The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-03-18
Signs of Progress in the South.

Signs OF Progress in the South.
1t is curious to observe how much
more progressive in their ideas are
the people Of the extreme Soutl
than those of Kentucky and Others
of those of the so-called border
States. The most influential and
intelligent classes in the cotton
States seem to have a fair appre
citation of the present situation, and
to manifest a disposition to adapt
themselves to the changed condition
of affairs. But the leaders Of opin,
ion in Kentucky and Tennessee ap,
pear to be utterly unable to compre-
hend the the progress of events, and
cling to the old routine and meth,
ods of the slavery epoch with all the
tenacity and intelligence of petri-
fed oyster grown fast to coral
branch.
In Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Georgia white immigration is en-
couraged, and the people are awak-
ening to the fact that with free labor
the system Of large plantations is
by no means so conducive to gene
raj prosperity as the plan of having
the land divided up into moderate
sized farms, as in Ohio, for instance.
To cultivate large plantations re-
qrlires a great deal of capital, and
this is generally advanced by the
merchants of New Orleans and other
cities, SO that often the crop is mort
gagged to its full value when the
time comes to gather it in. The
consequence is, that q large portion
of the planters are straitened for
money at all times, and the mer-
chants, having their means locked
up by advances to planters, are un-
able to engage in those enterprises
of public character Which have re-
suited in building up the cities Of
the North and West. The planting
interest is weakened by its depen-
dence upon city capital, and the
city capitalists are crippled by being
obliged to carry the planter.
But small farmers do not require
advances on their growing crops,
and would not likely to get them if
they did. Hence they manage their
affairs economically, and when they
put their products on the market,
the money they bring goes into
the pockets of the farmers
Instead Of being seized by the capi-
talists who have provided fertilizers
for the land and provisions and
money for laborers. The result is
that there is more real prosperity
among the small farmers than with
those whomanage large plantations;
and at the present time, when the low
price ofcotton has caused a general fl
nancial depression, the regions which
have a preponderance of small far
mers are the only ones where money
is comparatively plenty. These
facts are beginning to be recognized,
and the system of working farms of
moderate size is gaining favor, as
being certain to add to the wealth
of the agricultural population, and
relieve the strain upon the money
markets of the cities.
Further north the feeling is quite
different. At Nashville, recently,
one Gen. Harding delivered an ad-
dress before the Farmers Club,
which affords an excellent exempli-
fication of the views held by the
fossils of the old slaveholding class
in portions of Tennessee and Ken
lucky. Gen. Harding thought the
land should be divided into a few
great plantations owned by wealthy
men, whom the mass of the people
should serve as hired laboyers. He
preferred negro laborers to whites,
because the negro could be fed cheap
er than the white man, and because
his vote could be more easily con-
trolled. He thought that the more
ignorant the laborer the better it
would be for the superior class !; and
he opposedimmigration for the reason
that it would introduce the small
farm system. These preposterous
ideas were propounded with owl
like gravity, and doubtless correct
ly represent the sentiments of a
wealthy and influential class of land
holders. The antiquated views of
men like Gen. Harding will not, how
ever, be able to stay the progress Of
the revolution in agricultural affairs
which has begun in the Southern
States, though the action Of this
class may result iii keeping the
States which they influence behind
others in the march of improvement.
The small farmers are already a
power in the South, and will exert
an immense influence toward direct
ing its political course hearafter.
That the people of most Of the cot
ton States recognize and cheerfully
accept this new order of things is
creditable to their good sense, and
promises we'll for their future pros
perity.-tN. Z. Sun.
-~-~.. ..As-.~
Paul Noel Messont is the name Of
the daring youth who married Edi-
tina Montressa de Monteza, and he
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