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day to their homes in Alabama and Louisiana, they would have felt as if they had been transported several degrees towards the North Pole and the frigid zone, from the latitude of New York City.
The only wise plan for those who, for health, are seeking a change of air and temperature in America, is to repair to the nearest mountains, where an elevation of one thousand feet generally makes it three degrees cooler. Mountains can be found North and South, sometimes between five and six thousand feet in altitude.
The West.
The West—I do not mean the "Far West," but the "Great West," which by its teeming products built up the populous cities of Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and a long list of towns which are the seats of trade, refinement, and educational establishments—occupies the relative position to the other States that Egypt did to the Eastern countries in the days of the Patriarchs. In view of the increase of our population, and the immense immigration from Europe, no limit can be fixed to the demands for the raw productions of this great granary of the world. These staples are too simple and well understood to require comment.
The South.
The area of the cotton growing States embraces a territory of over eight hundred thousand square miles, almost as large as the aggregate area of Great Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, and Italy. The single cotton State of Texas, is larger than either Great Britain, France, Prussia or Italy, and nearly equal in area to the Austrian Empire.
For the most part the Southern States have heretofore raised cotton as a staple, and only a portion of their breadstuffs for home consumption; but a salutary change is now taking place. A more improved system of agriculture is being introduced.
The great elements of civilization and wealth are to be found east of the Mississippi River, and in the States bordering on that river. Many of the crops grown in the great States north of the Ohio River can be produced in the cotton States. Besides cotton, sugar, Indian corn, tobacco, rice, wheat, rye, oats, beans, hops, peas, vegetables, fruits, flax, hemp, timber, wool, beef, pork and hides can be produced for market; while South-western Virginia, East Tennessee, Northern Alabama, and Georgia, South-western Missouri, and North-western Arkansas, offer ample supplies of iron, coal, copper, lead, marble, limestone, and sandstone.
Needless is it for me to refer to the sad story of the American War. Scarcely had two generations passed away—not an hour in the life of a nation—ere jealousies and contentions sprang up which completely changed the Constitution.
From recent observations in Lancashire, I am inclined to the belief that the cotton spinning interests of those districts have suffered almost as much from the late war as the cotton planters of the South.
I quote from a report adopted by the Memphis Commercial Convention on this subject, entitled, "The Cotton Trade of the World:"—"Cheap cotton, then, and in sufficient supply, is what the world requires, and must have. Lancashire and the continent of Europe must obtain cheaper cottons, or their mills must stop. For the past two years they have paid for 'American Middlings,' and 'Fair Egyptians,' an average price of over 10d. per pound and many mills are now closed, or working 'short time' in consequence of the continued high price of raw cotton. With the levees up, the freedman would seek the alluvial lands of the Mississippi Valley, finding there a better reward for his labor. The climate agrees with him and he with the
