The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-11-18

l tdf IiIS@dlL WHtit Sbe NUulu luI ilsII t'oS'
ample supplies of cotton, SO as to render
! the British manufacturers entirely indie.
pendent of the United States. gliSh
paper.
; The measures recently taken for the
: Improvement Of the cotton culture in In
dia, and the prevailing tone of the Eng
liSI! Journals, present matter Of great IN
lcresl 10 the United States, and especially
to tie South. The plans formed and ex
pccra;inns entertained, whether they have
! their unigin in fanalicism or Slate policy,
or il both combined, cannot be realized
without revolution in the present com.
rncrciaI relations between our country and
Great Britain. We can readily perceive
that the strongest considerations impel
the British authorities to the course they
have taken. The gliltering advantages OF
a monopoly Of the cotton trade, enmiiy
to Southern slavery, jealousy Of Ameri-
can manufactures. and trade, and power,
present powerful Incentives. Add 10 this
desire to strengthen their position in the
East, in anticipation of conflict with
Russian ambition, which they foresee
must cone sooner or later.
Let us suppose that the cotton Of the
Southern United States has been supplant.
ed in the British market by that of India.
Whether the change is sudden or gradual
as in The natural order of things it wonld
be, requiring many years for lis compile
tion. the result is the same; and that re-
suit must be the diversion to other foreign
markets Of nearly one half the foreign
trade Of the United States, or its annlhl-
lation to the same extent, unless other
products can be made to take the place OF
cotton. The magnitude Of the cotton
trade, and the importance Of the agricul-
ture Of the South, are not properly ap-
precialed. In 1880, the entire exports
from the United States being estimated at
lC3 millions Of dollars, the value of cot
ten exported amounted to 6l millions of
dollars, considerably more than one half
the foreign exports. The value of the
cotton carried to Great Britain was 4G
millions; the imports from Great Britain
during the same year being estimated at
Gt millions Of dollars. 1t seems a con-
clusion Of just reason. that if Britain fails
to take our cotton, with which we have
formerly paid for British goods to the
amount Of 46 millions of dollars, our i'm
portations of English manufactures must
be curlailcG by al least that amount. or
reduced from 6l to Is millions. Eng land
must find other outlets for the products
Of her factories, or the consequence will
be loss to her capitalists, and distress
among her operatives. India may rea-
snnably be expected 10 furnish a market
that will 10 some extent compensate the
loss Of the American trade. The United
States must find other purchasers for cot
ton, or the production will be greatly d.
minished. May not the result be pro-
motion Of American manufactures more
efftctual than by the artificial stimulus Of
any protective tariff that could be dcvi
sed!
A question may arise respecting the
feasibility Of tho plan for the culture of
cotton in India: The British possessions
in that country comprise territory OF
half million of square miles, nearly
equal in extent to the twelve slaveholdne
States of our Union, with soil abundant
ly fertile, and climate similar to that OF
the Southern United States and the West
Indies, and with dense population. In
1891, when the estimated production OF
cotton in the United States was two mil
lions of pounds, that Of India was one
hundred and thirty million pounds. Even
so late as 1884, when the amount raised
in the United States was four hundred and
sixty millions of pounds, TINT Of India
was one hundred and eighty millions, 1t
is possible That from some cause the qua
llity muy be so inferior as to fail to sustain
competition with the American product,
as is the case with India rice, when COM
! pared to that of Carolina, the latter COM
manding even in the English market more
than double the price Of the former. A
moro important consideration is the diff
ference in freight in favor Of The Ameri-
can product. SOUTHERNEk.
FROM TEXAS.
From the New Grleaas Picayunc Of the
25lh ult. we have the annexed important