The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-06-02
Message from the Governor Oh
nHmi2ra ton.

|
migration.
TO the Senate and House
| of Representatives. of
the State Of Mississippi:
GENTLEMEN In the work marked out
| for us by the Constitution, is included that
of defining the duties and filling the Office of
| commissioner Of Immigration and Agri-
| culture"
Political passions lead, after the enfrdnehise-
naent of the people OF color, 10 efforts for the
forcing OF a stream Of settlement into the State
/ from Europe. Rowing commissions have
| been granted for that purpose. to several
persons of zeal and intelligence, but beyond
the planting of a small colony of Danes,
! Swiss or Germans, here and there in the
| State which sent out those commissions the
| movement has proved, As might have been
/ expected, virtual failure. And the more
| systematic and better sustained operations
carried out by agents in Europe, for the at
/ traction OF immigration to Canada. has also
proved, after years of experiment, sub
| stantially failure. With these lessons be-
fore us, we have nothing to regret. on the
| score of anxiety to add TO our productive
| labor, that the State is in no condition to eX-
| pend the money of her people in sending a
commissioner to Europe in search of set
| tiers.
Time was when the masses of worthy
poverty and thrifty industry of Europe,
| were ignorant of the industrial facts enter
| ing into an intelligent decision as to their
choice of home in America. The school
| master has been much abroad. amongst the
working classes of Europe; and has taught
! them very fully the whole story of the soil,
| climate and habits. But the active agents
| of the instruction of the masses, on the sub
ject of things in the United States, are the
| millions who come out of those masses to
shape from this, the ideas on the subject OF
| Immigration to America, entertained by the
myriads behind, through the constantly eX-
panding intercourse going on in the Allan
4 .1a hi do
/ Europe to undo the OF opinion e.ciSttrlg
| there under the iHHaence Of those millions of
| agents tChO operate directly IN millions Of the
homes OF the European poor, from the vantage
| qround of a son speaking to a father, sister to
| a 6rother2 And thus it is that those agents
! ofimmigration to the South, having operate
ed in the face of gigantic power of opinin-
on, have failed, as sequence of the nature
| fittings. We must not run into any such
mistake.
To make opinion amongst the working
/ classes of Europe, touching the advantages
| of settlement in Mississippi, we must begin
| by making it, amongst the working classes
| OF the North and West. The question arises
| therefore, in considering the subject under
/ review here: What are the best means for
\ making such impressions on the working
classes of the North, as shall divert from
amongst them, and lead to also consequent
| diversion from amongst the working classes
| of Europe, of flow of thrift and energy in
to the State of Mississippi.
| The climate is, / grant, bugbear that
| looms up before the immigrant the North
| and of Europe, at the mention of Mississippi.
| This and other repulsionS like it, cannot be
met satisfactorily by any system of circulars
| or pamphlets, until we shall have first clear
| ed away the obstacles which stand between
| the Judgment of the immigrant and his set
| Element in Mississippi. When we shall have
| shown that the stories he hears of the pistol
| and the knife of ku kiuX violence, and of
| murderous broil, are false in face he will
open his understanding to the question of
| his emigration to Mississippi. When we
shall have taught our property owners more
respect for the laborer's rights; when we
| shall have made wages recoverable by sum-
mary process; when we shall have made the
obtainment of small holdings more easy of
accomplishment and shall have secured the
laborer. under equality before the law, in
his enjoyment of personal independence, the
| sturdy workman of the North and Europe,
| will consider earnestly the question of COM,
| ing to Mississippi. And when lead thus to
! a condition OF mind to listen to the facts of
/ the case, he may be convinced readily that
a movement into the state offers him hab-
/ iCatlon of prosperity amongst people who,
1 obedient to the law, will be found to present
1 attraction in their generous natures, that
will preach trumpet-tonguedi in advocacy OF
| emigration to Mississippi.
/ Let us create the attractions for the i'm
| migrant, and all the rest will follow Spon-
| taneously. Every thing practicable in the
| promotion of immigration may be accom-
| plished in that way nothing worth atten-
ton in any other way. But Commission
| er of Immigration we must have; and all
that rensdiRS for u.s. therefore, IS TO assign him
such simple duties as may assist IN the direction
OF iYnmigrdtion from Europe, eeheR it shall hare
come amongst as, or in the present duty of
general supervision of such streams of labor
| as shall how In upon from other States. A
system of correspondence might, perhaps,
| be iudicious in the latter case; and, perhaps,
also. distribution of briet circulars from
time to time, but the movement assisted in
this way. there should be no meddling with
r. nv the State when once it had taken
amongst us the ordinary form of the battle
of life-a struggle that the stout heart Of
! freedom declares must always be fought
single handed.
But the Commissioner of Immigration is
to be also Commissioner OF Agricul.:ur H:.---
him duties which may be of very great ser
vice to the State. Besides some supervision
of the agricultural schools proposed to be
established in the State. he might De made
to represent the State in relation to the Ag-
ricultural Bureau at Washington. As the
central figure for receiving and distributing
| facts and opinions from and to the leaders
ofour cotton industry. he may DO good ser
vice TO the State; and in no particular more
SO than in bringing under the attention OF
planters by circulars the merits OF seeuss OF
: gins, Of field appliances, &c. As recorder
, of the facts of the crop from time 70 time
sAS 1atutAn anu Wl1t6Es Hc EAas -
. sist the producer to more accurate c0nclu-
| sions than the producer is now in q position
to draw under the eunningly circulated de-
! lusions of the buyer. And = very wild field
!. | Of usefulness might be thrown onen to such
! an officer by placing n small fund annually
|. at his service for the importation of improT-
ed breeds Of stock ofhogs, goats, sheep, and
: cattle.
With the foregoing suggestions, gentle
! men, urge upon your attention the pro-
J lpriety OF passing 4 law defining the duties
D | OF the Commissi0KeF CT Immigration and
| Agriculture, aud Of processing at once
: | thereafter 20 the election 0f d Commissioners
j competent 60 dlsclllIsge the aanA.