The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-06
Southern immigration.


this subject. We copy the following in
terestipg and instructive papers:
II we all have common interest in
the rapid improvement Of the South,
surely there are many of the Southern
States which offer great inducements for
immigration. Real estate has decreased
in price. but not in producing value,
fully one-half since the rebellion. 1t
costs, in many localities, almost nothing
to buy it. yet it will raise rs much under
proper tiilage as it ever did. Land is
not as high in Calvert County, Mary
land, as it was in 1790. Within eight
miles of Washington, in that State,
land cln be bought ut twenty dollars
per acre. This does not result from
mal administration nor excessive taxes,
for Maryland is reasonably we'll govern.
ed, in good financial condition, aud
with moderate taxation ns things go
The change Of tho labor system aud de-
struc,ion OF the capital formerly invest
ed i'll slaves accounts for the change IN
part. There has been tendency on
the part Of tho former working class to
leave the country and go to the cities
Washington, Louisville, New Orleans,
Charleston, have all drained off frou
the surrounding country large part of
tho old laborers. The old master class,
unaccustomed to the wages system, and
without capital to employ at rates now
demanded, ere unable to compete with
the Northorn and Western farmers.
They have also more land than they can
manage, and it is burden to pny taxes
on that which produces nothing. The
same remarks will apply to Virginia
Yet the shores of the Chesapeake Bay
and Potomac River were thought by tho
early colonists to be ch oice spots for the
settlement of as fine race of people as
any part of tho world has ever produced
They are mono the less so now, though
circumstances have transferred the
wealth and energy TO other sections
Should new colonies Of intelligent and
self-reliant farmers come into old st.
Mary's or old Wcstmoreland, what is to
prevent their acquiring satisfactory
means and social position? Th would
introduce new life, blood and new
system, which is what the country needs
for its recuperation. Look, also, at the
undeveloped mineral and manufacturing
resources awaiting capital and labor to
unlock them throughout the South,
with that variety OF occupation which
creates home market for all. Virginia,
to every variety of soil. from the light
sands Of the South. east, favorable to
the peach. potato, peanut. melon, and
market stuff, to the rich, alluvial lands
of the river bottoms and mountain
valleys, adapted to the growth OF corn,
wheat, tobacco, apples, grapes, and
other things, adds a delicious and
healthy climate, fine rivers and harbors,
her waters abounding in shell and fin
tish. and mountains filed with iron,
coal, gold, copper, granite, gypsum,
marbles, soap-stone, lime. fire clay,
plumbago and other minerals
The Oarolinas present similar advan-
tages, with longer summers, so that the
staple growth becomes cotton instead Of
wheat and tobacco. But beside this,
they raise tobacco. large quantities OF
wheat, rye. oats. Irish and sweet pota-
toes. wool, rice, fruits, vegetables for
market, fax. grass seeds. beeswax.
honey, wine, hups. hemp. silk and maple
sugar. They make shingles. turpen.
tine and rosin, cut lumber extensively.
and in the Western or mountainous por-
ton are almost as undeveloped as Colo
RADIO. We have not the space to sug-
gest, much less dilate upon, the mineral
wealth OF North Carolina, especially in
gold. copper, iron and coal. In 1852,
the branch mint at Charlotte coined
1896. .734 OF native gold. Dorn's Mine.
in South Carolina. yielded $500, 600
gold iii fifteen months. Gold is also
found in the same belt in Georgia. All
that may be said of North Carolina may
be repeated in regard to Tennessee, ex.
cept the advantages of the Atlantic
coast. while Tennessee, magnificent
State, has other advantages peculiar to
herself. Below these. lie the Gulf
States, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Texas and the orange grow
ing peninsula of Florida. Georgin still
claims her old title rs the Empire State
OF the South, and if she holds it by an
uncertain tenure against the rapid
growth Of the imperial State of Texas,
hos ut least more apparent life and en-
ergy than her sisters, and shows great
recuperatiye power. She affords op-
portunity for immigrants Of every class,
from the poor laborer to the rich capi-
talist, from the miner to the manu-
facturer, the rice or cotton planter to
the wheat and corn farmer. She has
every variety Of soil and climate be-
tween her almost tropical sea- coast and
l,: