The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-04-20
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
An Address to the People OF
America and Europe, Setting
Forth the Agricultural and
Commercial Advantages Of the

fOrCQ CQ0 ASI1CoACo1 "a eN
Commercial Advantages Of the
South.
At the meeting of the Southern Gov
errors held in the city of Richmond April
18th, the committee on resolutions,
through Their chairman Gov. Stone, OF
Missouri, presented the address to the
people of the United States and Europe,
setting forth the agricultural and COM
mercial advantages of the Southern
States, as follows:
The Governors of the States OF Mary
land, Virginia, West Virginia, North Car
DINA, South Carolina Georgia, Alabama,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louis
lana. Arkansas and Missouri, assembled
in convention at the city of Richmond,
Va, on April II, 1898, for the sole pur
pose of advancing, by cooperation and
concert of action, the industrial inter-
ests and well-being OF their several States,
do issue the following address to the
people of the United States and those in
Europe who may contemplate making
investments in this country or immigrant
ing here in searth of homes:
"The States represented at this CON
vention comprise substantially the South
ern half OF the American Republic. The
territorial area of these States is $50, 600
square miles. The population as shown
by the census of 1890 is 90, 249,2l7. Its
| eastern and southern exterior are bound
| ed by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf OF
Mexico The interior is traversed by
many of the most important rivers Oh
| the continent and by some of the great
| est in the world The surface is diversi-
| fed by mountain chains and beautiful
valleys, by long stretches of fertile bot
| tom lands and broad eXpanse OF pictur
esque and productive prairies. The eli
mate is temperate, changing more or less
| with the seasons, and is pleasant. invig
| Grating and healthful. The resources of
| this vast area, distributed with a won
derful and surprising equality and it's
| adoption to natural and to industrial
| productions is almost limitless.
Minerals-AIl of these States have in
| exha.Istble deposits OF coal, mostly BIZ
! luminous, which can be mined less ex-
| pensively, perhaps, than elsewhere in the
| world. In every section of the area en-
| braced by these States are enormous and
unreasonable supplies of iron, lead, zinc
| and other metals useful in the industrial
| arts. Multiplied thousands are already
engaged in mining and reducing these
metals. The value of these mines and
mineral deposits have already long since
passed the period OF experimentation;
and yet they are in the very infancy of
| their development.
| 'Forestry- Scattered Throughout these
States are, also, great areas of forest
| lands on which are growing in super
! ri0r abundance, as fine timber as can be
found in the world-cypress, oak, wal
nut ash, maple, pine and the iike-tit, in
| the highest degree, for shipbuilding,
| hOusebuiding and for all the uses OF
manufacturing.
"Agriculture-The soil and climate
| unite to givetO these States unsurpassed
| adaptation and capacity for the prOduc-
tons of agriculture. Tobacco, cotton,
sugar, Indian corn, wheat, rye, barley,
| Oats-all the cereals-are grown here in
| prOfuse abundance Nowhere in the
| world does the earth yield IL more
| prompt, certain and abundant return to
| the vitalizing touch of the husbandman
| than in these commemorative.
Horticulture:-Asm much may be said
| likewise of horticulture Nowhere can
| richer or sweeter fruits, such as oranges,
bananas, apples, peaches, plums, grapes,
berries, be grown in greater prOfussion.
| Already are to be found here very many
OF the most extensive and profitable
orchards and gardens on the globe.
''Sucn, in brief, are the climatic and
Typographical conditions, and snch the
natural and productive advantages of
these great States of the South and
Southwest.
Hitherto immigration and capital
have flowed more towards the Western
and Northwestern States. This was due,
no doubt, largely to the fact that those
were new States, where immigrants
could find free homes by right of settle
ment on the public lands of the United
States, and due partly, it may be, to the
fact that most of the States represented
in this convention were the theatre OF
war during the struggle between the
States, and were interrupted in their
progress by the somewhat turbulent con-
ditiOns Immediately following the cessa-
ton of hOstilities, incident to the So
called period OF reconstruction.
"But happily all these disadvantages
are now at an end. The desirable public
lands OF the Northwest are practically
absorbed; they have been taken up.
Long since the old disturbing forces that
well-being have disappeared. 1t has be-
The tide of immigration has been
| diverted Southwark and is pouring in
| upon us in steady and augmenting
stream. Peace is smiling everywhere
| and is striving to win her victories no
| less renowned than those of war.
"At this suspicious period in Southern
| history the Governors OF the States here
represented have but to give the world
| assurance OF their profound qualification
that this new and brighter day has
dawned upon these States, and, if posi-
| BILE, to accelerate the movement which is
| now so soon and so sure to develop the
wonderful resources and wealth OF the
| Southern States. They are anxious to
have immigrants to settle among them;
they are anxious to have capital make
investments and develop enterprises.
"To the worthy immigrant they ex-
tend the hand of welcome, with the as
surance that he will find an educated,
| warm hearted, hospitable, progressive
people, among whom he can livei in amity
| and peace without regard to his religion,
his politics or his nativity. Churches
and schOOl-hOuses are everywhere. AL
! though these facilities for worship and
education are already established upon
| a most liberal scale, they are constantly
| and rapidly increasing. The social,
moral and religious life of the people of
these States is upon a high plane. To
! the capitalist these States offer especial
| inducements for Investments.
1.-THE laws are favorable to the in
| vestor, and public order and private
| right are firmly upheld and maintained.
Nowhere in the world are there such
golden opportunities for investment in
mining and manufacturing enterprises.
Fuel, water, wood, metal, cane, cotton
tobacco, hemp, tiax-all here together
one waiting to serve the other, almost
without the cost of transportation. The
| South is bounding forward now. 1t is
the field in which the immediate future
will unfold the most marvellous develop
ment ofthecountry. Here new homes are
70 Il-,c