences arc rotting, the
fields are choking up with weeds, scrub
oaks or pines are taking the place Of the
ieecy cotton or golden CORE. There is NO
demand for these lands, aud they cannot
be worked because We have not the labor
ers, or, perhaps, the ready money for wages
and supplies. Land is the one thing that
we have in abundance. Labor is the only
thing that will make our land valuable.
Land, then, of which we have too much,
must be made to procure labor, Of which
We have not enough. The value of land is
in proportion to the population. As popu
lstion increases the land rises in price, and
it is not too much to say that to double the
white laboring population Of South Caro-
lima would be to treble or quadruple the
value of the land. This will hardly be de.
MED, and the whole proposition resolves
itself into this: Are the people willing to
give away to actual white settlers q por-
ton Of their lands, having the certainty
that the remainder will, in q year or two,
be worth more in actual money than the
whole tract is worth now?