New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-01
The Land.Holders, Peril.

The Land.Holders' Peril.
We commend the following article, from
she Clinton Democrat, to the consideration
Of Louisiana planters. 1t contains sound
truths, very plainly spoken:
The time has now come that the planting
community OF East Feliciana have to look
some ugly facts in the face, and without
lodging If you have more corn in the
market than there is demand for, you un-
derstand very well that it will sink in
value. You understand the law of supply
and demand. Whenever there is a com
modify in market in excess of the supDly.
the price is necessarily lowered. This is
exactly the case with your land. There is
more land bidding for labor than there is
labor to supply it. The result is obvious
Rents will continue to show a downward
tendency, and with the rents the price will
depreciate. Suppose man has planta-
ton lying idle. he is necessarily compelled
to offer the lowest terms to get labor upOn
it, and rather than let it lie idle long he
will give the use of it-rent free OF course
the labor OF the country will first or last
be attracted by the cheapest lands, and the
result is going to be that plantations will be
going begging. There is no doubt that
there are tendencies of the times developing
themselves which will produce this result.
and the consequence will he ruinous to
avert it,
This only means Of averting it is by get
ting immigration into the parish, which
will I'LL up the waste and unoccupied lands |
and prevent this depreciation.
We are sorry to observe that MANY of |
the planting community. the most inter- |
ested in this question are not able to appre- |
ciate the force of these considerations All |
we have to say is, that they will see it two
years from now. A great statesman once
said, that the way to command influence is
to see the positions that the people are
going to occupy and to take them in adj
vance. We take our position right here.
We know that good and honest men differ
from us, but those good and honest men,
first or last, will have to come to our posi-
ton. The ola policy which we have in
herited is leading the country to ruin 1t
is raising up a generation without educa-
ZION 1t Is not improving the soil; it is
taking us down, down. down. There will
come time when everybody will say that
the Democrat was right, and that the in.
migration scheme Is the salvation Of the
country. But 1t can not be the salvation of
the country If it meets a popular resistance
which thwarts its aim and DESTROYS its eff.
cheney. 1t is well then for you gentlemen
who live out on your broad acres to com 8
prehend your peril. Your calculations of q
present gain do very well for the present. {
but as sure as you are born you are build q
ing on an unstable foundation. The present '
system OF labor is only transitional il is
the floating log, which only sustans your i,
weight while you are passing over it. But q
1t can not he permanently relied on. We G
appeal to obvious facts. Every year the L
demands of labor are greater, and always y
ITS demand Is sustained. Every year it G
lakes greater slice out OF Joint product of
labor and capital. Every dollar of capital =.
placed i'll fixed improvements on great h
plantations will bear you only transient y
in a Tow tbo |
tations will find it Impossible to control ::
labor. Gentlemen. consider the results of :;
emancipation in the West Indies Like n,
causes always produce like effect. We are y.
treading in exactly the same path that leads 81
to torpor and poverty in Jamaica: there is .,
but one way to get out of it, and that is hy -
inviting the system that is built upon the E,
earnings Of a thrifty, provident and indus ~
triOus yeOmanry.
Gentlemen, you can not afford in this :.
matter to consult your passions or your a. >,
)rejudices. We hear men on the street Al al
,ursing the policy which invites blue belied
ankees here and gives them land while ~
Door people at home nave to work for land | ~
themselves. Men who talk this way don't '''
pretend to reason; they only speak from the Ste
;aprlce vi the moment. Ste
A thousand blue belied Yankees or nIod-
lung Dutchmen in this parish will give pros Ii
'erlty to the country; will make railroads: pr,
VII! produce pork and corn and grain ! 2t
,ulid factories and establish schools. The | an
northwest Is peOpling with them as if bv ~,
nchantmant, anu Is reaching up every day
0 prosperity Buy one hundred and sixty an
cres OF land in Kansas or Minnesota. and to-
hve years you are rich. The blue ballie1 Ovt
ankces come and settle around yOu. and are
ring their arts and their industries. and Goa
lake the wilderness TO bloom as the rose. pei
is better tor these same poor peopIe thar vie
ley should come than that the parish I
lould give you land. If the present sys- hal
IN continues you can get land. but il will | this
worth little to You after you get it, But fro
you have an active energetic civilization POI
ltroduced, 1t Will educate you and your n
iiidren into new modes and new industries. O'C
hlch is worth more than land * {
1t Is the same old question over aoain 4
re you ready to give up the ideas and the VIII
additions which you have derived from the bic
mes Oh slavery If you are not, the coun- sup
Y Is gong steadily down If Won arc ro,, tine
g now ready for prosperity and can com goo
ana 1t. Slavery did very well as a system !30j
long as we had the slaves but tO st;cl- 70 | exit
G Old dead system. when every particle Of ira
g and virtue have departed from il. is 4he 100
lght OF folly Remember one thine TLa | chOi
sues OF the country, for good or i'll ara i, | arr
r own hands. If we are wise we viii hn the
osperous; II not. we will be doomed TO 8 )
verify. When you look over your deserteJ and
res, growing up in sedge and pine san Ct
ss, remember that it is the result of sys- man
~ W WIFI w you gave your active, moral Q!
pport. We speak strongly, because we Sic,
We strong convictions The old foote's who S5c
sist progressive ideas. who put every OBJ, o.
lcle in the way of improveme Mt have a dem
avy responsibility. On them los tho of W
,me Of Of public Poverty-cf ruined planta, ond
MS, OF bad roads and children oroWirrmn JSc
ignorance. If they would come Nm and 81
p, we could inangurate a new eraFh,,t dem
y are joined to their idols, and we must at 81
them alone. ''"'' ii,
It is hard to play the part of Cassandra Fifty
erlng prophecies which are not believed chOit
t we accept the role. Landowners, see $35
lr peril. Awake arise. or be forever Pc
len askil
- sales
he Clinton, Louisiana, Democrat saws: LA
lr. S. +. Beauchamp brought to our Office. a.erc
terday morning, a stalk of the Dickson are "a :,