The Van Buren press., 1877-11-20
The Right Thing To Do.

] 0l the counties OF lhal oatc, we nuu
the following scnteRce-;
We have learned that cotton is not
/ king but meat and bread, and that AS a
| clireiying and selisustaininE people,
we must manufacture, and not depend
upon the North; where we have purcha-
sed all we consumed, even the sunshine,
If 1t was not gratuItously furnished
True as the gospel. Before the war
Northern manufacturers rcveled in the
wealth that, year after year, drttcd to
their Golfers from the luXurant South.
Cotton, then, was king, and both sec
lions Of the country acknowledged the
power Of the golden monarch. The war
dethroned the staple and now, both
North and South, it has lost its imperial
potency. The uncertain and floating
nature Of farm labor, and the inability
of the planter to control and regulate it,
have made II necessary to cultivate the
crops that do not require such contnu
GUS and protracted labor. Again, the
presence Of an oycrplus Of cotton goods
on the great markets, added to the ex
treme financial depression which, like n
pestilence, has overspread all sections of.
the country, has reduced the price of the
fabric to such low figures thot it does
not remunerate, even to a small degree,
the planter for the time and labor neces
sary to IT'S cultivation. Thus, it can be
seen, that the medium through which, in
the past, the wealth of the country has
been poured upon us, has lost its ctiica
cy. The huge fields, that scores of
years ago, CLEANED with the red and
white and green OF the cotton plant,
now are covered with the substantial
cereals. Cotton has lost his prestige,
and something else must step in, to fill
the fearful vacuum in our monetary in
terests What shall it be2
We must manufacture, and not de
pend on the North, where we have pur
chased all we have consumed" in the
words of Gov. Vance, is our answer 10
the question. Nothing, since the war,
has contributed SO largely to the pros
perity OF those portions of the South.
in which the experiment has been tried,
as the establishment of manufactures.
The success which has invariably atten-
ded all efforts in this direction, proves
that the South can, if she WILL, do all
her own manufacturing, and no longer
"depeni on the North" That is Just
what we "m,t do TOO long has the
South poured her treasure into the laps
Of New England men, who only return
to her the basest treatment, and do all
they can to crush out every vcstige of
her liberties. Is it not time that We
stopped feeding cur that ungratctulIy
bites us when his cravings are gratifed
Do we perform n sensible act, when we
help, by our patronage these northern
manufacturers who always have been,
ana u,,4 " al uc, our enemies. we re-
peat, is it not time there was change
How much longer are we to rcplenish
the pockets Of these bloated and lanat
cal factory men, who are nothing but
the most tyranncaI despots ?
Let the people of the again powerful
South answer these questions by cstab
lshing all over their domain, factories,
and thereby keep at home that element
of our industries that has so long and
so largely enriched class of people
who have very few kind words for our
section.
The beautiful flower that when wind
and rain fall heavily upon it, bows down
to earth, will, when the cleaning sun
shine kisses it, anew lit up its bended
head, and load the air more heavy with
its fragrant breath, more beautiful than
ever. For years adversity's storms and
dreary clouds have beat upon and over
spread with gloom our beautiful adopted
home. 1t bowed its head. The
storms are over, the holy glow of peace
has lifted up the bowed head, and the
southern rose is the taircst in the great
garden of the States. Shall we keep it
in this place by living entirely within
ourselves, and no longer " DEPEND upon
the North, where we have purchased al
we consumed, even the sunshine, if il
was not gratuitously offeredY"