American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-17
Immigration.

This word Is III almost every
mans mouth, as cOnsummation
devOutly to be wished, and yet we
see no immigrants of that class of
population which build up and
continues the prosperity of Il com
try. The South, it is confessed as
to soil and climate, possesses advan-
tages over any agricultural region
in the Union, in that she can raise
all things necessary to the feeding
of man and beast with as much IA
cility as any other section, and can
raise cotton and sugar besides, which
are the luXrrieS, SO to speak, of civ
ilized man; and it is a well known
fact, that luXuries are the cOmmodi-
ties on which profits are made. Why
then is it that we do not have immi-
grafton ? Immigrants, not of adj
ventIrers, not of men who come to
do light work, and sit in the shade,
but immigration of fathers and mo-
Tiers and children, who come to
build up and establish homes and
firesides, to make productive our
soil by their skilled methods of ag-
riculture, to beautify and aGOrn
their homesteads, to advance purity
of morals, honesty of officials, and
healthy Republican Government
OF mere high order Of intelli Gence
among planting gentlemen we have
a suificiency, as we have a low class
of good laborers, deficient as yet i'm
moral training the last and in even
the rudiments of education. But
what we want among white people
is the class of which the next gener-
alton of white farmers will &c neccs-
state rel be composed, men cOmbin-
ingphys steal andintellectuals strength
and capacities for intelligent w.rk
in both those realms of labor.
The next generation will be long.
as we reckon time in this fast grow
ing age, in maturing, and COMPARE
lively few in numbers. What then
are we to do! All agree that we
must attract the stream that is flow
ing with sensible heads, warm hearts
and hard hands into the West. We
solemnly believe that Il change,
a universal change i'll two ways
only by the landed community
and agricultural labOrers will Sc
cure this result. But two things we
confidently assert need be done, and
those with no trouble, in order to
accomplish this much to be desired
result. The first thing is to make
all the corn, hay and other food for
man and beast that the character of
each farmers soil permits, sufficient
for each farmers wants. This at
once cuts down the price of grain
and food exclusively raised by the
West, and renders farming unremu-
nerative there.
The next thing is for each man
who owns a tract Of land to put one
third of it, in suitable tracts, from
forty to one hundred and sixty
acres, into the market at one dollar
and quarter per acre, on three
years time. This plan, we believe,
if followed Systematically for ten
years, will double the population of
Mississippi, or of any good county
in the State, and the population that
comes will be of the permanent
home building and home beautify-
ing class. Never was there a better
chance for country to be made IA
pidly to advance in prosperity, than
ours now has, if this plan be stead
| ily followed. The land that will re-
main after ten years of this course
of action, will be worth five times
what the best of it is to-day, and a
population will be here, and a sys-
TEN of farming that cannot be taken
away, which will be permanent,
ever increasing, and lasting source
of wealth. In this way and this
alone can landbOlders in the South
compete with that class in the West.
We in the South must adopt the
same methods and eXpedients, for
advancing the civilization and pros
perity of our country that other PEG
pie do-and the plan we have laid
down is more feasible than any other
SO we honestly think. There Is Ia
Dor, trouble, and some temporary
pecuniary loss on the value OF the
land at first sold, but these aIe but
g bread cast upon the waters to re-
! tuln fOur-fOld after MANY days.