The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-02-14
a.orsi. Agricultural Society ooavea-

AUGUSTA, February 13.-The Oonven.
ton was called to order at 10 O'Clock A.
NJ, by President Colquitt., ~
3 The President announced as the spe.
cial order an,address on the subject Of
patrons Of ofg!Husbandry, by Col. D.
Wyatt Aiken; sof South Carolina.
Col. Aiken proceeded toithe delivery
OF his address, embodyiDg many practi.
cal truths as to the causes OF the present
prostration Of the agricultural interests
of the Southern States. prominent among
which he conceived to be the fact that
we are segregated people, no commu-
nifty of feeling existing AMONG our farm
ers-eaoh- man being 1o1 himself, and
the --- take the hipdmost, the result of
which had been that Al got behind. Az
remedy for this cause of agricultural
prostration, lie claimed that the exten.
sion Of tho order Of "Patrons OF Hus.
bandry" would have beneficial effect in
all tho Southern States. He stated that
the order originated with clerk in the
Agricultural Department at Washington
Ho had investigated the operations of
the order, and finding it adapted to the
benefit of the South, had taken hold Of
it as General Deputy, and succeeded in
extending it over q large part OF the
State OF South Carolina. He explained
in detail the plan of the order and mode
OF organization of individual, State and
national oranges. The controlling object
Of the order was to develop tho interests
of agriculture throughout our great
oountry-North, South, East and West
One of the chief articles of the faith OF
the order was the abolition Of the word
''crcdit" from the vocabulary of the
planter; tho members bought for cush
| nnd sold for cash, the only true system
| upon which the farmer could proceed in
promoting his individual financial ad-
vantage and the general agricultural pro-
| fit of the country. The order was also
of highly Interesting socinl character
ladies being entitled to membership.
BY request Of the Chairman OF the
Committee on Direct Trade and Immi-
| grafton, two additional members OF snid
Committee were appointed, to wit: ".
NJ. Lawton, Of South Carolina, und John
Nisbet, of Savannah.
The President introduced Prof. II. c..
White, of the University of Georgia,
who read an exceedingly interesting pa.
per on agricultural chemistry.
Hon. j. W. Clapp, of Memphis, from
the Com mittce on Direct Trade aud In
migration, submitted the following ro-
port:
The committee to whom was referred
the subject of direct trade and immigra-
tion, respectfully report, as to the form
er question: That they have bestowed
upon the matter referred to them, in the
limited time allowed, all the attention
which its paramount Importance de-
serves. They do not regard it as pro-
per TO attempt anything more than to
rofer, in general terms:
l. TO the Importance of establishing
direct steamship p communication between
the ports of the Southern States aud
Europe.
q 70 the means by which this is to
be accomplished.
The value and necessity Of such COM
mercial Intercourse are too obvious to
require argument. No producing ooun-
try can prosper without market for its
products. and the expense of finding this
market is. tax which falls as dead
loss upon the producer. The agricul-
tural products of tho Southern States
exceed in variety and value those OF any
| other portion of the globe. OF the great
staples cotton, rice, tobacco and sugar,
they have. as regards the States of this
Union, absolute monopoly, aud these
staples control, to large extent, the
| commerce Of the world. Iu the year
1860, the value Of Northern productions
exported is estimated at Sl64 900, 600,
and OF Southern at S208. 900. In
stend, however, of shipping these vast
resources from Southern ports. and i'm
porting in exchange such supplies from
abroad as our people required, our ex-
ports and imports have both been almost
entirely conducted through the agency of
Eastern cities and seaports, and ont of
the S2OS, 100000 of Southern exports
for 1860. our return imports were only
somo $i0,00000O, whilst those of the
North wele valued at 1920, ZOO, 900; and
upon her imports alone it is estimated
that the South has paid annually over
Sll 900. 900 for tho services of enid
die men," It may be further remarked,
that the exchange between the North
and the South has heretofore fallen but
little, if any, short of 1926. 900. 600 an-
nually, and that the carrying trade OF
tho South, before the decndence of
Northern shipping. has been worth to
tho North. annually, some $75, 600. .000
This brief statistical summary will DO
sufficient to indicate not only the abso.
lutte necessity Of direct communication
by tho Southern States with the ultimate
market for their products, but also their
capacity to sustain such n trade Our