FARMERS' REG'ISTE^R— INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 



81 



INTERNAL I3IPIIOVE3IESTS OF KORTII CARO- 

 LINA. 



Jla jiddress to the people of North Carolina. 



So much interest 1ms been expressed, tJirough 

 the pre.ss and othervT^ise, in the proceedings of the 

 convention which juet at the seat of government 

 in November last,' tor the purj)ose of dchberating 

 on tlie expediency ol' imj)rdvnng the transportation 

 of the state,.that it is almost Unnecessary to call to 

 your notice the fact that by a resolution of that 

 body, tlieir president' was authorized to appoint a 

 conninttee of ten to disseminate information on the 

 subject of internal improvenwnt and to publish 

 un address. The appointment of that connnittee 

 has been made public, and in performance of the 

 duty given in charge to .them by the convention, 

 they respectfldly ask of their fellow-citizens their 

 serious" consideration to a well meant attempt to 

 brmg beiore them in a plain and unpretending 

 manner the -causes of the admitted, depressed con- 

 dition of the industry of the state, and of the reme- 

 <1}', Jrom Avhich in the opinion of the convention 

 (and of the committee) relief may be expected. 

 As this subject is of vital concern to yourselves, 

 and as it is inconceivable that the convention can 

 have taken upon them the trouble and responsi- 

 bility of devising and recommending a plan tor the 

 improvement of our inland transport, from any 

 other motive than the common good, it is hoped 

 that no ajwlogy v.'ill be necessary for the demand 

 now made on your time and attention. 



That .North Carolina, with an extensive territo- 

 ry, -with a fine climate, with equal and just daws, 

 with a numerous and intelligent and moral and in- 

 dustrious people, has neit4ier the hiternal prosperity 

 nor the political influence^ which would seem to be 

 necessary results of these natural and social ad- 

 vantages, none can deny. More than a century 

 and a half has passed ft-way since the- settlement 

 of this country by our ancestors, and what im- 

 jjrovement has been made in the resources and 

 wealth .of the state? We have, in the course oi' 

 ev^ents, after, a long and bloody war, • with great 

 glory to ourselves, etfected a separation from the 

 parent country, and become a free and indepen- 

 dent state, under a written constitution wliich se- 

 cures to us civil and religious freedom. Since our 

 independence as one of the United States, we have 

 attained in an unparalleled short time .the' rank 

 of a first rate power. 'SVc have little reason to 

 expect a foreign war, and nothing to fear from it,, 

 and we are secure in our property and persons by 

 our written constitution, from any exaction- or op- 

 pression under the laws, or under color of them, 

 and in our. love of freedom and public spirit we 

 liave, we trust, a sure vindication from anv at- 

 tempt on our liberties in contempt'of the laws. li 

 is surely a subject of honest." pride and of sober 

 gratulation tiiat we are a free people, ami, beino* 

 so, we ought to be what we surely are not, .a pros- 

 perous people. Apart from our political institu- 

 tions and our freedom under them, and of the rapid 

 and. great increase of our population, in what do 

 we diller iJrom our ancestors .'' AVe have the same 

 noble domain, the. same benignant climate, but 

 what have we done lor ourselves? What monu- 

 ments in the useful or fine arts; what cities, what 

 large towns, wiiat harbors, what canals, roads and 



Vol. II.— 10 



biidges; what literary or humane institutions; 

 whal hospitals, what public ■ libraries, what col- 

 leges* or schools, what literary or scientific works 

 have we to be proud of? 'Not only our foreign 

 cornmerce, but our very coasting tmde is carried 

 ■on in a great measure by vessels owniid and navi- 

 gated by the citizens of our sister states. We 

 have no mercantile marine beyond a few misera^ 

 ble coasters, and a liiw keal and steam boats of 

 inconsiderable buithen and value for Our inland. 

 trade,and some of these are owned in a neighboring 

 state. We have nothing that deserves the name 

 of manufactures. No ]jrocesses for changing the 

 value of the r8;w materials which are in use among 

 us, except those cfa'cted either by manual labor, or 

 by machinery of the simjdest and conmionest con- 

 struction. Flouring and saw mills and a very lew 

 paper mills, and maiihinesfbr sjdnning coarse cot- 

 ton thread, constitute the totaJ of ourmanufacttiring 

 establishments. Our agriculture, on which the 

 whole of our labor has been expended, is fur,very 

 lar' from being much distinguished for practical 

 skill or science. The lands, foi- the lust thirty years 

 only have been in some parts of the state, .well 

 tilled; but no system of a rotation of crops- ot^ of 

 manuring, by which the lands might be maintain- 

 ed in their original fertility and"^ productiveness, 

 has ever been attempted. .Far less lias it ever 

 been thought of liiat they were capable of beuig 

 rendered everj^ year more :productive. . 



Witla a total aibsence of conmierce, of manii- 

 factures, and un.der a defective sj'stem of agricul- 

 ture, is it surprising, that there should be little ac- 

 cumulation of capital among us except in the. in- 

 crease of our slaves. Our lands have had forced 

 horn them a support of our white and colored pop- 

 ulation, without any view to -an- increased con- 

 sumption, and when they would no longer sup- 

 port us;- our feltew-citizeiis, whh their children and 

 slaves, without waiting lor the slow but certain 

 ajjproach of poverty, have v/isely for themselres, 

 and- Under present circumstances., fi^rtunately for 

 us, sought ctMTi^jeteney or wealth in the fertile and 

 wild lands of tlte west and south-west. It is con- 

 fessedly the ,^reat and crying evil of the state', that 

 our labor, (the Only source of wealth) is unj)ro- 

 dUctive, and that there is a consequent want of 

 capital for the pur[jcses of commerce, manufac- 

 tures and agriculture. A most strikin": proof of 



* It will be imderstood by the publit in pressing on 

 Lheir atteivtion the want of literary, institutions that the 

 University of Nortli. Carolina is not forgotten by us. 

 With all who love the state, \ve remember with plea- 

 sure; and acknowledge witti pride the debt of gratitude 

 due to the trustees, and especially to i\e professors of 

 the University for the benefits they have conferred on 

 the state. '.To their praise be it mentioned, that they 

 liave manifested a devotedness v^-oi■thy of the g-cod 

 cause in which they have been so lon^-e'.igiitred with so 

 little profit to theiQ-oelves, and sp much to their fellow- 

 citizens. They have; rot only with no sympathy from 

 our public men, but against every discouragement, 

 accomplishGd much good with little means. 



We ivfer with puia to the neglect of those, wlio by 

 the constitution, are entrusted with the sacred duty of 

 providing for public instruction, and only for the pur- 

 pose of expressiiig the hope and belief, that ere long, 

 tliey will e.^tend an elfectivo patronage to the tJniver- 

 sit.y. They may then establish a just (we v.ould that 

 it fiad been an early) claim to being the prcmoters of 

 useful Icarninrr amon.ir us. 



