Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-09-17
The Correct View.

MEssRs. EDITORS: Your views, in re-
cent editorial concerning emigration, are
such as every considerate man will endorse.
We must wake up to this vital issue, or we
are doomed. We are suffering now at a
terrible rate. The trouble is, we are MAX
ing no effort in this direction; none in the
world. Supineness is the crushing weight
that is bearing us down. While other Sec
tions of the Union are eXerting themselves
to acquire emigration, we are waiting for
"something to turn up.' What is the re-
suit? Just what we might expect. Our
State is languishing. Her material inter
ests are dropping. Her lands are not
brought into cultivation. Her agricultu-
raj resources are largely diminished. Stag
| nation and helpless prostratiOn isa portion
of her present inheritance. Instead of be-
| ing the foremost State in the Union, asshe
ought to be, she is tagging in the rear of
nearly all of them. They have shot be-
yond us in the grand race of commercial,
agricultural and educational growth and
prosperity. Do you ask why this is so :?
| answer, because the other States, for the
most part, have been keenly alive to the
work of filling their borders with an active
and go-ahead population, and have
wisely used the means to accom-
plish this end. They have not done
as we have done-thrown themselves
back upon their dignity and said, "we do
not care a groat whether you come or
not
To take broad view of the question,
what is the condition, at the present mo-
ment, of the Southern States ? Are they
not groaning and sinking in consequence
of the absence of a thrifty and enterprising
population Who will deny it? make
no degrading charges against my people
in the South. They have labored and
suffered under many. disadvantages which
they have had no means of controlling.
Still the fact remains uncontradlcted that
they cannot advance towards high and
progressive civilization without the CO.
operative energies of new population.
They must have help. They have mill
lions of acres of unproductive lands. The
taxes on them are enormous. How will
you make them rememeratiye unless you
can get them occupied and cultivated
That is the question of all questions
which Immediately concerns the South
ern people. And the very same
principle applies to our own State with
equal force. There are, in East Tennessee
alone, upwards of a million of acres of
land not yielding copper cent. In their
present condition, they are utterly worth
less. Is it sound policy, therefore, to hold
SO much property in this shape? Ought
not every effort be made to use all availa-
bic means to sell of, at nominal figures,
these lands to immigrants?
Nor am [ particular where they hair
from. That miserable creature who would
snarl and snap because Northern men ol
Germans, or some other races equally OBJ
jectionabie in his estimation, come into
our midst. is a I" fool for the lack of sense.n
I call things by their proper names. was
amused-not provoked-at the remark of
gentleman, the other day, upon this
yerv subject. Said he, "You are
doing wrong in your efforts to bring
the Yankees and the Germans to Ten
nessee. They are every one radicals, and
will break down our partyp' What astute-
ness! What overwhelming logic! Stand
aghast We masters of reason! What reply
could make to such sage conclusion!
In irving to get emigrants to our section,
must we first inquire what their politics
are. or must we first determine whether
thew are honest, high-minded, capable and
Intelligent, and whether they will contri-
bute their muscle, brains and capital to build
up the waste places of our country? Which
ought we to do? Let the fair-minded an
swer. This is free country, and every
one. thank God, can vote as he pleases and
belong to any political party he wants to
without being subjected to socia, ostra-
cism. =. w. CHARLTON. ra