Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-06
IMMIGRATION.
Letter from Commodore Maury-Im.
POrtance of Cooperation.


From the Nashville Enterprise.
The following letter from the learned
Com. Maury indicates the writer's high ap-
probation of the Importance of immigra-
ton to the South.
His suggestions are worthy the most care
ful peTusal, and especially those bearing
upon cooperation. We cannot expect the
several Southern States to combine unless
the people of each State first combine Co
operation means LdbOring together con-
centration Of effort, not of words alone.
but of real work. Cooperation for immi-
grafton in Tennessee means every citizen
uniting in favor of the move and using
those means which wisdom and experience
have proved best. Let each man ask him
self what he has done, and ask his neighbor
too, and then let him compare his answer
with the actual needs of his State. and thus
he may determine how true a citizen he
has been. In our sister State of Virginia
the people seem thoroughly reused and are
putting forth extraordinary exertion, and
the Old Dominion promises soon to be as
wealthy as before the war.
Georgia, too, is making grand strides
despite every obstacle.
Must Tennessee remain behind Z?
Let the words of the most practical phil
osopher of the day, one whose devotion to
the South cannot be doubted, be received
with the attention they deserve:
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, LEX
INGToN, VA, 19th December, 1S71.-R.
C.. Stone, Esq, Corresponding Secretary
Tennessee Immigration, Land and Real
Estate Association, Nashville, Tenn.-Mq
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 9th inst, with
regard to immigration, has been received.
Some OF the good people Of Tennessee
are, believe, doubtful whether it is to be
desired for their State, but | think thsy
would come to a very decided opinion upon
the subject if they would consider these
facts, and then follow them up to legitimate
conclusions, viz:
By the census of 1870 the population be-
tween the two sections, free and slave, was.
in round numbers, four millions. By the
census Of 1870, the total population now is
thirty-nine millions, of which less than
100000 are in the former slave States,
and more than 24,000. 600 in the free. Now,
where did this difference of 100000 Of
inhabitants come from? It did not come
from any difference between the sections in
the state Of natural increase, for statistics
clearly show that the South is quite equal
to the North. 1t comes from immigra-
tiOn, and shows that, of the immigrants
who came into this country between 17g0
and 1870, more settled in the North than in
the South. Counting those who came into
the country during this interval and their
descendants, the census shows that last year
there were 100000 more of them at the
North than at the South.
Now, suppose that some sudden calamity
like that which befelf Chicago and certain
parts of Wisconsin last fall-had come upon
these 100000, destroying them and all
their possessions at a blow; call to mind
those autumnal losses and sufferiugs in that
city and State, and then find if you can,
with figures or words, expression for the
loss that the North would suffer in such a
case.
The rate of natural increase in this coun-
try from decade to decade, as shown by sta
tistics, is 1873 per cent. and but for immi-
grafton the Norfolk VirgiRidp shows that
the present white population Of the entire
country would have been but 10.00O,0OO, 1
instead of 35,000,00 Make the cOmputa-
ton yourself. The white population in
1890 was 1921, ,230.
From what l have seen and heard
in Europe, and from what | know Of the
people there, feel persuaded that the at
tempts to introduce immigrants into the |
South are not to be crowned with satisfac- |
tory success, until the prejudices against us |
that have been excited there by Northern |
writers and influences, are removed, and that |
this cannot be done by anything short of |
combined action by the Southern States |
themselves.
In removing these prejudises, they should |