New-York tribune., 1874-01-17
THE GREAT SOUTH.
ITS CONDITION AND NEEDS.

on WHICH NORTHERN CAPITAL WILL AID SOUTH
FRN NMANUTACTUREs-TDIE THAT NEw-ENGLAND
WENT SOUTH.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: There are two manners NJ ueatlng Oh
,he present condition of the Southern States One con-
,ss setting forth in glowing eulosy the resources
which there await development asserting that such and
such localities certain to furnish abundant prosper
ty 10 every who settles in them. etc Those who
employ This manner avoid all mention OF dIscrganized
labor system and Of occasional stauation and severe
prvahou.
The Other and think N" honest and elective
manner Is while detailing tAe advantages ana pos
obtes 20 also show plainly the needs But rs soon as
one attempts 20 do thar. gentleman cautions him.
saylns that likely Glnage the south and that he
false Impressions Let Us ooh little into this
matter.
For Instance tel YOU that section of Alabama is
In temporary distress; hat thcsa cOGne, where the
alLcotton theory OF planting has heen adhered 10 the
people have consequent Of Failure OF crops Hnd es
sure In the money market. 90 srle' Whcreupon
gentlelaa living in another section Of The le wrtQ7
that ne fcars such statement are damaging" He docs
nor controyr article of my testimony Dut IN vague
and cener manner thinks q ggcratoi He fears hat
too WIDE range o sympathy may 10 harm rather than
good lie admits what hay" said about the suffering
but s apparently afraid ihat aay advent of capital may
be checked hy plain statement Of facts H Justly at
ttiDutCs many OF re tfNlH2 NhN'N ~ % '"'''
teachings and fahesS promises Oi thr carpet gov
ernmente aud alleges tAat thcre IS 40 ground or the
plea for an Investment capital ia he state i5 sort
Of charity"
Now capital is not lrtely p!unge heldlonS into the
development ~ Alabama other sections OF me SOutn
in anv case number ot NOrnerners who invested
in plantations ana farms 10Th IN Alabama ana else
where last after lost all the money they TNkei,
and are coneeq 1enfly IN no mood 'or h~ter'nG 10
proposI'S. Had they inv .ted moro hhHra.y IN the
establishment OF manufactures OF staples IN the same
States where they failed IN agriculture ney might have
told Cg rent alc at present The whole sp,1t OF The
SOUTH too La under vile change since that time
An infusion Of cartai and new energy would not
only nc icoue in a very different manner hut would
he met wta much more hearty cooperation Than ne
people Of thc section were then "A condition 70 onei
Faclhtics fo4 iran sporauon have been I'M
mcnseiy increased oiace 1866. All -hat men
could 90 uutrg t.e circumstances. he Soiaern people
have dove. TlDec portion. OF .he population VINO ~
the wal. close. h.d yet renqmshei their dreams
OF the continuance Of patriarchal IriStOclacy, now
accept gladly the ofdcr Of things. and consider
trade and mauIia- curing honorable In the COTTON
state Vf ciar. another lt success on the part
Of the Nor;hcIirr woulG De lady welcomed and would
doubles, III, iue of Gotten 'nanuiacnr'. ho m-AF
successful.
The average Northern moneyed man has a host OF
reasous gli,D Ae cons!der, perfectly good. Why ne
should not invest in thr South. OIc J th' least i'm
pOrtant ai most freqnCni o. these Is thai "tc Sonth
ern people W. not help themselves" Look ne viii
say lat the condition of certain places o'-SuppOs' we
say thos, portion, Of Alabama lying the Tennessee
Valley. which. according TO am iltesrnt EAsilSh 0O-
server consist for the mof part of plantations in
state Of .Cm-r:,u, and plIltatOns Of which the
ruin IA ior the present cOmpetc"-"H," the North
ern c.pi,aisJ will say, "the inhabitants ~ that
section, would work hali as hard tho Ne" England
farmer dlos iho, wOIl be- all right and could develop
the south Themselves they ought. without asking us
10 took iuic ga. matter Aud he may add that mas
much a. there aye thousand opportunities for invest
mcnt near home he does intend 10 20 INTO section
where prit',s are uterr deringed, and where people
seem too Idle 10 nelp themselves. Ten tnonsdnd hery
p,rsgrips concerning the bouudIess resources OF tao
state viii no; move HIN.
But hs opinions are somewhat moiincd'and his Oh
tectons are little checked by careful explanation Of
the great difficulties which che Southern people IN var
Gus States have bad ho close Of the
war II ne j. to-. how hard they have Struggled under
the new aId aEtulaOus conditions OF free labor in the
cotton STATE, 20 win from the growth of sin
gle STAPLE and how. when ~ last they have come 10 see
that diversity Of crcDs and division Of plantations into
small .ln., aIe requisites Tor sefsuppol they have
MOI sufficient means in many cases, 10 undertake these
expeiu, iS without :iOr id he viii certainly be
more icn"nt and Isl M his judgments. 1t the Hobhe
gentleman assured thaJ il there is any spare capt
tai IN tue North on in the West to DC used
,acturc there by other methods, it will not be sent
thher until he average capitalist has been dcested Of
the popular impression OF his class that the S0uih Is
able vet toe idle help itself At the ssame time Is 1t
not wise the evils which have heiallch many
people in the states of Alabama. Mississippi, and
louisiana IA uence OF the sddden break mp Of the
old labor IS STEM aud the loss Of capital caused by IN
immediate emancipation
Certain Southern people too apt to premise that
the North understands all about their condition, and
that, understanding everything. 1t SCOTS at their
dhemma Bnt she North does not actually realize il :;
knows comparatively Little about It. distinguished
writer ON tie subject las said tnat the New
England manufactures ana the Old England
farmer would be equally aStonished at the re-
cital Of the conditions of land, capital, and
labor a. thev exist the cotton plantations Of the
Southern States The OF people in this section are
not aware that absolute lack OF ready money with
which to carry planting has compelled the nroduc'
ton Of the syscm" one which, although 1t has
many advantages. also has great drawbacks and has
been characterized "mOre like halfway slavery
than anv relation OF capital aud labor OF
All adyucel type" The fact rnat IL is of the first
steps up and OF tie sye ystem aud that as soon
as the Southern planters Get chance generally 10 i'm
prove their ami diversity their crops this system
will he cfi ccd ~, the planter is pretty well satisfied
with IT IRE -ent although he is sometimes sufferer
byi II lie wishes 10 make any Improvements on the
o. employ any labor other than that directly
engaged raising the crop, the laOorers re-
ouire him 10 Pay ready money for it; ana
this hinGers him from improving as he would be glad
TO- IL short IL is because there is very little money In
circulation in Cotton states that the planters and
farmers there are able 10 do little toward helping
themselves: that they sometimes reduced to gev-
ous straits and tha: emigration from those States Is
assuming large proportions.
The creation Of ecnters for manufacturing in which
the staples should be made up in the south and espe-
.aly IN the Cotton s,aes-where all who have visited