The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-06-09
Immigration and Direct Trade.


The records of the past TEEN with reports,
resolutions, speeches, essays and editorials
touching the desirableness and the advantages
of promoting immigration to the South. Ev-
cry variety of intellectual effort has been put
forth by eminent Southern citizens. We have
had arguments in abundance and statistics in
profusion. No one has appeared to doubt the
reasonableness of these arguments, nor the
soundness of the logic which gave point to their
deductions nor was the accuracy Of the statis-
tics questions which made apparent the advan-
tages which would follow upon directintercom-
munication with civilized Europe, and health
full increase of homogeneous population from
her swarming hives. But what has been ac-
complished? We have had charters passed by
our Legislatures, and high sounding phrases
and brilliant prospectuses from very enterpri-
sing men, setting forth alluring schemes and
promising rich rewards. But there the matter,
in great measure, has ended. Now and then
small corporation would introduce few
Scotch weavers, and some retired merchants or
wealthy planters would secure for a few years
the skilled labor of Irish or German gardeners.
But even in the cases which would form the
exception, there was no direct communication
with Europe The intervention of New York
bankers and New York Agents were requisite.
ALI that has been accomplished has been reach
ed through New York and by New York.
The recent proposal of the South Carolina
Railroad Company to subscribe one hundred
thousand dollars for line of European steam
ships from the port of Charleston, is the first
practical proposition of any Importance that
has been made within our memory. The prop
position, as we understand it, is to raise an
amount suficientto build four first class ocean
steamers, and this Company proposes to invest
twenty-five thousand dollars in each, and prom
ises aid from roads friendly by connection, in
proportion to their respective interests. This,
as a beginning, looks we'll We suppose that
the sum requisite for the construction of such a
line will be about twelve hundred thousand
dollars, if the ships are built in Europe. 1t is
we'll known fact that nearly all Of the ocean
steamers, plying between Europe and New
York, are foreign yessels-are OF British con-
struction. Wherever and however owned they
have been built upon the Clyde, and bear the
insignia of Scotch industry and skill. Under
the present tariff laws it would be folly to at
tempt the construction of American ships for
competition inforeign trade. The simple his
tory of New York shipping furnishes warning
against such folly too striking to pass unheeded
too significant to be overlooked. Under the
present navigation laws of the United States,
enterprise is prohibited from securing the ben
efts of the skill and cheap labor that has
brought European naval achievements to so
great perfection. There is no possible hope
that the present, or any subsequent National
Congress" will be any more disposed to favor
and aid by subsidies any such Southern enter
prise than our past Federal Congress has been
wont to do. Congress is ruled by New England
power and policy, and therefore will always be
in antagonism to everything that may be deem
ed hurtful to New England interests. Nor is
it, as we are advised, desirable that we should
look either to Congress or to the North for aid
in such matters. European capitalists and
ship-builders stand ready, we are told, to unite
interests with Southern merchants and planters
Their terms are not onerous Indeed they ap-
pear quite liberal. All that is demanded is that
proprietary interesto of at least oneourth of the
cost of each ship shall be held and oacned In the
South as the guaranty for return cargo of
Southern products, and that there shall exist
some responsible organization which shall Sc
cure and provide for an inward cargo of immi-
grants. Surely these are not onerous conditions.
The determination of the cotton bound for
British or German ports by such line will Sc
cure the outward cargo. The exstenceof such
a line will foster direct trade in exchange for
cotton. We have thousands and tens of thou
sands of acres of wild land III Georgia and
South Carolina, now non-producing and almost
valueless, which will furnish ample provision
of the kind required for immigrants. An home
stead in our beautiful mountain region would
be God send to emigrants from lands where
the ownership of lands is a luxury to the luXu-
rious. What, then, is to prevent combination
of such interests, and the achievement of
profitable success in such scheme2 Why will
not an alliance with foreign ship-builders and
capitalists be beneficial to advance reciprocally
both manufacturing Europe and the agricultu-
raj South ?-4ugusta Chronicle.