The Van Buren press., 1876-09-26
What We Want.

What we need, now. more than any other
one thing. to build up our town, and impart
to it that vigor and lite for which 1t was so
remarkable before the war is emigration. 1t
is the means, and the ONLY means, which will
be beneficial TO us In this matter. There are
many reasons why 1t Is needful but we only
Will notice few, In the first place, let Us
see from what section of the country they
had best come. From the north, we say and
some one may ask why. We reply, because
men from the colder climates-and we mean
no dlsrespect to our own people. but simply
state a truth that all must admit-are. gener-
ally, more energetic than those of hot ones
right here we are met by the objection and a
sensible one, too: do not persons coming
from the North eventually lose some of their
energy, under the enervating influence OF the
climate?" We are willing to admit that they
DO, but that, as the process Is progressional
and not immediate, so, therefore, this eX-
hausting influence of the climate must be
| gradual in its effects; and that in the inter
val vast amount of good would be done. in
the heimprovemento ofour country by the energy
of such emigrants, prior to the necessary eli :
mate exhaustion of that ennobling quality.
Again, men of colder, and consequently.
much less productive, climates than our own
are more economical in both living and labor
from pure necessity, than we OF our beauti-
tul. fruitful, sunny Southern home. They
waste nothing, but everything is put to a
beneficial use. Farmers-and we wish to ex-
plain what we mean by economy in labor
in the thickly settled countries of the north
own only small quantities of land, but they
give it such attention. and aid the soil by n
process of such beneficial cultivation that the
few acres that they possess become a produc-
tive Eden. Large farms, however, have al
ways been the rule among the most of our
southern farmers; men have an ambition
to cultivate as much land, now, when labor is
unsubstantial and hard to govern, as when. in
slavery days, they had it completely under
their control. The result of all this, in the
one instance, Is, that there is considerable
quantity of land uncultivated; and that in
the other granting all the land toas cutiva-
ted, the crops produced. from lack of atten-
ton, are so small as hardly to be Il rcmunera-
ton for the labor expended
Now. we claim that chat ge, in this mat
ter is a something actually necessary to
the progress of our county. Large farms,
poorly cultivated, must give place to small
ones scientifically cultivated. But some one
will say" We are not used to small farms,
and could hardly make living on one" "Ay,
there's the rub" We say, bring northern
men here, men who have been on a small
farm all their lives, and let them show you
what can be done, and you will be astonished
at their success You will wonder that you
have so long wasted your time and labor on
large farms, when, by enconomizing both on
small farms you would have been in a much
better condition, physically anc pecuniarily
Theme up your large farms and prepare to
sell them to parties who desire to settle
among us.
But, during this article we have assumed
that the emigrants are now among us. Bat,
unfortunately, such is not the case. They are
yet to come. and Ms it depends entirely upon
the action of our people AS to whether they
do or not, and as their advent is positively
necessary to the progress Of our county, it
may be proper to see why they do not come
in and - sup with u.s."
First. then, those who own the farms, are
too exorbitant in their prices; and second,
there is too much prejudice against new com
ers, particularly if they arc from the other
side OF Mason and Dixie's line. Now. the
truth Is, that so long as these two objections
stand unremoved, so long will there be n
complete stoppage of the ever welcome music
Of the march of improveman +; the wheels of
the car of progress will be blocked. and re-
progression usurp its place. Should it not,
then be the duty of every citizen to do all in
his power to remove these objections? Is it
not for the interest Of all of us to do all we
can for the accomplishment Of such ha )py
utimatum? Then let our farmers be reason
able in their prices, and the only question
asked of newcomers be: " DO you mean to
live among us?" Deccncy and honesty
should be the password, rather than the place
OF birth. Emigration we want; emigration
WE MUST HAVE; and this being the case, we
must remove every obstacle that will prevent
it. WILL WE Do IT?