Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-21
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The immigration IS notably large, but |
not at all in excess OF the opportnnities-of
labor. Where the cotton fields of the
South produce three millions OF bales,
they could just as easily produce six MD
lions, which is now about the cotton pro-
duclien of the world, and half million !
bales, at least, less than the legitimate de-
mand. 1t is to be hoped from the i'm.
mense number of immigrants now bound
to the United States, or contemplating
coming here, some will settle at the South.
The New York Express says: To en-
sure this class of immigrants, avenues Of
com nunication should be opened with the
south of Europe. To this point we
ought to send our cotton, tobacco, coal
and manufactures, and rereiVe their ex-
cess of labor in return. The cotton OF
India and Europe will not bring more
than three-ffths the price of American
cotton. The Viceroy of Egypt who is
one of the most efficient producers, raises
but one-ffth of bale upon an acre,
which result in the United States would
prove dead failure. Trieste uses 100, 900
bales of American cotton, and Barcelona
so, 900 bales, and the two ports 80, 600
hogsheads of American tobacco, while
the Spaniards and Austrians buy large
quantities of American cotton in Liver
pool Russia used S24, 900, 900 worth of
American cotton, which could be sup
piled by steam, via Odessa, where in 1858
no less than SO, 900 tons of pig iron were
imported. Petroleum is also large arti-
Gle of export to Italy, via Marseilles.
Machinery, woolens and varied morchan-
disc would also find large trade, if there
were line OF American steamers between
the United States and the Mediterranean.
In return we should find silks at Genoa,
Marseilles ami Lyons, wines in Austria,
and gloves of the very best quality, oils,
fruits, opium, etc. With the immigrants
we should bring and take the joint pro-
| auctions of the two parts of the world.
| The South needs large immigration, and
all the more, as the extinction of slavery
has reduced the quantity of cotton. sugar,
tobacco, and other less important produc-
tons; and all the more, also, as the
tendency of immigration towards the
West is almost as much without slavery
as with it. In a total immigration in
1867 of 342, 162; in 1868 of 2S2, 1879; in
1869 of 352, $50, the number of immi-
| grants from countries in the Old World
corresponding in climate with the South
ern States was but AZ, 554, and but very
few of these settled in the South while
$4,000 Italians went 10 South America in
the single year of 1868. A few Swiss
have settled in Tennessee, and few Poles
in Virginia, but nowhere has there been a
successful and definite purpose of
colonization from Southern Europe to
the United States. Gen. Negley, in q
very instructive and interesting speech
last week in the House of Representa-
tiYes, showed that only 4, 569 immigrants
entered the South for the quarter ending
Dec, 81, 1860, while rs, 68S came in the
same time from Europe. With line of
steamers to the south of Europe, it would
be easy, we feel assured, to provide ac-
commodations for 10000 per annum.
These are among a class of facts inter-
esting alike TO the landholders and ship
owners of the country. We have little
or no commerce with Austria, Italy,
Portugal, Southern Russia, Switzerland,
Southern Germany, Turkey, Egypt, and
India though we purchase large quantities
of their products and manufactures from
second or third hands. Their entire trade
is with England, and we pay uot only
original cost, but freight, jobbing per
centage, commissions, trans-shipments,
and insurance rates to our most selfish
rivals. In the interest of commerce, we
ask how long shall these things continue.