Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-06
coLoNIzINe GEORGIA.
some Fact. Abou, the scheme.

SAVANNAH, GA, December A. Editor
Morning Mems: Gentlemen friendly to our
eolonizing project suggested that the
writer put on paper his Views regarding the
initial step essential to fits prosecution, and
send it to the NEWS. AS you, sir, have, on
several previous occasions, opened the
columns OF the News to communications
OF mine touching some of its more general
conditions, and hoping equal good fortune
for this paper, venture to send it to you.
To one looking at f. for the first time this
Southern colouiZ alton business seems to be
the simplest and easiest thing in the world
to accomplish. For instance, the NEWS
Of recent date in effect said: "The South
is prepared to offer proper encouragement
to manufacturers to bring their capital
and skill to our cotton fields;" and 10 still
more recent issue one of the Oldest and most
experienced Of the Fall River manufacturers
tell us In so many words, elf you want men
here to run your factories, send TO New
England for them and they will come"
There they are, the two parties primarily
concerned-the Southern cotton fields on
the one hand and the New England opera
tive on the other, looking wistfully enough
at each other, and that has been their posi-
ton any time during the last ten years. Yet
Notwithstanding this evident hankering after
each other, still the moment you attempt to
bring them together for friendly introduc-
ton they become wilfully suspicious of each
other, and each makes special effort to raise
all manner Of objections to that coming
together. 1t matters not that In the opinion
of practical people those obstacles are pure
illusions OF the principal parties themselves.
They are, perhaps, for that very reason, all
the mere potent for mischief. 1t is proven
bially difficult to deal with shadow.
Now, sir, under these circumstances
would it not be a good plan for any South
ern locality requiring Northern capital or
labor, to establish there place where each
and every person applying for them would
be sure to obtain full, correct, detailed and
accurate information of all the resources of
the given locality-a sort of Colonization
Exchange. For instance, does the particu
lar portion of the State of Georgia for
which the Savannah forms the Atlantic out
let, need the labor or capital of New Eng
landers, would 1t not be well for it to estsb-
fish such place for information of this
particular region, as just indicated, at
Boston.
But of course such an Exchange should
be something more than a mere desk room
IN q commission house. There would be
no objection to commission business being
connected with IT, only the commission
should be in the interest of the Exchange
and not the reverse of this. While the Ex-
change should be a strictly private concern
in the sense of being altogether independent
of any city, county or State aid, yet sufii-
cient number OF the prominent men OF the
particular section Of country which it was
designed to represent should be SO connect
ed with 1t as to give 1t a quasi pub
lie character, and in a way be respon-
, sible for its dealings with the general pub
lie; and all its business intercourse, with
inquirers of the humblest class even,
should be conducted by thorough gentle
men. More than one well planned coloniz-
ing project has been ruined solely by the
bad manners of the coarse bores that were
| trusted with its details. With such centre
Of information, In the midst of capital and
| labor, seeking new fields of enterprise, the
locality offering the best security to the
| one, and the fairest inducements to the
| other, would have its first choice of the
market. Such concern would mark the
| difference between a genuine colonizIng
| movement and mere private speculation.
| The first requisite to the establishment of
| such concern is not money, but the COM
| ing together of sufficient number OF re-
| sponsible persons to assure the trustworthi-
ness of the information it would be expected
to disseminate. This, Of course, is an affair
which takes time
Meantime there seems TO be room for
| little experimental coloniZing in another
| direction. AS in other centres of population
In the South Atlantic and Gulf States, there
| is good deal of able bodied labor wander
| ing aimlessly about the streets of Savannah
| just now. Probably It would be glad enough
| for q chance to work, but there seems to be
nothing for 1t to do in the city, and it is
| either too poor or too shiftless to make its
| way into the country, where it would IN
| dOubtedly find a cOngenial field of useful
ness. To be sure, this class has not much
means to help itself in this respect, but
could beginning be made, and the effort
| put in such form as to attract the favorable
attention of the North, it is reasonable to
| conclude that it would contribute something
towards placing this element of the South
ern populace in more desirable position
physically, morally and economically than
it at present occupies. Anyhow 1t seems
worth an effort. Therefore, cir, in the next of
the meetings held under the auspices.of the
State of Georgia Colonizing Association it
| is proposed TO discuss this subject.
As the matter stands now, estate of Geor-
gia Colonizing Association" may seem rather
rough on the Estate Of Georgia." but l
think, sir. we are not taking her name In
vain, for really have no sort of doubt Of
our ultimate success and the very gener-
GUS patronage which you, sir, have extend
ed to our effort makes me far more anxious
to succeed than | otherwise would be.
l am, sir, thankfully, your obliged SER
want, w. Fl. CANNON.