Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-22
CoMMrRcE. IMMIeRArIoN ANp MANI

COMMERCE., IMMIGRATION AND MANI
rAcruREs.- have received, in pam
phlet form. the speech OF Hon Alex
ander Med of Arkansas, delivered
in the Senate of the United States on
the 18th inst, in reference to commerce
and manufactures, from which we take
the following extracts of local interest
The present paralysis of American commerce
\ nresses heavily upon my own State of Arkan-
sas, and Senators will pardon me in present
Ling q few remarks going TO show what her
present position is ana what I. should %
Union under the revival OF american com,
| merce, and the consequent development OF
her immense natural wealth. Arkansas rs, has
an area of ST. square miles, or S,aoo, az
acres Her population was, in 1850. Az, ooU,
and Is now about 100000. In her soil, climate,
and PRODUCTIONS. she resembles the other cot
ton growing States, with an abundance oil hiii
lands suited to general farming purposes and
stored with inexhaustiblc treasures OF mineral
wealth. With the exception of broad belts Of
land along her great rivers, her climate is
salubrious, and her productions are cotton,
tobacco, the cereal grains. potatoes, garden
and orchard products, wool-growing' ana
Living upon the Mississippi. which sweeTs
her whole eastern border, she is interseeted by
its great afiuents, the st. Francis, the White'
the Arkansas. and Others with their branches,
and in the southwest by the Ouachita, SALINE
and Red rivers, which in the aggregate give a
steam navigation of more than 5000 miles.
These streams, never DISTRACTED by Ice water
forty three out of the sixty-seven counties OF
theState. Her mineral deposits 81 nni'hian.
gaIiese, lead, copper, marble, whet and hone
stone, rock crystal, paints, kaolin,, granite,
limestone, marls, green sand and slate, may
well justify the assertion that Arkansas Is
nut aa.aaar
destined to rank as one OF me richest lniherai
States of the Union. Her climate Is such that
she has been called "the Italy Of the United
States.' In the mountainous sections OF the
State her climate and productions are assimli-
ated to the Northern and Middle states, While
in her southern borders are found the pro-
ducts of a tropical climate. No country IN
the world, except perhaps along the coast OF
Georgia, can produce as much cotton per acre
and Of so fine quality as my own state. Yet
with these advantages, ai.er having oeen a
ent population does not exceed some ,OO,Un
Until within q few months she has had no
common schools nor public seminaries OF
learning. Her manufactures are feeble ana
there is to-day less than one hundred miles OF
railroads within the state.
In direct contrast with all this the State of
Iowa, possessing about the same area, her
territorial position not superior. her mineral
and agricultural wealth INFERIOR: win eL-
mate more rigorous, and admitted into the
Union nine years later than Arkansas, has
now population gilmore than one million, has
of miles Of railway, seventy col
leges. academies and UNIVERSITIES, and tax
able property Of 30O,OOO,UOO. or about double
that Of my own State. /
In 1sfq the great European lines plying be- |
tween New York and English. German and
Prussian ports, introduced into our country
55s 600 Immigrants; and since 1854 there have
= rived through the same lines |. $50 Din the
United States. By a sound principle OF politi- |
cal economy each of these immigrants may be
estimated worth to our country siOOO, ire
spective Of the capital brought Win themI
making the aggregate of 81, $50, 100000, which /
would distribute nearly thirty-four dollars to
each of ouf forty million inhabitantsl
of this vast army of immigrants all but /
thirty thousand have settled in the Northern |
and Northwestern States. ana OF TINS iatter |
own State while twonis=twe thousand have
zone 10 the State of Iowa and one hundred 1
and eleven thousand TO Illinois; while cor
large numbers have gone to other
Western States.
On the basis before stated this
gives nearly 10 the Northern and 49,,
Western States the sum ISL III, OOO,OOO
And TO the Southern States the -.
sum 's'-'''....--.,. 'V'vy'v $1,000
And to my own State the sum Of. SOO,OOO
The average value of the personal property |
Of immigrants arriving at Castle Garden, New
York, has been found to be $3.50 for each per
SON, man, woman and child.
German immigrants alone have for many
years braugbt an average yearly amount Of
about eleven milliDn dollars,
In 1889 this accretiln OF wealth al Castle I
Garden was SS7 500, 900; and to this source the |
North owes large part OF, its material ad- |
In pppulatlQn and wealth over the
Southern States of the Union.
If our people wish to turn the tide of
commerce and immigration to this point,
or build factories, the first step to be |
taken is to establish, in connection with
our railroads, line of ocean steamers
from Norfolk to Liverpool, Glasgow,
Queenstown, Bremen and Hayre, Sena- |
tor Mcdonald has started a subject of
vital Importance. His speech is the
only sensible one that has been delivered
in Congress for many day.