The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-07
The Work of the Convention.


subjects of practical Importance and the
consideration and adoption of plans of action
founded upon The facts and arguments sub
mitted to the body.
The reports received by the Convention
i covered the great questions of immigration
and Direct Trade with Europe, Cotton Man.
ufactures in the South, the Hygienic Condi-
ton of South Carolina and Charleston, Sci
entifc Education and Chinese Labor. Other
reports were in preparation, but were not
completed when the Convention brought it's
Iabors to close.
The topics which occupied the greater
part Of the time of the Convention were I'm
mis- grafton, Direct Trade and Cotton Manu-
factures. The first two subjects were really
considered and discussed together. The
! recommendation of the Committee on I'm
migration included the establishment of
direct steam communication with Europe,
the establishment Of low rates OF railway
transportation from Charleston to the e1-
treme Northwest, the establishment OF immi-
grafton societies along the proposed line OF
immigrant travel the formation in South
Carolina Of immigration societies for the
settlement Of immigrants upon free farms,
the establishment in Charleston Of Board
| Of immigration, to; provide, for the comfort
and accommodation Of immigrants arriving
at this port, and the encouragement and
preparation Of publications showing the ad-
vantages to immigrants, as well as to our-
selves, of settlement in South Carolina.
These matters were debated with care, and
theremarks Of the speakers, nearly without
exception, indicated that the people Of the
State would welcome the industrious immi-
grant as his thrift and his honesty and his
Intelligence deserved. 1t was shown that
the white immigrants would receive farms,
! free Of all cost, adapted to their own habits
and to the wants of their families. The
immigrant would be well cared for from the
moment that he left his native land. South
Carolina would open wide her arms to re.
ceive him. But, Il he preferred to go further
and settle in, the West, he would be treated
with as much regard for his person and well
fare as though he had pledged himself to
remain upon our soil The gates would be
thrown roen. Charleston should be the port
Of landing for the vast stream of white i'm
migration, and in time there would remain
with us as much OF the brain and muscle Of
the Old World as the most sanguine could
desire. No narrow spirit would govern the
treatment Of the white immigrant. Coming
here as free man, ready and able to work,
I,and with fair share Of culture, he would
Geserye;to be, and would be-. taken by the
hand as a free citizen Of free State; as one
whose interests, like our own, lie wholly on
the side Of honesty and good government
We do not fear that South Carolina will be
made German or Irish or English by any
pouring in OF immigrants. AS Northern
tdelegate from Georgia said, on the floor OF
the Convention, 'tNo matter where man
sscomes from. Only get him to settle upon
<'youf land, feeling that he has an interest
sfnjit, and he will become Georgian or a
|:tSouth Carolinian in less than a year. If his
ssmoney is there, his heart will be there and
s.his politics will be there" These were the
words of New Englander who settled in
Georgia after tie war, and who, '.if capital
.'cannot control labor, will find the reason
l'swhy." And if any class of immigrants,
the Germans, for instance, desire to have
schools and newspapers and churches of their
own, why should they not have them? They
will be one in interest with US, and if the
heart beats right and the head is clear and
the arm is strong, it matters not whether
the tongue is laden with the gutturals OF
Germany, the cadent vowels of Italy, or the
tripping accents of France. We are not
prepared to say that South Carolinians have
nothing to learn. On the contrary. they
can learn something useful from the German
and the Irishman and the Englishman.. And
to each one OF them the South Carolinian
can give something in return. Only in this
way, by giving and taking, can we make our
whole people strong and vigorous in thought
and in action. And if tens of thousands Of
Teutons swarm into the State, so much the
better. If they can do, for all South Caro-
lima, what they have already done for this
fair city, their coming will be happy and
fortunate event for all our people.
The subject Of Direct Trade with Europe
was not discussed at any length by the
committee, and was quickly disposed Of
The report on Cotton Manufactures brought
to light the startling fact that yarns can be
manufactured in South Carolina, be trans
ported to the North, pay a commission Of
five per cont for selling, be sold at tie cost
of Northern yarns, and yield net profit Of
iue cents pound Again, the Saluda Fac
tory OF this State, in April, 1869, shipped
lot of No. 20 yarn to Manchester, England.
These yarns sold at 16d., which was equal
to 432 cents United States currency.s The
total cost of the yarns, including freights
and commissions, was 3st cents, leaving
net profit Of 44 cents pound We repeat,
and the report submitted to the convention