Civil War
    

Southern vs. Northern Manufactures

March 27, 1861; The New York Herald

We are informed from a reliable source that numerous companies are now being organized within the precincts of the Confederate States with a view of developing their water power resources and the establishment of manufactories in the republic for the fabrication of those kinds of goods usually furnished by the New England States, especially the States of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It will be inferred, therefore, from this statement that the Southrons are determined to be independent in a manufacturing as well as political point of view of the North.

The newspapers of the South come to hand with their columns filled with displayed advertisements, calling upon their readers to patronize manufactures’ and, as far as we can learn, this little admonition is not being disregarded. In yesterday’s paper we presented for the perusal of our readers specimens of these advertising appeals.

We take this occasion to say that a very grave error prevails among the people of the North in respect to the manufacturing and handicraft resources of the South. It has been alleged time afore time, by the republican press, that Southern manufacturers cannot compete with those of New England, even were they to make the attempt; but the logical or philosophical reasons for such a conclusion have been as frequently obscured from the public. Many of those men who worked and voted for the election of Mr. Lincoln will learn, perhaps too soon, that the South can manufacture goods–such as agricultural implements, farm wagons, carriages, boots, shoes and brogans and like articles–as well as the men of the North, if the capitalists of the new confederacy shall zealously push their manufacturing’s project to a finality. To those who are uniformed as to the real cause why the South has not paid attention to manufacturing industry we will explain. Heretofore the people of the South have found it necessary to devote their whole time to the development and growing of the great staples for which they are world wide celebrated, and in charity to the North gave them the job to make the implements whereby these were husbanded. Consequently the Northern States have had their share, indirectly, of the profits of the Southern crops. There is nothing under heaven to prevent the South from manufacturing every article necessary for domestic use. She has water power facilities second to none in the world, and if the manufacture’s system shall be adopted, the New England mechanics would soon wend their way where they may find remunerative labor; and in a short time the Yankee master manufactures and capitalists would find, to their surprise, their factories idle and rotting over their heads.

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