The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-09-22

Until recently it has been hopeless to expect
the laborer, the mechanic or the small farmer
from other lands, to make his home IN the
South. The desire to emigrate implies the de-
sire to better the condition; the desire to emf
CRATE to America usually implies the desire, not
merely to better the physical well-being of the
emigrant, but to elevate his family and dignity
his manhood. The European laborer who con-
templates removal to this country has learned
that, in America, he will cease to be SIM
ply one of the counters with which kings
and princes play, or one of the instruments
which capital uses solely for its own benefit,
and will become man. This forms no small
part of the inducement to break ties which
however they may have kept him down, have
still great power over the affections and pur-
poses. Hence, it could not be expected that
the European, still less the Northern or Eas-
tern mechanic or laborer, should come to live
in States where labor, as a rule, was badge of
servitude, and where the standard of days
labor was that which could be exacted from
unwilling and unpaid bondsmen. Slavery en-
forced ignorance. Ignorance and slavery de-
graded labor. In q society where the whole
OF much the larger part, of the labor was per-
formed by slaves, there was no place for free,
manly, independent mechanic, who honored his
work as his work honored him.
But slavery has passed away, and as soon as
the political affairs of the Southern States as
sumo something like settled and permanent
condition, that tide of emigration which has
hitherto set so strongly and so steadily toward
the west and northwest, will surely take
southerly course, or flow with divided stream,
of which not the smallest part will seek the
rich fields and genial climate Of the South.
The reasons for expecting this are manifold: (:
l. The territory of the Southern States is
more accessible than that of the interior of the
continent to which the path of the immigrant
now tends. A long extent of sea-coast, with
many excellent haTbors, invites foreign COM
merce. Rivers navigable for long distances,
traverse the whole region between the Ale
ghanies and the Blue Ridge and the Atlantic |;
while thei rich and almost virgin soil of the
Gulf States is watered by many streams whose
proportions would be majestic to eyes not used
to consider the immensely of 1.-THE Father OF
Waters" These natural water-courses, with
many thousands of miles of completed rail-
roads, and thousands of miles more in process
of construction, give large facilities for inland
commerce.
The upper waters of those rivers afford pow
er waiting to be utilized, sufficient to turn the
spindles and work the looms of the world. In
linas. Tennessee and Georgia, the rivers liter
ally leap to the sea, and furnish water which
it makes an engineer sigh to see run to waste.
2. The soil is fertile, and capable of produ-
cling almost every variety of crop which can be
produced in the Northern and Middle States,
and many Others for which the climate of the
colder States is unpropitious. While the cot
ton of the South has come to be its great sta
pie, and will, doubtless, long hold very high
place among its products, it is nevertheless true
that its soil and climate are admirably adapted
to the successful culture of other agricultural
products. Its mountain regions are unsurpass-
ed in fitness for grazing farms.
There is no good reason why East Tennessee,
Western North Carolina and Virginia, North
ern Georgia and South Carolina, should not RI
val the best Northern and Western dairy pro-
ducts. And there is no better field for wool
raising in the world than can be found in these
States.
Fruits of all kinds flourish. The luscious
peach, the succuent melon, the juicy pear, the
the apricot find here genial soils and favoring
climates while the grape in every variety may
be cultivated to rival its fellow in Spain, France
or Germany.
An opinion has gained currency that the soil
of the Southern Atlantic States is sworn out; <"
that only small crops repay the hard labors of
him who tills and that the searcher for good
farming or planting lands must seek them else
where.
This is undoubtedly an error. For genera
tions the culture of these lands has been in the
hands of slaves. The overseers, who directed
and scourged the slaves were but too often lit
tie superior in agricultural knowledge to the
"feld hands," and the "feld hand" had only
intellect enough to use the rudcst implements
in the clumsiest possible way. The top of the
ground was scratched, not ploughed-what the
planter called plough was no whit better than
that described by Virgil twenty centuries since.
The scores of agricultural implements inven-
ted by the active brains of educated farmers
and mechanics of the last thirty years were un-
known in the South, except very rarely. No
attempt was made to use the means existing on
every well-ordered farm or plantation for saving
or making manures. Everything was taken
from the soil; nothing was returned to it; and
its natural capacities were absolutely unknown
because of the rude and imperfect culture.
Place on the soil of the Carolinas, Virginia
or Georgia, intelligent labor, under intelligent
direction carry there the implements which
have SO lightened the labors and increased the
harvests of the Northern and Western farmer !;
apply the same sagacious foresight, thrift and
energy which enable the New England farmer
to raise raise "premium crops" out of the naturally
infertile lands of that section and you shall see
the land groan under the burden of the crops
that shall grow there. ..s,ia
Besides the ordinary and easily proctifable
fertilizers in abundance on any plantation, the
recent discovery of phosphate of lime in South
Carolina has opened up a source of supply sut,
ficient to retiovate not merely the "worn OUT
lands of the South, but of a continent This
deposit can hardly be over estimated in value
To the large population now engaged in mining
and manipulating it, and destined to be much
larger, it is the source Of great wealth; to the
agricultural interests of the country, it is
source of much greater wealth.
8. The mineral wealth of the South, though
undeveloped, is vast, and waits only the reach
ing forth of the hand of enterprise to pour its
treasures into the lap of commerce. Iron, gold,
Tn