American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-14
err MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
Governor Ames, in his Inaugural

0OVOtuOI AACS, III HIS Autus VA"
Address, strongly urged the sub.
ject of manufactures upon the atten-
ton of our people, as a prolific
source of wealth to the State. No
better suggestion could have been
made, and We hope to see it acted
upon. 1t is matter of no little
surprise, that with the example of
Georgia alone before her, Mississip-
III should be so tardy in her efforts
to secure the benefits which such
enterprises promise. While our
people are sleeping over their true
interests, Northern men of means
aud public spirit are pushing their
enterprises into our territory, grasp
ing the treasures that should be
ours, aud making even our great
saple tributary to their emolumrnt.
No important undertaking was ever
talked Ut dreamed into active exist
enee, and unless our people act
promptly in this particular, others
will take the lead and reap the re-
wards of their superior foresight
and energy. Northern capitalists
who have turned their attention to
the manufacture of cotton fabrics
have already matured plans for the
consumption of large quantities of
our staple, which should he thus
used within our own borders. These
shrewd spectators argue that with
the present. railroad connection with
the cotton States, the raw material
will seek out the manufactures.
The St Louis, Evansville and Nash.
vile Air Line railway connects the
South with the West. and the cotton
that Ands its way to their manufac-
tories must not only pay its own
transit, but also the cost Of return
ing when manufactured. Raw MAJ
terial, it is contended. must of ne
cessity pay these expenses, and
sagacious capitalists knowing this,
hesitate not to embark in such en-
terprises
Thus it will be seen that the chief
product of the South is to be divert
ed from its natural channels to build
mp princely fortunes for our distant
friends, simply because they have
more foresight and energy than our
own people. They not only expect
Ms to grow cotton for their benefit
but We must even ship it to their
doors at our own expense, allow
them all the profits accruing to the
manufactures, and then pay trans
portatioD on oil goods shipped back
10 Ms, and manufactured from our
own staple. And this We are not
only now doing, but have been do
ing time ont of mind.
Now, We ask, why should the
South surrender to the Mort b the
immense profits accruing from the
growth and manufacture of our
great staple Z This is question for
Southern capitalists to answer, aud
we commend it to their serious con
sheraton.
An persons who are not wilfully
blind to the interests of the State
mnst zee the advantage of such ell
terprises. The working Of factories
will necessarily require large num-
her Of operatives, each Of whom
will contribute something to the
wealth and prosperity of the com
munities in which they are located.
Wherever they have been establish
cd they have more than realized the
expectations of their projectors, and
with such results before the eyes Of
our people, it is a matter of sur
prise that this great interest has
been so long neglected.
Had not Edward III. forced the
English, by legal enactments, to
turn their attention to manufac-
lures, England would not have been
the prosperous nation she is to-day.
That naughty monarch saw the
great benefits that would naturally
result from manufactures III his
kingdom, and as his subjects were
averse to such enterprises, he issued
. decree that required them, under
penalty, not to wear any WOODEN
goods that were not of English fab
ric. By this law he caused addi
tional supplies of wool to be i'm
ported from Spain, and turned the
active and enterprlsing genius of
his people to those arts which have
raised England to the first rank of
commercial nations.
True, under the laws of our free
institutions, no man can be forced
to embark in any business other
than that Of his own choosing, and !
we mention this circumstance mere
Is to show the result of one mans |
for esight in the matter of national
wealth and prosperity. If our PEG