Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-22
THE CAUSE OF IMMIGRATION.

Our readers are all aware that from the
moment we launched the Knoxville
CHRONICLE, to the preseut time, we have
steadily, persistently and uniformly advo-
Gated the great cause of immigration. We
did so for the overwhelming reason that
there was no other way of redeeming our
section and of making it what it ought to
be. the most desirable portion of the Union.
Nor have we yet grown lukewarm in this
grand undertaking. We stand to-day
where we have always stood, and shall
continue to persevere in this Trustworthy
cause. We are not unaware of the diff
culties in our pathway. There are many
who stoutly maintain, in the very face of
the most stupendous facts, that no good
can come of this movement. Hence they
ridicule the matter, heap opprobrium upon
its advocates and do all they can to fore
stall public sentiment touching it. Some
have gone so far as to charge that the OBJ
iect is to induce population here who
will sustain the Republican cause. We can
not, of course, speak for others, but we
have the right to speak for ourselves, and,
in doing so, would boldly and defiantly as
sert that no such unworthy motives move
us in the course we have chalked out for
ourselves. We spit upon the insinuatiOn,
and denounce it as too contemplate for a
decent man to dignity. So far from this be-
ing the case, our pen has often been used
in inviting emigrants from all parts of the
country. We have invited, and now in
vite, most earnestly and sincerely, the
dwellers of the Southern States. We
want them from South Carolina, Georgia,
North Carolina, &c. 1t makes no differ
encc with us who they are, or where they
are from. Their politics are nothing to us
in this imperishable work of building up
our section. We are, first, for the material
welfare of East Tennessee. That lies near
our heart. We are DESTROYS of seeing our
beautiful vallies adorned by the magical
touch of industry and teeming with the
rich products of the soil. How dare any
of us to lay violent hands upon the fair
heritage we have here in these extensive
wales Where is the sacriligious culprit
who would blast our cheering hopes and
our brightest anticipations, by Juggling the
foul and infamous spirit of partisan poll
tics into such God-like movement as the
one now under consideration Let him
be 0ccursed! He does not deserve to
live !
What we now need is a rapid augmenta-
ton of population in our territory. A
very heavy and alarming per cent. of our
own people are leaving annually. Their
places must be filled, and the lands they
vacate cultivated Aside, however, from
the lands thus vacated, there are thousands
of acres which have never been touched
by the hand of enterprise, Must these
lands lie idle? Ought they not to be taken
in hand and their capacity taxed to the
fullest extent? To-day Tennessee is sink
ing millions of dollars by not having her
vacant lands ''taken up' and thoroughly
cultivated. If her Legislature would ex-
pend the insignificant sum of forty or fifty
thousand dollars per annum for the pur-
pose of enlightening the outside world as
to her unparalleled resources and advan-
tages, any ignoramus mustsee that the in
vestment would return a hundred fold in
"a short time. There is no use in blubber-
ing about tdres" in this matter. 1t is
weak and childish to do so. This is the
way to tighten our taxes. Bring more peo-
pie here, and let them cultivate the -acant
lands alluded to, and the result, in two
years, will astonish the doubtinglrhomases
We have in our OliOst