Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-10-15
FRIDAY MORNING, Oct. Is, 1869
LET US STRIKE FOR INDEPEN-
DENCE.

Are the Southern people really in
earnest about building up their material
prosperity and rendering themselves
Independent by doing their own trading
and manufacturing? If they are,now is
the time to start the movement. Now,
while they have a large quantity of
money in hand, and coming in from the
sale of their crops. Now, while any
quantity OF money may be borrowed
from European capitalists on pledge OF
portions of their waste lands, which they
desire to sell and have cultivated. Now
is the time to s,t the ball in motion and
make their means which they have ae-
eumulated productive. Make every dolls
lar do duty towards earning another
dollar. Make every acre OF unproduc-
tive land DO duty in raising money to
add to their wealth.
We have got fair agricultural pros
nerity. but not half what it might be,
but we want manufactures and CONS
MERGE to make our agricultural interests
more profitable, The agricultural pro-
ducts give us the base OF large proht
in commerce and manufactures, but
some how or other we disregard these,
and thereby lose the best o! our busl-
ness.
Some complain that we have not got
the means to 60 into these operations
On a profitable basis, but we do not be,
lieve it. In fact, we know it is not So.
Our crops have brought into the South
large quantities of money, not gold but
areenbacks, and many who have got
possession of these greenbacks hoard
them up. They must do this, other
wise what becomes of them? They
should recollect they cannot invest in
negroes now, and factories in their Sec
ton afford them much more profitable
ever their investments in negroes could
DO.
But aside from the money wealth in
the South, there are millions of acres of
land that money can be raised on in
Europe, if the matter is properly organ
lied to that end. Let a Board Of Com
missioners or Bureau of Southern land
owners be formed, into which all per-
sons having lands on which they desire
to raise money, can deposit the morris
gage deeds. On these deeds any amount
of money may be borrowed in Europe,
with which manufactures and CONNER
ciaI enterprises can be started at once.
A people who would be free must
strike for freedom, and here is the lick
we should have struck long ago, instead
of the secession lick. 1t is the lick of
commercial and manufacturing indie
pendence that is to render us free in
deed if we are ever to be free. One
hundred thousand spindles set to work
On Southern soil will do more to make
ns tree than one hundred thousand SOL
aiers ever done during the war. One
hundred millions of dollars judiciously
invested in manufactures and trade in
the South, will do more to assert all the
State rights we may ever find necessary
to assert, than the thousand millions
sacrificed by the Southern people dur
ing the late unfortunate struggle.
We have got everything in the world,
in our soil, climate and location. to
make US one of the grandest people on
the face of the earth, and we only need
that proper direction should be given
the energies of the people to accomplish
this great result. A people who depend
On others for all their manufactured
products osn never be anything but
yassals to those on whom they depend.
What are we now to the Northern man
uf..cturer and trader but "hewers Of
wood and drawers OF water" If the
world wants our products, and is willing
to give us three prices for them, who
gets the three prices but the Northern
manufacturer aud the Northern mer~
chant? They are our masters, and al
ways will continue such until we learn
to do our own manufacturing and our
own trading. We ought not to blame
them for what is our own fault, and
what we could remedy 50 easily.
We may build ten thousand miles Of
rai!roads--in fact we may have a COM
nlete net work of railroads all over our
seotiop--but they will all head to the
door of the Northern manufacturers
shops, unless we start Southern factories
tn them TO carry supplies for. We
NAV Eli the ocean and the ,Iv.rs with
but they all tend to enrich Inc
ii rthern merchant. Where is the Wis
dom of our rulers that they do not see
this, and direct the energies of the
Southern people to the correction of