The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-17
% mankind by the cultivation of such tria-
ng articles as RICE sugar, tobacco and cot


is the most complete refutation Of the charge
Of ignorance made by this self-constituted
politico agricultural pedagogue against
the planters of the South, that could possi-
bly, be presented. Let US examine it for a
moment, and we shall see whether Mr. Saw
yer has not wandered into waters, from the
depths of which even his o7er-weening self
conceit will scarcely rescue him.
The cotton plant was not introduced into
this country until about the year l72l, and
though the article occasionally appeared as
among the agricultural products of the coun-
try, its cultivation as staple was not recog-
njzed and established until 1894, when it ap-
pears that about four thousand 10000 bales
were exported. At the expiration OF ten
years. the annual production amounted to
about one hundred thousand Q00,0O0)
bales. In ls26-27 its production had in
creased to nine hundred and 6fty-seven thou
sand 1851, ,00O) bales. Without stopping to no.
tice its intermediate progress, it is sufficient
for our purpose, that in 1850, just before the
commencement Of the war; the crop amount
ed to four millions eight hundred and sixty
thousand a, $50, OOO) bales, and tie exporta-
ton to three millions seven hundred and
seventy-four thousand ((3,774, ,000i bales,
equal, in money value, to more than one
half OF the aggregate expectation OF the en-
tire country for that year, including rice,
sugar aud tobacco, all of which are also pro-
ducts of the South, and raised under the
control and direction of men who knew moth
ing OF the plough, save what they had pick
ed up from the Georges Of Mr.. Sawyer's
school friend, the poet Virgil.
How will Mr.. Sawyer account for the fact
that these field hands directed and scourg-
led by overseers, who were but too often
.little superior in agricultural knowledge to
s'the field hand" should, in the short space
Of half century, have introduced staple,
fostered it in its incipiency watched over
it's development with patient and intelligent
industry, until it attained a magnitude
never reached before or since by any other
article known to the commerce of mankind.
But it is not alone to the quantity pro-
duced, but to the quality of the article that
we would challenge the attention OF Mr..
Sawyer.
So great was the improvement in the sta
pie of the Southern cotton, brought about
by the intelligent care and observation OF
the besotted people whom Mr.. Sawyer un-
dertakes to instruct and cirilize that in an
incredible short space OF time it expelled
the cotton OF other regions from the market,
and from that period to the present has
continued to preserve its much deserved su-
premacy. But not only has the quality of
what is known Us the inferior grades, and
which constitutes the principal object OF
trade, been improved and made to outrank
that produced by other countries, notwith-
standing they had the advantage OF centu-
ries of experience. but the skill and intelli-
gence OF this people went far beyond this
point, and produced new variety totally
unknown before, and which 80 far excels
every other article Of cotton that it has been
brought into no contemplate rivalry with
the labor OF the silk worm.
The same intelligence applied to the cul-
ture OF rice has improved that cereal so that
it's quality is admitted to be superior to that
of any other country, and this might he said,
in a qualified sense, to be equally true in
reference to sugar and tobacco.
Thus, we perceive, that in the great arti-
cles of commerce on which much OF the
prosperity Of the country depends, and to
which Southern industry and Southern mind
have seriously been applied, the South has
attained higher degree OF excellence than
has ever been reached by any other people
ever known to the world. The result Is not
little to be wondered at, when we reflect
that all this has been effected by people
who, according to Mr.. Sawyer, have learned
nothing since the reign Of the Caesars, two
thousand years ago, and long before they
had the benefit OF the lessons Of imported in
structors who, disdaining the narrow limits OF
the ordinary school-room, promulgated their
learned lectures from the very capitol at
Washington. Mr. Sawyer has certainly ex-
hibited high degree of generosity in with
drawing from his native New England the
services which she might naturally have
claimed from him as one OF her favored sons,
aud bestowing them on a people who have
been hitherto so little favored, and who were
so little entitled to expect, at his hands, so
great boon.
In conclusion, we would only say to Mr..
Sawyer:
'.Ne sutor ultra Crepidam." To- gen.
tleman so deeply skilled in ancient lore. and
80 well furnished with classical attainments,
we will not presume to offer translation.
We but commend to him the application.
Mr. Sawyer was imported into South Caro-
lima to teach the rudiments OF q plain and use
ful education to charity scholars in our pub
lie schools, and not to lecture our people
either upon practical or scientific agricul-