The Western Georgian. (Rome, Floyd County, Georgia) 1838-18??, June 26, 1838, Image 1

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THE WESTERN GEORGIAN. Vol. I. PUBLISHED EV EEV TUESDAY MO iNING BY " SJIAUEIj S' JACK- Terins. '."VfdS'su’o" ViU b. .prtk ri1e...... p.y in advance. at . , Hon *£ceived for less than one year, No aabacrJp. WK j in advance; and no paper tin eas tho. money ( q a ]| arreargee are paid, ex will be discontinued u F . lb |j<,hcr. Persons reqnest eept at tho option of the f Papers, are requested to ins a discontinuance of the. hoir aeCoU ntß. bear in mind a settlement of u . 'd at the usual ratop; Advertisements will he inserts . specified, they When tho number of insertions is no k will be continued until ordered out. . . . wv ’’fher, on IT Alt. Lett era to tho Editor or Pub. )|a t be matters connected with tho establishment, n* Post Paid in order to secure attention, IKT Notice of the sale of Land and Negroes., by Administrators. Executors or Guardians, must be pub lished sixty days previous-Wthe day of sale. O’The sale of Porsndal Property, in like manner, roust be published forty days previous to the day of ««!e. ITJ* Notice to Debtors and Creditors of an Estate, must be published forty days. KJ* Notice that Application will be made to the Court of Ordinary for Leave to sell Land and Negroes, must be published four months. (IjT Notice that Application will be made for Let ter* of Adminietration, must be published thirty days and Letters of Dismission, six months. O” For Advertising—Letters of Citation, $2 <b o*Noiice to Debtors and Creditors, (40 days,) 3 25 Four Month Notices, 4 00 Sales of Personal Property by Exacutore, Adminis trators or Guardiens •’ 25 Sales oflmnd or Negroes by do. 4 7» Application for Letteisot Dismission, 4 at) | Other Advertisements will be charged 75 cents j “T'>r every tetr teen lines of Agnail (or Bpnoc eejui. valent,) first insertion, and 50 cents for each weekly continuance. If published every other week, 62J cts. for each continuance. If published once a month it will bo charged each time as « iidw advertisement. For a ainglc insertion one Dollar per equate. a,.,,., . ■ I .111 I I . From the Florida (T.illahueßee) Watchman. < AUGUSTA. April 9, 1838. p To the Hon- A. D. Shehee, Chairman, &c.: ■< g TP) —Py the rrsehittons passed nt the p meeting of our fellow.citizen in Jefferson < county, hold in Monticello on the 17th ultimo, ’ I trt which you presided, and by which wc < were appointed delegates to represent them i $n the Commercial Convention, lately held in this city, we are required to report to you, and through you, to the people of this county, the degree of success which has thus far at tended the efforts of this Convention, to ac eomplish the important objects proposed by it and also our own views and opinions of the practicability of those objects. Deeply im pressed witli the sense of the responsible duty thus required, wo have bestowed upon the subject all the attention which the circumstan ccs of our situation would permit. Wo re gnrd the objects of the Convention ns invol ving n question of the greatest importance; a question which, if carried out into success ful operation, will effect, most deeply and rad. ically effect, the trade and commerce of the entire country —must become most pervading in its influence upon the financial interests of the South, and produce, sooner or later, the most extensive and salutary effects upon the property, the domestic institutions, and the character of the Southern people. We may well regret, therefore, that older, abler, and more experienced men than ourselves, had not been delegated to perform the duty thus devolved upon ua. The Commercial Convention proposes for its object to achieve the commercial indepen dence of the South by opening a direct trade between the Southern seaports and foreign countries. The design originated with a few patriotic and enlightened citizens of an inland town of this State. Its first session was held in this place in October, 1837. It was com posed of about eighty delegates from the ad, joining States of South Carolina and Georgia —Florida had one member. At the recent session near two hundred delegates were present, representing Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. During the recess much legislation had been enacted by those States, highly auspicious to the objects of the Convention. In the mean while arrangements are tn progress to with draw the largo amounts of Southern capital' now invested in Northern stocks, and contfi bute it to this enterprise; while at the same time also, efforts are being made to organize a system of correspondence and direct inter course with the capitalists and monetary in. stitutions of Europe. Superadded to alt which, it may be farther remarked, that the extensive schemes of interna! improvement, project<Kl by the Southern States, ar® in a course of advancement. The Charleston, Louisville and Cincinnati Rail Road Company, have become the owners of the Augusta and Charleston Rail Road, while the road exten- ding from this city in the direction of thel Tennessee line, is in a progress of rapid com pletion. The former, the greatest underta king of the kind in modern times, is under the superiniendence of a patriot and statesman, in whose long and distinguished career of public usefulness, the South has an ample guaranty that the work will be prosecuted with vigor and energy.—The influence of the Convention has already extended to those works and given them an impetus which must insure their final success. They are consid ered as presenting opportunities of safe and profitable investments, at the same time that they encourage domestic industry. The above brief retrospect will enable you to form some conception of the degree of success which has thus far attended the efforts of the Convention.-—But will those efforts be ultimately successful ? It is not to be disgtii. sed that we have fearful odds to contend' against; immense disadvantages to overcome; ’most insuperable obstacles to surmount. ” e admission of doubt, however, has tlev- .*’ v cause been the precursor of sue er i r tfi • • ' < •he'most certain mode to obviate \ neCtjL In order to understand difficulty «to . regard to tins matter, our correct posit," » . let us resort, for n «° » ’»«•"<’} ysis of the trade and of the United States. , x r Taking the imports exports o ic year 1836 ns a criterion, P. er ' haps admit that it is a good one) t " e ‘°" oWin L r extraordinary facts are disclosed. . The imports of the whole of th< G States amounted in that year to about Si- o>- 000,000 —Those of New York alone amCUG ted to more than 100,000,000, while the whoi 0 1 of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States did not import an amount exceeding 20,000,000. ] 1 During the same year the domestic exports amounted to $107,000,000, of which New 1 York exported only $19,000,000, while the States of the South and South West exported 1 $78,000,000. I Frorn all this it is apparent that though the widespread and increasing commerce of this country owes its entire existence to the staples i of the Southern and South Western States, they nevertheless derive no corresponding i advantage from the fact. The people of the ; South and South West, pay annually, in the < ehepw of commissions, agencies, per centagCS, i &c. &c. not less than ten millions for the ex- ’ traordinary privilege of having their products i carried in vessels belonging to the people of ' the North, through New York to Europe, i This slate of things has not been altogether • the result of the imputed neglect of commerce and trade by the Southern people, nor their i supposed aversion to mercantile pursuits. Nor has it been the result of their alleged exclusive devotion to agricultural occupation*?; nor yet of their want of shipping and seamen. Prior to 181 G, n different state of affairs exis-' ted. A large trade was then carried on di rectly between the Southern seaports and Europe; and at a still earlier period ot our history, this disparity was entirely in our fa vor.—ln the year 1774, the trade of South Carolina was quadruple that of New York, though the latter is now the Emporium of the continent. So long ns the two sections competed upon the resources of their respec tive natural advantages, the same or a cor responding proportion would have been preset ved. But at an early period, after the organiza tion of the present Genera! Government, n system of finance and revenue w’as adopted, which has had the effect of making the com merce and trade of the South dependent upon, and tributary to, the North. This system had the tendency, nt first gradual and gentle, but certain, and often becoming accelerated and rapid, to converge all the commercial re sources of the country to the cities of the North, and to centraling at those places the whole patronage, power and influence of the Government. The merchants at the North relying and encouraged to rely upon the rev enue, capital and credit of others, thus founded and accumulated, have extended their busi ness, improved their resources, built up cities, and floated whole fleets of merchant ships; paying no interest upon this capital, they ; have been led into the wildest speculations— a crash ehsues, as has lately occurred, and the country becomes involved in universal bankruptcy, ruin and distress, from which it will require years of labor and toil to extricate it. At this stage of the question it may be, not uninteresting to inquire, who were the ac-1 > tual sufferers in the convulsion thus produced! The staples of the South pay all the debts, i and when lately no other medium of exchange 11 was relied upon, cotton became the currency of the world. The plantation States have paid our European debts; but the question I recurs, upon whom has the losses fallen? r Who are the sufferers ? Upon that mentori , ous class who work all and pay ail. They t are the sufferers. The entire crop of the , planter may be lost to him, but the speculator, , the factor, the dealer, generally escapes, and I not unfrequently unscathed. This sytem is, however, fast yielding to the W isdom, Justice, and Moderation. ROME, FLOYD COUNTY, GEORGIA, JUNE 20, 1838. incessant and powerful opposition of Southern statesmen, and the silent but sure operation of public sentiment. Already, indeed, have some of its most formidable branches been overthrown. Thetariff, which drew its mill ions fiom the South, and concentrated in the North, has been virtually abrogated. The scheme of internal improvement by the Gen eral Government, upon the objects of which this immense revenue was to have been ex pended, has been effectually checked : and the United States Bank which was the depos itory of this revenue, and the disbursing agent of the Government, the recipient of the great est portion of these favors, the great benefi ciary of all this partial legislation, has ceased to exist, by the limitation of its charter, and we trust that the principle upon which this in stitution was founded, at best, but an interpo lation upon the Constitution, is forever fully and perfectly repudiated from our system of government. The late derangement in the moneyed affairs of the country, will tend greatly to facilitate this result: we confidently look forward to the time as being not far dis tant, when the money and political power of the Government, effectually separated from erch other, and the commerce trade and in dustry of the South, no longer affected by the restrictions and impositions of partial le gislation, and left to their own natural chan nels, will be permitted to enjoy that freedom, , which is the peculiar element of the South; I the element in which she lives and moves, and has her being; without which there can j be neither commercial nor political indepen- ■ dcnce. But though the Constitution may be restored to its original purity, justice and equity, all is .not yet achieved, which must be accom plished, before our objects are affected. The South has no maritime population, no ma riff G interest, no ship-builders, no seamen. AH this lamentably true. But why is such the case? Upon investigation, it will be found that the same causes above alluded to, have produced this state of things also. The Gulf of Mexico floats the richest com merce of any sea, r.ear the same size, in the world.; and yet the Federal Government have made but one naval establishment upon it, and throughout the entire maritime frontier of the planting States of the Atlantic, there is but one Otiie'i WWW W W"; wondered at, then, that the South has no mil itary marine? The almost entire disbursements of the Treasury on objects of this kind, be ing made at the North, is it to be wondered at, that we have no ship builders at the South? : The marine interests of the North thus nur tured by the patronage of the Government, is it to be wondered at, that we have no mar- i itime population? No seamen? Nay, fur ther, the Government has adopted the gen erous though unequal policy, of bestowing bounties upon the fisheries of tho North. . But when has one dollar been bestowed upon the maritime interest at the South ? The coast of Florida abounds in fish of the greatest variety and value, and yet it would seem that the officers of the Government do not know the fact. Mad wc also enjoyed this bounty of the Government to the same extent to which it has been in this instance, bestow. ; ed upon our Northern brethren, it is probable that the Indian war which has been so afflicting and ruinous to Florida, and, as we taink, indelibly disgraceful to the national arms, would perhaps never have occurred. Had our seacoast been the seat of a maritime ■ population, it is probable that all foreign influ-1 encas would have been excluded from the In dians, if any indeed had ever been permitted to have reached them, and their subjugation would have been greatly facilitated otherwise. Under whatever aspect this important ques tion can be anticipated, it is one of the deep est, most pervading, and most intense interest the people of Florida. Presenting a maritime frontier of more than a thousand miles, it be hooves us to co-operate in every effort which , may have for its object, or be attended with j tho consequence of affording us protection j against foreign aggressions, to which, in time of war, we must necessarily be subject. I That protection must consist rather io the stout heartsand strong arms of our citizens, than any artificial means of defence which > may be constructed. Our coast should, as heretofore rema'ked, become tho seat of a maritime population. We have, in rich and rare abundance, all the resources, means and capabilities of establishing, nurturing and < building up such a population. The live oak i and pine timber of Florida, have long been in request by the ship builder; whilst cur agri ' cultural products, more rich, more rare and . various than those of any other section, will , contribute immensely to the mass of general I> commerce. The prospect now presented to the South, is bright and cheering. The struggle may ’! still be arduous and protracted, but wo will, sjwe must triumph. The cause is holy and , just and must succeed. In the language em I ployed on a similar occasion by that able ! statesman and eloquent son of the South, who } unawed by power, unintimidated by tho cor- rupt combinations, unaffected by the denun ciations of personal or political rivalry, has stood by his country, through good report and through evil report, the same vigilant sentinel upon the Watch tower of public liber ty, the same fast friend to the South, the same idevoied patriot—-"It is the cause of truth, of justice, liberty, civilisation and moral and in tellectual excellence ; and must prevail.” One of your delegates has been appointed ' a member of the general committee of cor respondence.—So soon as he may be required to enter upon the functions of that appoint ment, he will request you and his fellow citi zens of Jefferson, to meet him at Monticello, where ho will explain more in detail, than in the limits of this report we have been able to do, all the various subjects here touched upon. He trusts that he will be more fully prepared in the statistics of the question, than we could I possibly be in this report. We have the honor to be "Your fellow citizens, LEIGH READ. WM. H. WARE. BANK CONVENTION. The committee to whom it was referred to consider and report as to the proper time for the Banks of Georgia and South Carolina to resume specie payment. Respectfully report, that in considering this question they have directed their inquiries ex clusively to tWo points, viz: the ability of the banks to begin and sustain such payments, ‘ and the effects on the community, which a { resumption on any given day may produce. In looking to the cause of the suspension, it will be found that the exigences of the com-’ j munity, rather than the inability of the banks induced that measure. The performance of . their legal duties on the part of the latter, de pend so certainly on a corresponding perfor mance on the part of the former, that the in capacity of the debtors of the banks to meet their engagements, deprived these institutions of the means of redeeming their circulation at the moment. In a short time they might have collected their funds, so as to have ful fileflkall their obligations, but in doing this, they must have exacted with great rigor the payment of the debts owing them, and have granted no new accommodations, however ur rgeiit7lTe caTTforffiern 'might have been. So conscious was the great mass Qf the commu. nity, that the suspension was indispensibly ne cessary to protect the best interest, that it received every where, the countenance and support of our citizens. It has now been borne one year, and it is proper to inquire, how much longer it should continue. As far as the banks are concerned your committee have no hesitation in deciding that no advan tage to them, however great, ought to induce them to continue the suspension a moment, after they possess the ability to resume, and that they ought to make any sacrifice, to en able them to begin and sustain such resump tion. An adequate and justifiable motive for a longer suspension cannot be found in any supposed profit which the banks may expect to derive from it; but if tolerated any longer, it must be on the plea of absolute public ne | cessity, pnd from a due regard to the public 'good. Your committee have examined die condi tion of the several banks of the two States, as exhibited in the returns furnished them, from which the subjoined abstracts arc for med and they have no hesitation in saying, that if no other interest were involved in the i question than their’s they ought to resume at' once. If they do so they must sustain them- i selves in it; they must not risque a failure; i and to enable them to take this high ground, ' there must be produced a high pressure on the , community. Solvent as all the banks are, were a general resumption to take place in the two States at any time before our other crops shall have come to market, and before the banks in the adjoining States shall have re sumed there must be much pecuniary distress and embarrassment produced by the demands for payments and by withholding further ac commodations, which this measure would com pel the banks to adopt. They, therefore, are of opinion, that an immediate resumption is i forbidden by a due regard to the public inter est: and three other periods have been men tioned as likely to meet public expectation, and to be advantageous to the community, viz: ‘ Ist July, Ist November, and Ist January next. ■ and your committee have no doubt that either | the earliest or the latest of these days should • be adopted. A more unpropitious period than ' I November could not be selected. The next ■ crop of cotton will begin to come to market j in October, and the means to purchase it, must' to a great extent be furnished by the banks. I In the accustomed course of business, the I money must be raised on the bills of the mer chant' drawn against the cotton at 60 or 90 days. Before these come to maturity, the bank notes paid for them, will have gone into circulation, and have Jound their way back to the bank to draw out their specie. If they should be required to do so at this season of the vest, the banks have but one alternative which can promise them safety.—They must retain their present means, do nothing for the country during the summer, and when the cotton crop.cornes to market in the autumn, they must leave the merchants with what funds they can obtain elsewhere to purchase it. Whatever pressure such a course may bring upon the community the banks must adopt it, if they are required to resume in November. The price of our great staple must thus be most materially effected, and great embarrassments must attend both the planter and the merchant. But by adopting a period as.late as the Ist of January, a very different state of things will be produced. The money paid to the planter for his crop, in the preceeding three months, will in part have found its way into the banks in payment of debts owing there, whilst the bills of exchaf*e and notes given to procure it, will have been paid, or will bo daily maturing, and put the banks , in funds to make new advances, or to procure specie, should the demand for it exceed the supply on hand. Resumption in November will leave the planter without a market—resumption in January, will find him with half his crop sold, his debts to a large amount paid, and the mer chant prepared to purchase the. other half .at a fair price. Your committee cannot hesitate in deciding between the two periods. But it may be asked why not resume at once in July? It must be recollected that the Bank Convention which met in New York last month, have decided in favor of first Jan uary; and we would ask whether it would bp prudent for the Banks of Georgia and South Carolina to open their vaults for-six months to replenish those of all the other banks of the Union except those of New York, while not a dollar can Ife drawn in exchange from them. Should this course be insisted on, the conse quence must be, that our banks must restrain the circulation, curtail their discounts, and urge payments from their debtors whore they are least able to pay. t The planter can pay but once a year, and January suits him best. The mercantile part of the community are better able to meet their engagements at all periods. But it must be recollected that that community has in the late fire at Charleston, received one of the severest shocks ever felt by the South. Its immediate violence has fallen on the city, which has Veen the scene of this awful calamity; but its- effects are gradually but general by extending, and*n some degree it must be felt by the whole com mercial community of the South. In this state of things, would it be prudent for the banks of South Carolina and Georgia, by an ticipating the resumption, by our neighboring States, to deprive themselves of the power of granting to the sufferers indulgences on the debts they now owe, or of giving accommo dations to save them from the pressure of the unexpected calamity? , Your committee therefore unanimously agree tc recommend to this Convention the adoption of the following resolution: Resolved, That the banks represented in this Convention will resume the payment of their notes in specie, on or before the first day of January next. Being put to the vote, it was unanimously adopted. • Moved by Colofiel Blanding and seconded, that the whole proceedings of this Convention together with the abstract of the condition of the Banks, be published in pamphlet form, and in the newspapers. Unanimously adopied. Moved by Mr. Cogdell, and unanimously adopted, that the thanks of the meeting bo returned to the President of this Convention, and to the committee of fifteen for the faith* lul manner in which their respective duties have been discharged. Adjourned sine die. New Invention—An ingenious Yankee, by the name of Floy, has invented a machine to rock the cradle and keep cross babies from erving and squaling.—lt is attached to the bottom of the cradle, and has to be wound up every fifty minutes. There is no end to tho ingenuities o( brother Jonathan. Worth trying.—lt is said on the author ity of a paper read before the Entomological Society of London, that a net of fine black thread, with the mesbefl an inch square, placed against an open window, will effectually ex ; elude flies, owing to an optical illusion produ • red by the net m the eyes of the insect. If I this be true, tidy housewives and watchful ‘ nurses will find it a discovery, of much im i poriance. > The learned Bede was laboi iously engaged ■ in his study, when a servant, breathless with ! fear, ran in and told him that the house was on fire. “Well,” replied he angerly “why don’t you tell your mistress ? you know I never meddle with household affairs. Specie Payments.— Among us great cry and little wool. Congress.—A leg station for par party purposes. NO 23-