Year: 1867




EDITOR PREss-Deqr Sir: Arkansas is


a white mans country and destined to q


higher civilization demandiuga 4 more re


fined system of culture with q correspond
| ing advancement in the arts and sciences.


Experience has most fully demonstrated


that cotton can only be raised successful
| ly by slave labor (now eytinct) whilst


Grapes and wine has from all time been


produced alone by the white man. We


turn our eyes back on the past only to


behold an institution once the pride and


strength Of the South, and cherished by


her people in the rightful bequest of their
fathers, who's right to the same and its


lawful Inheritance by their children, was


guaranteed by the solemn pledges Of a


wriHen Constitution assigned with the
hands of the very creators Of the Repub-


lie. Now drifting wreck on the surface


of the half calm sea who's maddened


waves still surging over tue bulworks Of
the Constitution threatening to crush the


old ship of State on the everlasting Rock


OF despotism and finally bury beneath her


waves the last hope Of Constitutional


government And yet we as a people


must exist some how, and our country as


others have done before us under forced
circumstances must rise up and accept
the terms, despotic as they are, and seek
to develope our vast resources even un-


der the stunning blows and blighting in


huence of despotism The labor system


Of our devoted country having Undergone
total subversion as well as the rights of


her citizens ignored and old and true and


faithful soldiers in the war of 1872 dis


franchised. A public debt incurred so


enormous that the world contains not


gold and silver coin enough to pay it.
a Radical Congress assumes the entire


direction of affairs and usurps all the
Constitutional powers Of the executive
and judicial departments of the govern
ment. Additional appropriations are
lavishly made to support negro Bureaus


and pay standing army to coercc the


Nation unto submission to acts of tyran-


ny. Increasing thereby the already crush
ing debt of the Nation to pay the enor-
nous interest on which the people groan
under a taxation too dirctully heavyto be
borne longer. And now that repudia-
ton is forced upon the people, let us be
gin new system by first repudiating the


cotton field and devoting our time and at
tention to a more congenial work less la
borious and far more profitable than the
cotton plant, even, in its proudest kingly
days. We should plant corn, wheat,
rye, oats, barley and the grasses for
stock; plant orchards, vineyards; make


wine the most healthful, delicious and
life sustaining Of all beverages on the
earth, not only in sufficient quantity for
supplying the table, but for expectation
by the thousands of gallons. There are
hundreds of thousands of acres of land
in Arkansas, both cleared and unclcared,
possessing in high degree all the requi-
site qualities for the average production
of 1000 gallons Of pure grape juice per
acre That 1000 gallons of juice when
simply pressed, barrclled and allowed to


remain four months in cool cellar, be-
comes 1000 gallons Of wine, and if that
be from the poorest and sourest grape in
the whole list of American wine grapes
is worth $3.50 per gallon. Whilst many,
very many grapes now in cultivation will
produce from 1000 to 1900 gallons of
wine per acre worth $5 per gallon. Now
when it is considered that three acres Of
vines is work for but one man and that
Of the lightest kind Of labor That no
capital is required beyond the small
amount necessary TO open and carry on
one man farm That there is no mys-
terry or secret knowledge TO be obtained
necessary in the cultivation Of grape be.
yond the plain simple rules and directions
as laid down in small work called
q Grapes and Wine by George Iusmaun
of Herman, Mo-, or in the Grape Cul
turist' another excellent short and con
else work on the vine by Andrew S, Ful-
ler Of New Jersey The former work
can be had by mail, postage paid, to any
place for Sl.50, sent by letter to Go f.
d. f. w. Woodward, 81 Park Row, New


York, and the latter for same amount,
sent TO Orange Judd al, Park Row, New


York. J.