The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-11-04

lied dtho Freedmen condemned as
the source s Of all our tronblesI tho
feecy king Of our Savannahs has been
tried aud cpnvieted of the crime of
impoverishing us, ard never once
have you or | charged upon ourselves
the capability of being the architects
of our owndestruction. The science
of agriculture, that most enabling OF
all vocations, has been by ustreated !
as farce. Copartnerships have been
formed between intelligence and cap
ital on tho one hand, and Ignorance
on the other, and consequent failure
has been the result. Because muscle
can hold the plow or drag the hoo We
have believed it could practice the art
and appreciate tho science Of agricul:
turc. And as an incentire to this end
an interest in the crops is generally
allowed to stimulate the laborcr. Di-
vested of contingent circumstances
this may possibly have been q pru-
dent economy; but unfortunately our
copartners have had nothing to com.
mend them but muscle. Although do.
ciIe generally tractable they arc ac.
tuatcd by the prejudices Of race. and
| have 80 often been misled and deceiv-
ed by the wretchcs Of our own color,
that oftener than otherwise in plan
tation- economy their likes have boen
our dislikes, and their ways not our
ways.
Moreover, fellow-citizcns, copart-
nership to work the crop ignores
every other requirement Of the plan
tation. Have you no fences to build,
bitches to dig, lands to drain, stock
to raise, buildings to erect, nor prem.
ises 10 preserve? Can all these
things be done by the ordinary farm
labor if the laborer receives portion
of the crop as his annual stipend? ?
Some men presume to answer this
question af1irmativcly: but that it is
generally impracticable look at the
universal aspect of the country, 10
with me circuit of a days journey
through our own county, and at
almost every settlement dilapidation
meets us as the most prominent tea-
ture. Think you this would be thy
case if labor werc purchased like and
other commodity, and paid for accord
ing to quality? Purchased labor
when not profitable in the crop can
bo otherwise advantageously handled
and thereby loss prevented if gain be
not received. Nowadays neatly i'm
proved premises and we'll built fences
will insure q reader sale for thin
land than fertility Of soil for plan
tation unimproved. '..
But there is another cause, fellow
citizens, for our i'll success. During
tho late war no officers were more
ocnsured than those who managed
our subsistence department. Man
and beast suffered tortures for their
alleged incapacity, and every private
thought ho would make q better COM
missary, or qnartcrmastcr than the
best of those in Office. And yet W hen
thrown upon our own resources how
many Of us have proven ourselves
competent to provide for a squad
much less regiment or brigade? !?
Knowing the wants of homo we have
neglected them to supply foreign de-
lmands. We have. stintcd our families
Ito enrich the spinstors of other lands:
Bitter experience teach's us starVa-
ton will be tho result Of adhcring
to such a policy. Ifthe conflict be
between cotton and bread-stutfs we
must sacrifice profit for subsistcncc
Every planter should, however, study
tho productive capacity of his own
soil. If the culture Of cotton.,be the
most profitable, then plant it; if corn
pays better, plant it; but above oil
our prime aim should be to feed at
home and from. our own soil. That
this can be done we have only recall
twenty years ago when corn sold in
Abbeville at IS cts per bushcl and
less, and our population was then
almost identicalIy what it is today.
But that such policy is not advoca-
ted by the planters of Abbcvillo at
this present time, the condition Of the
country most satisfactorily attests.
For yoar reflection, fellow citizens,
I respectfully submit a few statistical
facts gathered from the books OF tho
agents ut the various dcpots of the
G. & G. r. r., in the county Of Abbe-
vile. Of the receipts a. Ninety Six
depot, have only reported onc-third,
presuming that the remaining two.
thirds have gone to 'Edgefield and
Laurcns counties. There have been
imported into. Abbcville county by
that railroad the following: Il q
The aggregate amount paid for these perish
able articles is 1919 $50. In addition to these
heavy freights are brought into .Abbeyille BY
the river and hy wagons, possibly the tenth Of
the gross amount These two sums will exceed
1880. 600 This amount has been annihlated
For it must be remembered That every one of
these articles was consumed within the space
of time mentioned Ad to this amount the
State, county and townt taxes, which by an
official report exceed SO, 900. continue the &C
emulation by adding the money spent for
clothing, educotion OF children, purchase OF
mules aud plantation Implesneos,f wages paid
for labor, doctors bills and lawyers tees. aud
the innumerable loads that cannot be made
impervlous TO waste, and The gual aggregate
will clearly exceed half million OF dollars,
We have no other resources to meet these
demands than our cotton crop, and hat OF it'll
The g. & Q. K r exported within the time
above mentioned from Abbevills c. II 42s5
bales; from Hodges $50 bales; fom d nalds
100; from Greenwood, 1859; from New Mar
ket, te4 froG Ninety Six, 1000; and il We,
estim'te that Wagons and the river exported
one fourth as much as the r. r, the exported
crop of ,i'e couaty will be l2,4o0 bales, which
at a MT av eruge price of ssO per bale, woulG
r.ol;1s in round npmbtra 81 600 600 from