The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-06 00:00:00

Next Year's Cotton Crop.

It is of great importance to the whole country and all
its interests that a large crop of cotton should be raised
next year. It would benefit the interests of the Northern
States no less than those of the Southern ; the interests of
the Western States no less than those of New England.
It would benefit labor and capital ; the producer and the
consumer. It would resuscitate the fortunes of the unfor-
tunate planting States, extend the market of the grain-
growing States, enlarge the activity of the manufacturing
I States, and increase the volume of business in the com-
mercial States. It would lighten our taxation, enlarge our
I revenues, enhance the value of the currency, lower the
price of gold and equalise exchanges.
Is it not possible to have a large crop of the staple
planted and picked next year ? We do not speak of such
'.trops as were raised in 1860 and 1861; we do not dream of
realising five millions of bales, nor four millions ; but
would it not be possible to raise a half of five millions?
Are three million bales an impossible measure ? The old
planting class of the South, familiar with the culture, are
still in the South ; the broad territorial areas, adapted,
beyond comparison with any other part of the earth's sur-
face for this plant, are still open as ever to the sunshine ;
and the laboring class, though changed in their relations,
are still at hand. Order and law are universal ; the land-
, owners have not been disturbed in their possessions by
confiscation ; and there are the greatest incitements to
enterprise and industry. The profound despondency which
was felt in the South for a while after the close of the war,
has even now in a great measure passed away, and there
is a general desire manifested to take hold of life and its
activities,-and see what can be effected under the new
order of things.
The two difficulties which are complained of in the
South arise from the disorganisation of labor and the defi-
ciency of capital. The negroes, having been released from
servitude, are declared to be found unwilling to work, and
especially to work for their old masters, at their old duties,
on the old plantations. Having a choice as to whether
they shall work or not, as to what they shall work at, and
as to the conditions under which they shall work, we are
told that in all these matters they are disposed to choose
the wrong side. Complaints of this kind are, however,
very far from being universal, either as to place or persons.
From the State of Missouri, for example, where, before the
war, there were over a hundred thousand blacks, and where
there are still probably three-fourths of that number, we
hear no complaints about swarms of vagrant or idle
negroes, but, on the contrary, are informed that the blacks
are universally engaged in industrial pursuits, and are
making progress in capacity and education. The same
thing may be predicted of all the Southern Border States
in which the fact of emancipation has had the longest
existence ; while the complaints of an opposite condition of
things come from those States which were the last to sub-
mit to our arms, and in which emancipation has had the
shortest trial. From this it would appear that time is an
important element in the solution of the negro labor ques-
tion ; and though there may be disorganisation of labor in
some part; at present, it does not follow that its speedy
organisation is impossible. Again, even in the coast States
of the South we hear from the Northern men who have
gone into planting and other pursuits requiring labor
that there is no undue difficulty in procuring and retaining
black laborers under proper inducements ; and we hear
similar accounts also from many of the Southern planters
who appreciate the new era and the new duties toward
labor now imposed upon them. Those who are wedded to
the old barbarous system, those who would apply the con-
ditions of slavery to the emancipated blacks, and exercise
its habits upon them, are loud in their complaints and
croakings concerning the prospects of Southern labor ; but
those who deal with the negro laborer with most justice
and intelligence express the strongest faith as to the bene-
ficent influence of freedom upon his industrial as well as
his moral condition. We think, therefore, that the far
greater portion of the laboring class of the South will have
resumed systematic industry by the arrival of the planting
season next spring, and that those who are able and will-
ing to compensate hired labor will have no undue difficulty
in procuring it.—New York Times.

A CONTEST WITII AN ALLIGATOR.—A correspon-
dent at Havana says :—" A young man, the manager of an
estate, was crossing a river on horseback, and followed by
a bulldog, when the howling of the animal caused him to
turn his head. What was his surprise to see an alligator,
at least 9 feet long, carrying off the dog by the neck ? To
jump off his horse and into the water to attack the monster
with his hunting knife was the work of a moment. His
boldness was successful, for he killed the alligator and saved
his dog."— West India paper.
SCENE IN A THEATRE.—The St. Petersburg Voix
sayS that about a fortnight ago a frightful accident
happened at the Alexandra Theatre during the representa-
tion of a German opera. Mdlle. Louise Ehlers, one of the
prettiest ladies of the company, who in this piece filled the
role of a Mexican, was dancing the =ll=7 when having
approached the lights, she went on her knees and began
playing the eantaLettes. At this moment her gauze petti-
coats caught fire, and she was immediately enveloped in
flames. A cry of anguish escaped from every breast. The
unhappy actress, filled with terror, ran about the stage and
thus fanned the fire which was devouring her clothes. She
shrieked, sobbed, and cried for help. MM. Lobe and Zim-
merman, who were on the stage, threw themselves upon
her; and succeeded in leading her to the side scenes. The
other actresses, who were also clothed in gauze, fled in
order to avoid becoming victims of the calamity. The
curtain was lowered, but the audience would not retire
before learning the fate of the artiste. It was ultimately
announced that though she was in a dangerous state there
were hopes tllat her life would be saved,