Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-19
COTTON PLANTERS
Are Not Fools, Even If They Do Not
Choose to Raise Corn or Follow the
Suggestion of Newspapers,
They Are Intelligent, Economical and
Industrious When Floods Like Those
of Last Spring Compel.
To the Editors of the Appeal:

epOnucut New SOuicOSrdle lie CcI fanny
has vigorous pen, and ii he combined with
it heart in love with agriculture, a mind
clear in Its determinations, he could be OF
signal service to the community for which
he has go trifing a regard. l have been
constant reader of the APPEAL since my res
idence in Mississippi, and do not remember
to have seen in your columns any matter
suggesting the criticism Of your correspon-
dent The APPEAL is friendly to the cotton
planter. 1t should be, we are most friendly
to the APPEAL. In the opinion of many OF
US 1t is tie salt of the earth In Memphis
journalism. True, ii has never called the
Southern cotton planter fool, and his
methods of business the ways of laziness and
violence; and for the most excellent reason,
that such denunciatory criticisms are not
true. 1t iE bad enough for New England
senator to dilate on social oppression IN the
South, bulldozing, etc., his means of iniorma-
ton are not the best nor his political
intentions the kindest toward the class
he criticises, but when a whilom
cotton planter, native here, gets at such
tricks-one who should know better, and
should be honest enough to write and speak
ingenuousy of the people among whom he
lives-it always strongly suggests meditated
political apostasy, kind of needed prepa-
ration to gain the sanity company Of South
ern Independents, Southern Greenbackers, ct I'd
oHne genus, who, wanting the manhood to
openly join the Republican party, must
bring an offering of sectional hate to pro-
pitiate it. Your correspondent may not be
of this class, but surely his reference to a
negro looking on ele ction day into the barrel
of pistol in white mans hand is of this
patois. The Southern planter has been the
most abused and the most gratuitously-
advised man in all history. His transition
FROM WEALTH TO POVERTY,
the most sudden and complete. His efforts
to regain a competency, encompassed by
making) beyond the experience OF any
known agriculturist, and his triumph over
them is something phenomenal-a monu-
ment to his energy and M engagement. South
ern improvidence" and Southern lazinessD
are long imputed faults, but surely they
should rise 70 the dignity of virtues when
producing 100000 bales of cotton in one
year, and through series of years steadily
holding the balance of trade in favor of our
own government. 1t is the cherished en-
deavor of many 10 fashion the cotton planter
after The Western farmer, but it can never
succeed. Their avocations are radically
different and no amount of praise of the one
and abuse of the other can bring them to-
gether. Both should exercise econ
omy and business management, and i
take 1t they do, but they farm
from different standpoints, and for different
aims. Place them side by side, and the
planter does not suffer by the comparison
hazard the assertion that the lands of Mis-
sissippi to-day in proportion to their value
are less encountered than the lands Of Ohio,
and that the planters are, class, less bur-
dened with debt than the farmers of the
other, and do not recklessly make the state
ment. The planter borrows of the commits
sion merchant and pays as rule eight per
cent. per annum interest. The Western
farmer borrows of the Eastern capitalist at
The same rate OF interest, though 1 have
known OF instances where they paid higher
rate. Some commission merchants are
avaricious and grasping-there are men in
all vacations who are, but l do not think
the Southern commission merchant promi-
nenty worse than other money-lender. The
borrower is too apt 90 think the lender IN
feeling. All attempts to portray
THE COTTON PLANTER
as habitual lounger at grog shops, a lazy,
trifing, vicious fellow, the natural oppressor
OF the negro, the slave of commission mer-
chants, who, cannibal like, annually devour
him, are not only untrue, but discreditable
nonsense. Western farming is radically diff
1erent from cotton-planting in nature OF
crops, Implements and machinery used
Much improved farm machinery has been
introduced into that portion of the South with
which L am most familiar, some of which |
has proved desirable, and there is a con-
tinued improved method Of cotton culture |
and handling noticeable surely to the most |
unobserving. 1t is disgusting to read the |
incessant twaddle about the treatment of the |
negroes. There is not a la6orer on earth who |
In proportion to his intelligence is SO well |
paid and SO humanely treated as the negro |
in the cotton fields. In fact, during the |
contemplating season he earns as a COM |
lab
accomplished book-keepers He does not |
sit at the planters table, does not wish to sit |
there and ought not to sit there if he wished |
to do SO, and it is to be hoped in behalf of |
civilization he never will ait |
there. Neither the Chinaman nor the negro |
sit at the employers table in Massachusetts, |
or California. Full civil equality are prop
erly his. He also has political equality. |
That's enough, and the final end of it. The
Southern planter is not chargeable with the
improvidence of the negroes. They are
watchful; always have been, aud probably
will be. Their desire of acquisition IL i'm
mense, their power OF retention nothing.
They are the best known laborers for the
and will continue the laborer in
it, especially along the Mississippi river, for
centuries to come. As an evidence of the
thrift and energy of Southern communities,
there are the counties of Bolivar, Washing !
ton, Sharkey and Issaquena in this State.
The unprecedented flood of 1882 had long
surged against our line of levees, but an en-
ergetic, earnest people (though cotton plant
ers) had successfully
WITHOUT SLEEPING, THE WATER
INCH BY INCH
as it rose against US. Worn by weeks of
watching and arduous labor (sueh as West
ern farmer would not know in lifetime) the
evil hour came at o'clock am, February
18th, when in the midst of deafening thun-
der and lurid lightning, servile ministers of
The flood, it overtopped our efforts and the
hour of desolation came. In the short space
Of a few hours there were many crevasses in
he line of levee, and the surging tide on its
angry bosom blrried TO destruction the
savings of many a lifetime. Then came
weary weeks of overflow, and he who has
been in it knows the wrelchedness of the word.
On the Sd of April following the Levee
Board met in Greenville. So kindly were
you interested in US that you had your rep
en- the ground. In less than ten
laws every crevasse was contracted to be
Tiled. the waste places 10 be repaired, the
,otton- planter to resume his vocation. Some
york was done. The Concordia break, one
,uarter of a milo in length, wac closed by the
PRESIDENT of the board, with the water rising !
Igainst the earthwork from the beginning to
he end The citizens of the surrounding
ountry came unsolicited with their hands,
nd by day and night piled up the earth,
mil in strength and hight it was strong
nough to Withstand the June rise. With
UGH immense crevasses Riverton, Lake
;oiiyar and Easton's, q protection levee could
ot be built. The second rise in the river
threatened the inuhdation of the entire dis
riot. There is built out from The main line
f leyee tide levee in the lower end of Boil
var county, known as the Williams Bayou
svee. The main line was shattered, and
be food upon them so the cotton planters,
eping to save Washington county west of
,eer creek, Sharkey and Issaquena, from a
econd overflow, betook themselves to the
de levee. They succeeded, but it cost days,
lights and weeks of incessant, arduous,
HEROIC TOLL.
By the enabling act of the legislature
le Levee Board could only issue $500, 900
bonds, but SO high was the credit of this
istrict that before the bonds were ordered
be issued there came three propositions,
ne from Mississippi, one from New York
nd one from Boston, to take the entire issue q
bonds, 100000, at par. Cotton planters
uilt up this superb credit and financial
anding. Surely they can't be the fools
hich some people take them If this short
cord does not show thrift, energy, endur- I
nee, Sheroism, where will you go to seek IT? 4
nd yet every man of them was Southern
,tton planter. might further tell you of :
any cotton crops destroyed by the d"
cond rise of the river; then weeks of N
for he a. .l.,I IL |