The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-02-24
BEFORE TIE WAR.

, being fed, clad and physicked for
ten years would be worth, per annun. SO
$3.50
Now deduct:
Physicians bills for about 40 slaves :. 10
Clothing $4,000 and Taxes on
An average in i = deaths every year,
by which negroes are lost whose an
nuaI value was Is
70
Remainder in the planters hands 81
SINCE THE WAR.
60 bales of Cotton. of which the planter
gets 40, worth, at 500 per bale. $4,4O
Deduct the Income Tax" IL
4,23o O
Premium in gold, at 40 per cent .l,2Os 81
Remainder in gold, in the planters
| hands- $3,O2l 81
But this is not all. Apart from his land
stock and utensils. the planter of to-day
! need own nothing save thousand or sc
dollars to feed his hands with, and his income
of 3,02l 50-l00 dollars is all profit. On the
other hand, the planter, before the war
| must have owned 10000 dollars worth oil
| slaves, in order to realize his income of 4,57G
dollars. What is his corresponding net pI o.
| fit? Deduct the annual value of his forty
slaves, estimated at per cent, and you
/ nave lL-1.O3U uOlldTss Let the
planter weigh, candidly and carefully, the
considerations which have advanced above,
and think whether he has not more money
| TO spend than ever he had before, from the
same number of laborers. What has become
of the midnight sufferings over long ac-
counts, that once tossed his tortured soul ?
| Where are now the anxious reckOnings as
| to how he may defray the internlinable ex-
| penses Of the current year?
From this investigation, several facts OF
vital Importance appear. First, that where
| as. before the war, man must have had con-
/ siderable means in order to begin the cul-
| ture of the ground with any prospect of
! making more than bare substance; now,
| that field is thrown open to almost the whole
| population, aud he who owns but a thous-
and or two, need no longer hoard it up for
want of a profitable investment-that thous-
and will supply five "hands." and return to
the owner fourteen bales of cotton. Second
iy, that while before the war, from the fail =
ure of the crop, the planter suffered an ac-
tual loss of the annual value of his slave
property in addition TO the many current
expenses of the year, in the case above cited,
1000 dollars total, and the failure of one
crop out of three would neutraliZe the pro-
hts of the other two; now, his only actual
loss would be the cost of the provisions con-
sumed, viz: about 500 dollars, and he could
lose three crops out of tour and still make
something-thus being more than twice as
apt to prosper as his ante 6eIlum friend
IllrQly, tnaJ the agriculture OF the cOun-
try can now be prosecuted without devoting
to it all the funds of the nation; for exam
pie, he who possesses 10000 dollars need no
longer invest it all in slaves, i'm order TO
raise cotton to the value of G, 400 dollars TO-
600 will much more than supply the labor
with which to do this, and the residue of
10000 dollars may be otherwise invested.
Such is the direct effect upon the interests
of the agriculturist. Let US now regard
that upon the State at large. Formerly, the
,<,ff Ton, Of . 4
were shipped direct to a seaboard town,
and there sold to the branch establishments
of Northern or European houses. Imme-
diately, the proceeds Of the sale were taken
to other branch establishments of Northern
OF European houses, and there principally
disbursed for plantation supplies. The
plain truth is, that the Yankee or the Eng
lish manufactures paid the Southron two or
three thousands; per dnnuDl, to ''oversee" a
large plantation. and raise for that manu-
facturer the cotton which would yield him.
when wrought up. $4,000 or 10000 dollars
net. In the meanwhile, the neighbor of our
planter, who was merchant, saw with des-
po3dency the great current OF trade rolling
past his doors, onward to those OF an alien
stranger; and picked up with much mOrti-
fcatiCn, all which the great feast afforded
him-the crumbs. At present it is other
wise. Various causes which il is not neoes-
sary to specify, have cO-operated to effect
the disposal of the crops to the merchants of
the interior. AS a consequence of this hap
by change, the villages and towns of our
inland country are prospecting to a degree
unparalleled in their annals. Along the
whole lengths of our many railroads, the all
but magical upgrowth of station-houses
into villages, and of villages into busy towns,
bears indisputahle testimony to the incalcu-
able benefits accruing from the establish
ment of this hOme-trade. This, too, without
any depletion of the planters pocket; for
the merchants extensive dealings and pro-
fessional character create for him consid-
cradle diminution of original costs and of
trans portatiOn- rates; and the amount of
this diminution is the measure of his profits.
Glorious revolution of the labor system
Dear old Land of Dixie, how have thine
enemies blest thee when most they sought
to wound Short-sighted race of mOrtals
that we are, how we chung to that institu
ton whose abolition has unlocked the riches
hidden in the earth's bosom to the poor
man Us well as the rich, and may yet make
our loved land flourish and bloom as she
never did before. could we only believe,
and work in the faith! Mysterious work of
God, which in seeming to strip us of our
pomp of wealth, and arrogance of dollars
yet places us where We may receive more
of the benefits of prosperity than we have
ever done! But while these reflections
afford our people broad ground for self
congPatulation. there are vet other cOnsid-
erations to which our most anxious atten-
ton should be given. While 1elicitating
ourselves that our progress has been such as
it is, we should neither forget nor ignore
the fact that we have the means for far
higher ascent. / have already endeavored
to show to the reader that the production of
her necessaries and the manufacture of her
own staples Cor other peoples are indiSpen-
sable pre- requisites to any nations fullest
development of wealth and political power.
The South is no exception to this rule; and,
while we are improved in our commercial
system, still there is room for a far greater
improvement, as the ultimate origin of our
vast supplies is abroad; and there is also,
the final destination OF millions In money
and millions in cotton that should be kept
at home. Never will we occupy the posi-
ton which we should assume, unless we fill
our wide territories with laboring LOOMS
And why snoPld we not? What advantage
over us have the sterile rock-beds of New
England that could not be easily retrieved
Capitol? They did not always have it; but
made it in the face of competition. Why
may not we? Besides. the greatest things
have small neutrality-suspicious. Manchester
nor Ma-seilles was built in year. We must
be patient and persevering. Operatives?
Spindles will not long be silent for want OF
hands to make them buzz.
What advantages has the South, by which
she may bear all others down? One-and
that eternal as her own deep foundation
She produces, and others do not; the mate
rial which must be fabricated grows from
her own bosom-others must import it
Who can doubt that we Will be able TO COM
pete successfully, within our own Oounda-
ries, with that trade which must twice trav-
erse continent or an ocean before It's goods
are presented to the consumers Moreover,
we have virtually the monopoly OF the cot
ton market. The Indian and Egyptian sta
pies are comparative failures; Brazil is re-
mote, and her production very limited
When the Southern planter shall have con-
Stunning market at home, and at home his
cotton shall be Manufactured, then the for
eign factOry-owner must either come to
mart where purchasers are not wanted. and
pay enormous prices for his raw material, or
consent to issue to the world fabrics immeas-
urably inferior. Then will come the days