The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-07-19

r comparatively unknown In Amerlc'
1t was not suspected thar there was an.
thing IN the soil and climate CT I'll
Southern States peculiarly adapted
/. the growth of that beautiful staple. III
mass Of the cotton and cotton goods Wa
imported from India. 4 duty of thre
cents pound was laid on India cottO
by the Congress OF the United State:
And it was said by the Representative c
South Carolina, Cotton is in con;en
plation in the South, and if good see
can be Obtained, il may possibly prove
success" Thus less than Il century ago
cotton culture was introduced into on
country, with small hope of its succeed
ing.
The peach, the pear, the apricot, tn
rose and the lily OF the valley, with al
other fruits and flowers as their name
indicate, are natives of the East, per
chance of the Garden of Eden. The
were introduced into Europe by th'
| power Of the Roman government, anC
| from Europe they were brought to Amer
lea, by the Pilgrim Fathers and their de-
scendants.
With the exception of her primeva
forests, there is little of value in Misss
sippi, from the violet which bends upon
the ground to Caucasian man who
stands at the head of creation, which has
not been introduced and acclimatad here.
From the earliest times this process
has continued, transplanting into one
country the arts and products Of another.
Not long ago the manufacture of wooden
goods was unknown IN England. Fland-
ers eXcclled in that art. But purchasing
some of their sheep and bringing over
some of their workman, the islanders
introduced the pursuit into their country.
By series Of protective laws they built
up the industry, until today, the wooden
fabrics of Britain stand pre-eminent
throughout the earth. There was a time
when silk sold in France for twice its
weight in gold But purchasing
some of the mulberry trees and
silk worms from Persia, they planted
them around one of their little hamlets.
Where that hamlet stood is the great
city of Lyon, whose silks are unsurpassed
for beauty and texture and exquisite
finish. People say we cannot introduce
vine culture into Mississippi, because it is
too hot, the soil is unsuited, the grapes
would dry on the vines, and the wine
would be sour. But the vine is native
of Asia. 1t was brought by the Romans
from Palestine and planted on the genial
shore of Italy. Pliny, writing Of its
culture, said it could not be successful
beyond the Alps, because it was too cold,
the soil was unsuited, the grapes would
dry on the vines, and the wine would
BE- bitter. But wine culture has been
introduced into France. And the vine
yards of Champagne, Bergundy and
Bordeaux supply not only Italy and Pal
istine, but the rest Of the civilized world.
In truth, of no product can we say to
what country it is native. America
borrowed her products and arts from Eu-
rope, Europe borrowed from Rome, Rome
from Persia, Persia from Egypt, and
Egypt from whom? We know not. But
doubtless in that unrecorded time, before
the Muse Of History raised her style to
write the lives Of nations and the acts of
men, Egypt learned her knowledge from
some older and wiser nation.
But why be confined to introducing the
arts and products of other countries
The man who brings US a pursuit unknown
to our people does good to the State.
But the originator of an art is benefac-
tor to mankind. The name of him who
first found out that the juice Of the grape
makes wine is lost, but what ii rich lega-
cy has he left to his kind. lie who first
made known that grain can be changed
into bread is forgotten, yet to how many
myriads has he brought happiness and
life I? The man who discovered that an
instrument could turn luxnrience from
the soil-the inventor of the piow-has
faded from the hearts Of men, yet how
much worthier of our gratitude is he than
many lauded conqueror.
Far in the north, at the foot Of the ice
bound mountains, a rivulet begins trickling
towards the south, joined time after time
by another rivulet and river, until it
flows by our western border the broad
Father of Waters, bearing on its great
bosom argosies of freighted wealth. So
from the reed, the rivulet Of invention
begins trickling towards our time, joined
age after age by another and another dis
covery, until it flows by us the broad river
ofscience and the arts, bearing on its bosom
ladings Of prosperity Every day gives
it acquisitions Yesterday We discovered
the power of steam. To-day the iron
horse courses the prairie or the leyiathan
Steamship is ploughipg the sea. fester-
day we grasped the child OF the storm
god, the forked lightning, and taught
him for our messenger. To day surprising
the ideal of Wild VIII Shakespeare, like
another Puck, 'he'll pus girdie round
the earth in thirty minutes" Each
instant you stand on the verge of new
and more astounding inventions and
The earth, the air, the
water, are filled with elemented princi-
ciples ana undiscovered powers. They
you on every 5Ide like the
genii of Eastern story,
waiting but the touch of the magic ring
to call them into bodily form.
You may ask how new industries can
be introduced. | can not 60 into the
minutia of this branch of my subject.
That had better be left to the interest of
jndiyidpals, But viii mention some of
the stumbling blocks which ignorance
has cast in the way OF progress.
1t is often said we need All influx of
ankee VIM to originate these enterprises
and foreign capital to sustain them.
have no slight admiration for the charac-
ter of the Northern people. They are
bold, yet shrewd, quick, but cautious,
eEteEErisinE, intelligent and skillful.
And they have the capital necessary to
originate and sustain these things. But
IN waiting for them, are We not like the
farmer and his sons who waited for their
neighbors 10 help them gather their
grain? The eminous birds of poverty
have built their nests in our field Of
wealth, and they will never betake them to
other homes until we cease waiting for
our neighbors to aid US, and begin the
work for ourselves.