Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-05-02
SATURDAY. MAY ?, 1874.

THE OVERFLOW.-Wc do rot III
this article propose 20 20 into the
details of the overflow in the Mis-
sissippi valley. It's immediate eff
fects are sufficiently obvious. The
suffering is great, the loss of life
not inconsiderable, while the de-
struction of property is incalcula-
bic. All this we can perceive at a
glance, but there are hidden dan
gers lurking in this disaster which
must be guarded against. We earn
cstIy beg the farmers of Madison
County, and Of West Tennessee not
to be turned aside from their wise
purpose to raise more corn than
usual this season, by the accounts
that come TO them of the paralysis
oflabor in the cotton lands of Ark
ansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
We do not say that these accounts
are exaggerations, for we know
that they are not, but it will be I'M
fortunate if they serve TO make our
people depart from the plan of crop
ping heretofore determined upon.
We would not be at all surprised to
hear of corn that has been planted,
being displaced by cotton, or of a
failure To give this crop proper at
tention during the coming summer.
We already catch whispers of this
kind, for each one thinks that he
alone has forecasted the results of
the overflow, and does not talk
openly about it to his neighbor.
That neighbor has the same thought
working about in his noggin, and
SO we go. This state of things pre-
walls in every portion of the South.
In Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and
i'm Tennessee there will be an i'll
creased stimulus given to the pro-
duction of cotton. Within n week
or ten days the plans of half the
planters of West Tennessee may be
changed, or modified to such a de-
gree, that the fall of IA will find
us without bread. OF course we
understand fully that very little OF
money can at this time como TO us
from the world around us except
for cotton. This is about all that
10 is now compelled to buy from us,
but we say now as we ever have,
that We should feed every thing on
the plantation if possible, before
we attempt anything more, and thus
be enabled to hold the product OF
the cotton field as a surplus fund.
Any one who lives along the line of
a railroad running from the Gulf,
or great route like the Central or
the Mobile for instance, is perfect
ly familiar with the fact that the
freight trains on such route, ex-
cept in the season when cotton is
being shipped almost invariably go
up the country empty and so down
full. When we arc not shipping
cotton we arc shipping nothing.
For a few months we load the
trains running North and the rest
of the year the full cars come the
other way loaded with corn, meat,
-four, and all manner of merchan-
disc, coarse and fine. Can any
people play at such game, with
out bringing ultimate: ruin upon
themselves Docs not the simple
statement of this patent fact ex-
plain to a great degree our present
distress? Money pours into the
South in an Amazonian torrent
from November until March, but
through a thousand little leaks and
streamlets it at once begins to flow
back again, and by juno we are
dead broke as usual. Our people
all understand this fact. They had
resolved to change their plan OF
Glrming. More clover and grass is
to be seen in Madison county than
was ever seen before, and we
thought our corn crop would be
immense. We yet hope that this
may be so, and beg our friends in
the country not to count too heavi-
ly on a small cotton crop elsewhere
Texas can raise enough to elothe
the world and the blacks washed out
of the Mississippi bottoms, can cast
ly find localities where their labor
will tell upon the crop of IA. FL
nancially the coming year will be
very much like the last one, and il
we are compelled to buy our food
TO as great an extent as heretofore
it will prove much worse. Do not
neglect your corn for any other
crop this summer. Adhere to your
original intention to plant less cot.
ton and to pay more attention tc
the things that go to sustain human
and animal life. Ordinarily We
do not deem it our duty to advise
the great agricultural class, going a;
we do on the superstition that they
understand their business better
than we do, but we depart from oul
rule in this instance because WI
foresce the temptation to which
they will be subjected by the late
disasters in the country below us.