Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-08-28
OUR FUTURE HOPE.

OUR FUTURE HOPE
When we talk about the great natural
resources of Tennessee, we talk about
something which is universally conceded.
In West Tennessee we have cotton planta-
tons, equal to any in the South. In the
same section may be found grass and grain
farms, unsurpassed in point of fertility
anywhere. The same is true of Middle
Tennessee. There are portions of that
section which might be Justly styled the
very garden spot of the South. we have
taken occasion during two years past to
dwell at lengtho on the numerous advan-
tages of, our own beloved East Ten
nessee.j Our coal mines, our immense beds
of the best iron ore, our fertile valleys and
iour forests of fine timber, constitute an in
exhaustable fund of wealth, the extent of
which has never been fully comprehended
by the most sanguine. These things are
not new. -',.,,., sa, .I,.
But the question is, what are all these
advantages worth to us, and how are we to
reap their full benefit? We owe an enor-
nous public debt-our State is in a lam
gushing, half living and half dead condi-
tion-the debt is not being reduced-our
credit is not improving-we are not pay
ing the INTEREST," Ion what we Justly
owe---we have the most miser-
able system of public highways
imaginable we have no system of COM
mon schools worth the name: we are
simply living at poor rate, and our I'M
developed wealth for all practical purposes,
is to Us almost waste. Now, how is it to
be rendered available?
What we want is capital to develop these
resources. How are we to obtain this cap
ital We have not got it among ourselves.
Our people are. too poor to do it, Then,
we must look out for it elsewhere. We
I.rld 6,,a
ton. Let US profit by the example of our
thriving Western sisters. What has been
the source of their immense wealth Why,
II is that their cities have sprang lip
like magic? The secret is emigration. 1t
is from this and this source alone that we
can expect to attain a position consistent
with our opportunity.
What are we doing as aState toinduce en-
igration Simply nothing. 1t is true that
we have Commissioners in each of the
Grand Divisions of the State, but what
has been done to aid them in carrying out
the object of their appointment? Not a
dollar has been appropriated to enable
them to compete with such officers in 9TH
er States They are powerless. All that
has been done has been the result
of private enterprise. The State
the population We want. While 'other
States are advertising their advantages
and straining every nerve to bring popula-
ton and wealth within their borders,
Tennessee remains inactive and dead to
her own interest. a small sum of money
judiciously expended, we are satisfied,
would be capital investment Instead of
legislating and wrangling over few of
fees, if our law makers were to turn their
whole attention to the development of our
natural wealth, and let the offices take
care of themselves, we would in a short
time be on the highway to wealth and
prosperity -
What has,the last two Legislatures of our
State done in this respect? We appeal to
the record for an answer. The first did
nothing except to undo what their
predecessors had done. The last did
nothing. So far as the welfare of the State
is concerned it would have been Z worse
lof IL the Legislature had adjourned sine
ydie the same day it assembled.
II the emigrant is attracted hither by
our rich fields and our inexhaustable min
eral resources, he finds nothing to encour-
age him Not one county in ten has any
system Of public schools, and no man
cares to leave community where such ad-
vantagee may be had, to take UP his resi-
denoe where his children are to grow up
in ignorance. And besides this, when he
comes among us, in some localities at least,
he is locked upon as holding his citizen
ship ina sort of restricted sense, by the
gracious permission of the native popu-
lation. He can so to the West.
and from the day of his arrival in any To-
calhy, he is regarded as having equal priv
ileges TO the fullest extent, with the told
est inhabitant." We are glad TO believe
there has been a vast improvement all
over the State, in this respect, within
few years past, and trust that such "A con-
tracted spirit Will soon become entirely
extinct, when the place of a MANI
former residence will not be a question
that in any way affects his relations to-
wards his neighbor
The people OF Tennessee will soon be
called upon 10 elect Legislature Now is
the time for them 10 take action In this mat
ter. Letthem exact pledges from those who
seek TO represent them, that they will favor
any reasonable scheme to bring population
into the State. W G can do more in this
way 10 solve our financial problem than in
any other way. All theories looking TO
the reduction Of the debt and the reduction
Of tax alton will fail unless we have the
money 10 pay. There Is no way TO get the
money that will not prove burdensome,
except that OF bringing IL here from 9TH
er States and frtm foreign countries. This
IS our only1hope, and until we learn this
and act accordingly, we need not expect
the property we deserve. OF all the ques-
tons Which The people 0. Tennessee should,
30 " confider this IS by far the, most inl-
I rant and We sincelely trust that parti-
q b bliDdpe9s viii not longer hide from
lhem Their Ipai Interest