Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-08-12

American, o. Iapt WSek, makes ~
earnest sppeoI In benslf a : Fe1znesss
Convention, to be held In Nashville,
at some time yet 70 b agreed upon.
We think the suggestion . good one,
and thst, y the hrners win take up
the subject In the right spirit and
carry Il out with on earnest purpose
to promote their mutuaI Interests,
much good may be accomplished.
There Is NO interest, Of sach magnl-
sude, as that Of agriculture, that has
suffered 20 much from neglect and
want of concert amony those who
pusue It as a vocation. Whilst
Banking, manu- acturing, telegraphs,
railroads, and almost every other en-
terprIse Of Importance resolve them
selves into q "Ring"--prosperous,
because worked with energy, by com
blnation and concert; agriculture,
unsIded by any such appliances,
ssrags along under all the dIsadvant-
ages that grow out % = want Of Intel
ligent CO. operations ~
The time was when every farm, IN
the South, was principally, self
sustaining and independent. Then
the feeling of every planter was, that
he was ''lord Of all he surveyed and
under the influence OF that feeling, a
habit Of Isolation and separate inter-
est was engendered, which forbade
all concert Of action, as MI infringe
ment of the Individual sovereignty
that recognized no community Of In
terest and tolerated no exercise Of
powers not expressly delegated. But
that time has passed-the hand OF
lawless innovation has swept away
the system Of other days, individual
sovereignty Is merged into mutual de-
pendence aud the aggregation Of sep
arate interests and the concert Of
action, once deemed o needless pre-
caution, have become = stern neces-
silly.
The radical change In our system
Of labor, forces Q change OF policy,
and there must be concert OF action
to make enicient ana reliable the on
~ element OF labor now within ou'
reach. In the adjustment OF this
grave question, many others Will
arise that cannot be overlooked with
out serious detriment to the agricul.
tural interests Of the entire South.
Should the proposed Convention bt
held, 1t will be found, upon. compar'
ing notes, that the most successful
farmers, after fair estimate Of oil
expenses, are worse of at the close
than at the beginning Of the year
There can be no fair calculation o.
Expenses that does not embrace In
terest upon capital invested, the val
ue OF land, IL rented, and the deteri
Grafton of same, by cultivation; the
wear aud tear Of teams and nipple
ments, loss OF time, by the laborer,
employed, dilapidation Of fences ant
buildings, waste of provender ant
neglect Of stock. All these losses ar,
the necessary consequence Of tn,
present contract system-farming oil
shares, by which the proprietor
shoulders all the responsibilities ant
the laborer gets the lions share o
the supposed profits. A remedy mus
be found for this ruinous system, o.
the farmers will be forced to sell thei
lands to pay the taxes forced upor
them, by an unconstitutional war
and the hordes of commissioner
thieves that have followed in its des
olating track. ~
These are a portion, only, of III,
questions that must he considered il
i Convention but we shall not stol
to enumerate the varied interest
which demand the earnest attention
of every man who desires to see TIN
agricultural interests of the South
permanently and speedily developed
as the only sure basis for it's wealth
political and commercial indepen
dence, The magnitude of the Inter
ests involved, Is a sufficient plea 4
behalf of the call for u Convention
and for the presence therein, of tn
most talented and practical men. :,
Should u Convention meet and d
nothing, decisive, for the advance
ment of the cause, the failure wi
induce hopelessness Of relief, dc
messing to the spirit and energy {