Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-05
IMMIGRATION.
Letter iFsm esmmsdsrs n. 3. ssuFy-
Wholesome Ylswa.
OFF1oE OF PHYSICAL SURVEY, V. M. ]

Dear SiT-YOur letter Of 23d instant
came TO hand this morning.
I am reiOiced to learn that your
people have at last walked up to the
Importance of immigration, and that
they have become so alive to it as to
call meetings to take counsel together.
That's right. 1t is a big subject, too
large for any one man, city or county
to grappIe with single. handed. 1t Ie-
quires concert and Joint cooperation,
jealous action, and such as to con-
vince IOOkers-On that strong hands,
stout hearts and clever heads are at
the work, and that you mean business.
The people Of the South may rely
upon it that there is no recupera-
ton of material prosperity. for
them and theirs in one day and gen
Grafton, short of good strong tide Of
immigration. That will insure it and
nothing else; for nothing that 1 can
see, short Of a liberal introduction of
fresh labor and foreign capital. is going
to give our lands anything like a fair
and marketable value.
As a rule, the property Of the South
is in real estate; and without their
lands what are the people of Tennes-
see worth ? Nay, what is the State,
without a pOcketd6le value to the lands
Of the State, worth 1t is the chief
source Of her revenue; and if she per
mits her lands to go down to half their
value, and to be unsaleable at that,
how can she expect her people to pay
their taxes, or her finaneiers to pre-
serve her credit ?
According to the census of 1860, and
I quote from that because the re-
turns Of'70 have not yet been made
up, according to that census, the
cash value in gold Of the lands, live
stock and farming implements in Ten
nessee, was, in round numbers, two
hundred and eighty millions Of dol
lars. What is their green back value
now, paper down? Three-fOurths? {?
Not much more, 1 fancy-nO, not one
half Of it, 1 fear. Are not lands in
Tennessee almost Unsaleable? Why?
Simply because your own people own
more than they can till, and there are
no newcomers. 1t has been ten years
since stock was last taken among you,
and to be lower in pocket row than
you were then would, according to
my way of thinking, show you to be
in the condition which "Old salts y
describe as I" hard-up and astern of the
lighter"
They say in the North that every
man who comes from abroad and
settles in their section increases its
wealth $1,000. This, independent Of
the ready money he fetches and the
power he adds to the State by increase
of population.
According to this estimate, 10000
able-bOdied emigrants coming from
Europe and establishing themselves
in Tennessee, would Increase the
wealth Of that State, by their presence
and their labor alone, some 10000
900. Such an influx Of wealth and
population would help considerably.
What areyOu disposed now to do to
get it? What agencies are you prepared
TO set to work? What influence to
bring into play during the next year
or two, that at the end Of that time
you may see, not only ten thousand
coming in a single year, but thousand
upon thousand following for years
after and until your State is full.
What are you and your people pre-
pared to do to pat this ball in motion?
That's the question, Your cOnven-
ton may pass resolutions about your
fine climates and rich soils, setting
forth that Tennessee is a gOOdly land,
in need Of capital and labor, and that
if these will come, they will be kindly
received and well treated. Why,
everybody at home knows that. The
emigrant abroad will never have it,
and so you won't get more settlers to
come that way.
But if you viii go to work with a
will, remembering that, " Where
there's a will there's a way" why
the field is before you, the way is
clear, and it's all your own.
While you are preparing for State
aid, and organizing for county CO.
operation, and paving the way for
your new cOmers, advertise your
selves, and state abroad in a way and
in a manner that the emigrating
classes there may, before they "pull
up stakes" know something about
the country. Make immigrants ac-
quainted with its soil and its climates,
It's productions and its resources. Let
them have maps and documents to
make them acquainted with the na-
tural position Of your State, with its
physical geography in all its aspects,
including its social conditions and in
dustriaI resources, and my word for
it you will, ere long, turn to gladness
much present sorrow.
1 could tell you now, if 1 had the
time, and you the patience to hear
it, how that, yOnder in South
America, the people, after hav-
ing spent a genetiOn in ICjShjag
for Immigrants, as the South
has been doing since the war; and
with just the same degree of success,
have at last, they and their Govern
ment, determined to act. They char
tered ships in Europe, paid the pas
sage Of immigrants, and when they
arrived gave them lands. In a short
time the stream was flowing; the eX-
pense was over; the thing vas estab-
lished, self-sUpporting and immense
ly profitable. The other day, when
the FrancO-Prussian war broke out, a
feet of ships-One a day, think, the
year rOund-was plying between
Europe and BuenOs Ayres, loaded
with immigrants, silk and merchan-
disc one way, and freighted with pro-
duce the other.
The latitude of the LaPlatte country
in the South, corresponds to that Of
Tennessee in the North; its distance
from Europe twice as great, the
drawbacks greater, and yet the people
there have in the course of a few
years turned a stream which is pouring
into their borders annually, forty or
fifty thousand new cOmers, with their
capital, their skill and their labor, and
built up a fiOurishing direct trade,
boon the South has been coveting in
vain, ever since 1 can remem-
Der. Suffice it to say with regard to
this South American direct trade and
all subsidies have ceased
long ago. The states have grown
rich and powerful, and the people
while the government has
gained standing, and is in high credit
in all the stock exchanges in Europe.
Tell me how much cloth you have
and I'll tell you how to cut your suit. In
other words: fl knew how far your
State and your people are disposed TO
90 into this matter, 1 might be able !
TO be Of service in the way Of sugges- /
lions as to the best plan for getting |
the immigrants and building up direct !
trade.
have promised to prepare an ar |
ticle for that excellent agricultural pa |
per Of yours, the "Prdet6cGL Southern |
Planter" F." and as soon as 1 am at lei |
sure, 1 propose to send Captain |
Gift letter addressed to the farmers !
Of Tennessee upon the subject of i'm
Perhaps he win do me |
the favor to find space for it In his val |