Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-01-21
WHY THE SOUTH FAILED-DIvER-
SIFIED INDUSTRIES.

A sufficient number of years have
elapsed, says The Paper, of Pittsburg,
since the conclusion'of hOstilities be-
tween the States of the North and
South to permit of a calm survey OI
the causes which contributed to the
result. The conquerers were not
made so by reasons of their superior
bravery, nor, as would at first appear,
from their numerical superiority, al
though the latter aided them very
materially, hut because the North
was a section Of mechanics and its
adversary merely an agricultural re
gion.
1t was not contest of muscle
against muscle, hut of brains and in
ventive genius in opposition to per-
sunal courage The South found few
staples so productive Of wealth that
it confined itself to the cultivation of
these, and allowed every other inter
est to languish. It's cities became
only great warehouses for the storage
of cotton, sugar and tobacco, and the
pride of the people swelled into I'M
due proportions as they beheld the
shipping of the world at their crowd
ed wharves, eager to carry off, even
to the uttprmost ends of the earth,
the fruits of their fertile fields.
From this was begotten the falla-
cious idea that cotton was king, and
| that its scepter, not only swayed the
destinies of America, but that 1t was
not without force on the other side Of
| the Atlantic. This was very flatter-
ing to the vanity of a growing peo-
pie, still young In the family Of
States, and was sufficient to dazzle
their ewes with q spiendor altogether
meretricious. The domination oI
cotton should have been source oi
pride to everyA merican. The pride
however, should never have even re.
motely approached idolatry. The
fact that II became so, no person will
deny, and to this we will assign the
subsequent overthrow of its worship
perS.
When the war broke out it found
the States of the South rich i'm cot
ton, in sugar, in men and in money,
with an enthusiasm amounting al
most to insanity, and determination
to achieve victory by the prowess OF
their arms. The north went into the
tilI1ilItI w llil ttIItN lttNS as tclI!-
hle. but with everything the South
lacked. 1t had diverftied industry
to hack iron and coal and steel for
the manufacture of arms and muni
tons, and corn and oats for the cav
airy, wheatand rye for the soldiers,
and mills for the manufacture of cot
ton, and woolen fabrics with which
to furnish r,iment to men I'm field.
The South had none of these. 'Tis
true, there We're iron works in Virgin
in and i'm Mississippi but these were
crippled early In the war by reason
of the blockade and the mechanical
poverty of the South. History furn-
ishes no instance where eight mill
ions of people, equally united and
determined, have been subjugated.
Had the South pursued a wiser policy
in the past; had II encouraged a
healthy immigration and fostered
manufactures, it would have been n
more formidable antagonist, and
doubtless would have pr0tracted the
struggle indefinitely, even to victory.
The lesson we deduce from the failure
of the South then, is that, without n
blending of industries, no state or
van tNtl tlut SitNA-
ness. When country can live W tn
In itself, it is independent, and not
till then. The people OF the South
are rapidly realizing this, and from
all parts we hear of new manufacture
ing enterprises. Georgia seems to
have the lead as vet, hut Tennessee,
with her rich mineral deposits, is put
ting on the armor of Vulcan, and
striding rapidly to the front, while
Louisiana seems to have made up its
mind to send us cotton in webs, instead
of bales, as formerly. The mechanic is
invited To 90 South and cooperate
with the planter. This invitation Is
being needed, too, and n mission Of
interest is heing formed that will
eventually give birth To great social
changes there, and which cannot fail
to be productive of much good to the
whole country.