Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-28


tended to the governments abroad to
send committees to the Exposition with
exhibits of their industries and inven,
tions. To these most favorable responses
have been received from most OF them.
From every section and countT5 most
favorable news comes as to the favor
met with by these promises held out In
this great national fair; for its intention
is nothing short of this. The South is
most peculiarly interested in this There
is nothing in which the South is so much
interested just now as an improvement
in the manner of her agricultural inter
ests. In this regard she is passing
through crisis, which may be made the
commencement of new era of national
prosperity in which she is to play the
most important part All the elements
are within her to effect this if intelli-
gently directed.
First, she must cease to pursue the
system of her former career, when she
directed arbitrarily her labor and means,
and learn to utilize more economically
the means within her power. repeat,
she must forget the plantation and hus-
band the farm. In the management of
her agricultural interests, it must be ad-
mltted that she is woefully deficient in
comparison with every other section of
the country; her labor is not as produc-
tive, her economy is wasteful in this
production, and her system is exhaust
ing her soil to its ultimate destruction.
A thousand economies are neglected
and thousands of her resources unavail-
able, because of the want of radical
change in her system. She is pur-
suing one great interest to the
neglect of all others, forgetting the great
truth that all who cultivate the earth
must from this source supply all their
wants in the most economical manner to
be prosperous and grow rich. Out of the
belabored earth comes all animal sup
port and all human wealth. To make
the most possible out of this pursuit the
earth must be carefully husbanded, and
so cultivated as in the richness of its
yield, its capacity for this must be in
creased, not diminished. He must paw
back with interest to this only great
source of wealth-all she lends-that she
may be able to return to us in greater
abundance her rich rewards. To accom-
plish this the earth must not be taxed in
continual succession with one great sta
pie crop. There is only certain amount
of food for a particular plant in
any soil. A succession of the same crop
soon exhausts this if it be not annually
returned. Nature teaches that the COM
ponents of one plant is the food of an
other Vast varieties of trees and plants
are found in all primitive forests, and
we see that the offal of one is the food of
another, and that each grow and flourish
in iuxtaposition throughout all forests
of every country. This is a lesson taught
by nature, and mans wisdom should be
taught by it everywhere The earth it.
self affords this means of renovating its
exhausted energies. An alienation of
crops affords these means. If, in some
shape, these are returned to the soil, it
may not only be kept fruitful, but render
ed annually more and more so. The ex-
perience of the world attests the fact that
all countries devoted to the production of
one great staple soon becomes barren and
waste. This is our experience in the
older cotton States. Their production
per acre is not now one.half what it was
when these acres were reclaimed from
the forest, Notwithstanding they have
been alternated in some slight degree in
their crops; but this alienation was at
long intervals, and afforded but slight
relief to the exhaustion effected by
long succession of the same crop. This
alienation must be annual to be effec-
tive, and the succession of crops be the
proper one to effect the desired ends. The
same is true of the occupation of every
country. They must be divided and va
rant to produce the happiest effect in
advancing the public interest and great.
est prosperity of every country. The
road to wealth in every country is the
production of all the necessities of that
country within itself, and this must be
effected by that division of labor neces-
sary to that end. The production of the
soil must furnish the means to sustain
every industry. The mechanic, the manu-
facturer and the artisan are all a neces-
sity to him who cultivates the earth, as
he is to them. Their interests and de.
tendencies are mutual, and the product of
their joint labors the wealth of the coun-
try.
What the South needs is this division
of labor, and the keeping within her own
borders the capital thus accumulated.
She must do her own manufacturing in
every branch of that industry. She must
make her own agricultural implements,
her own means of transportation, varying
her agricultural pursuits to supply all the
wants of those engaged in these voca-
tions Every consumer must in some
form become producer, and all in their
spheres dependent upon the labor and
production of the others. Has nature
adapted the South to the accomplish
ment of this in its completest form?
I think it is demonstrable that
she has. Her climate and soil
are congenial to the production, not
only of all the necessaries of life, but to
the great staples demanded by the wants
of the world. Her mountains are filed
with all the minerals of utility, from
iron in profusion to silver and gold.
Her never failing streams afford power
enough to drive the machinery of the
world-all inviting the enterprise and
of man to develop them to the
uses of civilized life. Her woods are
full of the finest timber for every pur-
pose. Her great pine forests are fur.
nishing to the world half its building
material; her hard woods for cabinet
work of the most delicate and polished
finish. Here nature, in her fields, for
ests, rivers and rills, rejoices throughout
the year-and here there is no
climatic barriers to mans labor
throughout the laboring days of the 365
of the entire year.
The division of labor stimulates in
dustry. The necessity for providing for
ones own wants prompts the supplying
of the wants of another. Thus, as mu-
tual dependence makes homogeneous
whole people with limited interest, we
become united people, and united
people are always a prosperous people.
Rivalry and emulation stimulates to
energy and excellence in every pursuit
To promote this, each should see and
know all that ingenuity and talent have
effected in every pursuit of the whole
land. To afford this opportunity to all,
North, East, South and West of the en-
tire country, is the great object Of this
Cotton Exposition, and it
reaches out to all and every one the right
hand of a cordial welcome, and invites
them to participate in this great effort
for the benefit Of all.
W II EpAnuc