Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-09-29
Correspondence Of the HeI
Cultivation Or Cotton Ia India 1ity
} of Its Success.

when stated to you, on a former oce asion, that
the attempt to extend the culture of cotton in India
was bsmbug," l did not mean to say the Eas
india Company were not in earnest, and were Sc
riousy engaged in making the attempt in their own
way But what meant to say, was, that further
reflection had convinced me, that serious if not in
surmountable obstacles, existed in the way of their
ultimate success. The East India Company has
ceased to exist as tradingand commercial company
All their large ships have been Sold and thew are no.
thing more than mere political body. Hence the
Court OF Directors, who politically control the affairs
oil India feel no sort of personal interest its COM
mercial affairs further than that which ma be sup
posed to belong to their national feelings Their
cotton proJee is intended to be carried just SO far,
and farther and then TO be left to individual ca
pital and enterprise. And here the thing will end
For obstacles exist against the exercise of individual
enterprise in this field that cannot be overcome.
To begin with the first, am firmly of the opinion
that nothing short of slave labor will ever in
raising sugar sr cotton successfully, however cheap
II may be obtained But admitting the labor of Hin-
docs, Rigots, and Hill Coolies, cheap and available
yet the land tax OF the East India Company would
put veto on success.
All the land in India belongs TO the East India
Company, and the title is in them alone. The natives
OF the country, whom God placed there, do not own
Ill any fee simple. And, all that is cultivated
has to pay them heavy tax; say, from the natives
half OF all they produce" One half of all the rice
cctton and sugar produced by the natives, is claimed
by the company as a tax 4! And the poor miserable
devils have to exist on the other half, Now |
would ask, what American of common sense, or ca
pital, or any body ese would consent to settle down
on leased land TO make cotton? Would he be will
ling to improve land, build houses, erect expensive
machinery, and improve plantation on leased lard
which finally to revert to the East India Com
pany, and thus deprive his children and descend.
ants OF the BENEFITS of his labors Could the cui.
ture OF cotton have ever succeeded to the extent,it
has done in the southern states of the United States
provided similar conditions had been annexed the
occupation of the soil! But this is not all labor
Is said to be cheap what sort Of labor is it! The
liindoo is a poor, weak, eifeminate, supersitious
creature, compared to the able Tod led and well-fed
African negro. If he could labor well and as long
as the African, yet one half of all his time is taken up
IN the performance of his religious ceremonies-in
hastings and ablutions. They are full of confirmed
prejudioes. Neither horses nor steam engines can
be introduced among them. They will only small
bullocks for all kinds motive power. Their roads
are execrabe, or they have none Timber is very
scarce, and so is water, in places They live in mxd
houses, or houses of unburnt brick Again, there
are taxes levied on produce shipped from the nte-
rior to any India seaport for reiresbment and all
commissions are excessively high. Again, freights
from India TO England, owing to the great length Of
the voyage, arc more than double what they
from America. With all these difficulties in the
way, and uaremoved, would you not call any serious
attempt made to make India rival America, in the
production Of cotton, ga humbug!" Besifes, do
not consider of the ten Americans Sent out the
best calculated to aid in accomplishing an enter
prize Of such magnitude. They are young men
without capital and extravagant in their views and
dissipated in their habits. They have engaged
the mselves for five years at f3OO per annum, and
found. Their expectations OF making fortunes in
India by certain perquisites, they think to realize by
cutivating cotton their own account and in pur-
chasing cotton from the natives has been greatly
cited. And their belief in realizing immense for
tunes by going TO India has been greatly naamed by
Captain Bayles, who persuaded them 10 come OUT
and by Interested friends of the cause, till they
were inflated beyond measure. What were young
overseers in Mississippi, with limited education,
in London beesme in prospect the wealthiest Ma
hobs in the British realms They were only second
in prosps ctive wealth to the family Royal--they
sported fine clothes and jewellery, and feasted
among the rich, and looked upon the pioneers in
a great cause. Are these the men to rely upon
en'erprze Of this kinda
Is it reasonable to suppose that Americans Of ac-
knowledged experience and skill, sober. minded,
practical, and industrious Intelligent men would
have quit America wild speculation of this kndl
think the result may be predicted A part Of
them will, in all likelihood fall victims to the eli
mate and the remainder will become disguised, dis
prited, and dsapI oisted, and probably again reach
the United States. 1t is true Lord Auckland, the
Governor General of India, has offered large pre-.
kinds bat what Of tina, with all the difficulties in
the way alluded to- il will do no good
No. the planters of the Unit d States may rest
ti.fed They have no competition to fear. Ameri-
ca has Of the En- fish aud ether European
markets, and she will keep them. Other Kaiions
would be very CAD to compete with America, If
they could. france wishes 10 cultivate cotton at
Algiers and Russia in Georgia. the Caucasus and on
the Black Sea. And with her serfs as laborers and
Nicholas as a comm inder,i should think more favor
able of his experiment than ef any others. Put,
success with Frasce and Russia would not affect
America.
As the position Of the pa'entee Of the American
Cotton Gin, with regard to the East India Conpany
may be misunderstood, and his motives and conduct
msnterpreted thnk il proper that the facts of the
case should be known; otherwise 1t nigh, be infer
red that he acted Ia opposition TO the best interest of
his country and proved unfaithful and unpatriotic
to his native land. That, man whose father fought
through the whole OF the Revolutionary war in the
Virginia line ever 10 love and cherish his
country, cannot be doubted.
The pateutee had long entertained a determination
to visit England, te see the country, examine the
manufacturing establishments Of the same, and as
whether cotton gins could be further i'm
proved, and manufacture cheaper in England for
Southern planters, than they can be produced in
America And he would have visited England if no
East India Company had existed. When he met
Capt. Bayles in New Orleans last Nay, the Captain
had already purchased four or five cotton gins in
cludng Of each manufacturers make, and alter
wards bought one from the pasntse. lie had also
engaged the American overseers in question. After
purchasing the patent GIN he persuaded the patentee
TO go to England, and offered TO advance ESQ to-
wards paying his expenses; 10 which the patentec
agreed, intending TO visit Epgland any how. And
accordingly all parties reached London 18th June.
The patentse came well recommended, and was in
troduc ed by friend 10 Sir Robert Campbell, of
The Directors OF the East India Company, who
planned TO him the changes the India Company had
unde rgons, from c,mmere ial aiding company to
mere political BODY. And such, they could not be
able either to purchase his patent, or TO build more
than six eight gins 10 sead out at first, and after
wards leave the enterprise to individual capital and
exertion.
The pa.cntec, however was urged by Capt Bayles
10 go down to Liverpool, where all the American
gins wer. landed, and where be and the Company
wished him put them up for trial on India cotton,
IN ts seeded state With American seed cotonprovi-
dcd for the purposs. lie. in company with Bayles
aud four nf the American overseeU, went down to
Liverpool for this purpose. And as the machines
were prohibited art ees by the revenue laws, con-
siderable delay occurred before an order could be
through the treasury for their admission, du