Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-04-12
Hon. James D. Porter, Governor OfTennessee,


SIR-It requires such peculiar taste to pur-
sue .he dry questions OF political economy
the "dismal science" as it has been called
that in presenting the present essay to the
public, though dignifitd by the address to
yourself must confess expect but few read
eTs and little attention. The faculties natur-
ally become fatigued in this as in algebra,
whom only the abstract relations of quantities
and not the actual living numbers themselves
are presented to he mind.
But think have observed that, while i'm
patient OF processes, the people are keenly
alive 70 the actual merits of results; they
have, IL would seem, an instructive recogni-
tiOn Of the truth or falstty of any proposition
without the least regard 10 the logic by which
tt was deduced.
Hence it is with profound belief that the
popular Judgment Will be q correct and fair
test Of their merits, that / venture to offer a
few suggestions upon so dull subject as our
state finances.
affairs, his heGlth and strength are evidently
OF the first i'm pOrtance, for upon these depend
the success OF his energy and brains.
Before we can pretend to discuss the queS-
ton OF finance, tn srefore, we must briefly eZ'
anime the physical geography and resources
OF our State,
The STATE
AS it lies before us on the map, it is an OBJ
| long shaped figure, some one hundred and
nine miles long and four hundred and thirty
! two broad. In geography these terms are used
| longitude.apd hence we see our state is much
| broader tnan 1t is long. This is matter OF
much importance, TO commence with. For 1t
| is plain, as a mere question OF distances, that
| the consumer in any section of the State will
prefer to buy and sell with the nearest mar
| ksts-and the shortest routes to these will in
| this case lead him out of the State.
Again, the fruits Of the soil are distributed
| In belts of lRtttude-snd hence the staple pro-
| ductions OF very broad state will probably
! be too few to give IL that variety of products
which is the greatest cause Of Internal trade.
| The farmer in the east cannot exchange his
| cotton with the farmer in the west on the
mn q q Ngffar
cotton, and the exchange would be prOntab,e
TO neither. For an exchange is the giving OF
something we have for something we have
not. 1t is this which makes the currents Of
trade run north and south, or across parallels
! OF latitude; and, other things being equal, the
| greater the difference OF latitude between
| two places, the greater will be the value each
| will place upon the products OF the other.
! As we see that here We give high price Tor
| coffee and sugar, while In Brazil they give a
high price for wheat or flour. In our case the
| rule does not operate absolutely, because we
are situated, as IL were, on the side OF great
broken slope or incline, running down from
| the top OF the Appalschians TO the Mississippi
| river, and the change OF temperature which
| attends this difference OF elevation virtually
operates as a change of latitude. In this zone
! the average temperature changes one degree
| for every two hundred aud fitsy-thrle feet for
! the first thousand yards OF ascent; or, as Hum
| bOidt calculates IL, three hundred and thirty
| teet equal TO one degree Of latitude.
Thus, on the highest ridges of our eastern
! mountains the yearly temperature Is about
| forty degrees or that Of st. Johns, New Bruins
| wick, while IN Memphis II is sixty degrees, or
! about that of the Mediterranean coast OF Afri-
| ca. From this we learn that as the distrtbu-
ton OF plants along parallels OF latitude Is due
| entirely TO a general equality of heat so IL is
necessary TO use another term to Indicate those
variations OF latitude and temperature pro-
duced by seas, winds or mountain ranges,
| THIS term is isOthermsl, and its lines are those
| passing through parts OF the earths surface
| wnen the mean temperature is the same
| These lines are not parallels, but are even re-
mRrkabie for their eccentric curyatures,
| sometimes running nearly north and south
/ across many degrees OF latitude.
IsoTHERMAL.
From an inspection OF maps constructed on
! this principle, II will be seen that Tennessee
/ lies mostly within the zone between the fifty
| second degree and sixueth degree OF mean
he lire OF the July isothermaI Of seventy
seven degrees also enters Tennessee about
! eighty-siX degrees thirty minutes OF west
/ Longitude, and leaves IL ABOVE Memphis some
The January isothermal OF fOrty-one de.
grees approaches this near Nashville, their
! point OF nearest approach being thus near the
center Of the state.
The fIst of these is the boundary OF the
zone called "the historical, from It's remark
able fertility and resources, as well It's pro-
| found fnf1ence on the course of human
affairs" The second sis the axis OF zone
! few degrees wide, upon which, in Europe and
Asia, ali great meE have appeared. draper.
! Nowhere IN America do these lines approach h
save in this stRJe, and from their point OF
| proximity here they rapidly ana constantly
diverge.
| TEus. then, although the geographical con-
formation OF Tennessee denies her the pros
| pect Of ever being knit closely together by
the lies OF an internal trade, yet unless ali the
| laws regulating national progress are
! changed she has the probability Of remark
I able development, both from her productions
| and her ciuZsnS.
| For at this day no well Informed person
] doubts that man is simply the zOOlOgical-as
any plant is the bOtauical-result Of climate
| and abode. "Such physical agents, continuing
| their unceasing operation ior many centu-
| ries, bring The system OF mau into what may
| be termed q harmony with themselves D
| Draper.
! Asain man can not create force-he can
| only direct that furnished by nature. rome
| times singly, as in the falling stream-sOme-
! times by ombinatiOu, as the IRE and water OF
] the steam-cnEine. The force OF gravity brings
| down the hoe upon the soil-unceT the direc-
/ tiOn OF human muscle-and the secret forces
/ lurking there produce first the blade and then
/ the full corn In the ear. Human success
] therefore, In any undertaking Is measured by
| the amount OF natural force brOagbt into ac-
] tual operation through his agency. Hence the
1 importance OF finding these ready to hand IN
] the toll Of Lie. In some things this is appar.
| ent 70 the slowest intellect. As in the case OF
/ minerals. Industry and skill may by long ef-
! forts remedy the sterllity OF the sOll-but only
] the absolute gifts Of nature can enrich the
/ depths OF the rock.
Ihus, in examining one subject, after look.
/ ing at It's size and shape, marked as IL Is by
/ the Irregular curves OF the isOtheTmRl lines
! There II another oivision-Oelow the surface
| this time, no less valuable and important
| This Is the mineral deposit; the coal, iron and