The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-08-06
THE WING u REG
.Eerms-@5 in Allyance.
3Dla,rterg 5Depatt,,sen
MISSISSIPPI COTTON m ADE,
No. 81.
ZOE III WnIg

FOR THE wHTG
Mr.. SteUenS:-In my former communities
tons upon the subject of the Cotton Trade
of our own State, have alluded q, and
partially explained, several circumstances
growing out Of, or connected wifi the im-
portant fact pretty generally admitted, that
the planters of Mississippi, class Of per-
sons proverbial for their industry, in the p1r-
suit Of, perhaps, the most profitable business
| of any considerable extent within the whole
range of agriculture, and by nature blessed
with the best possible means Of conducting
it, are, nevertheless, in point of nett profit.
far behind thousands who pursue far less
prof table business. This is a fact which
any intelligent man will see if he will. cast
bis eye over the State eff Mississippi And
not only do the farmers themselves, as such,
fail to enjoy the fruits Of their labor which
they really produce, but the State and every
citizen in it suffers large portion Of. Che
disadvantage. In vain do we look any where
in Mississippi for those extensive improve
ments or for that brisk, thrifty business-like
appearance which is fairly and legftimately
consequent upon an extensive expectation
from the soil. This wealth and improve
ment, however, does exist. And It may be
seen, chiefly in the city of NelU- Orleans,
and partly in the State of Kentuckg Al
Though we furnish an expectation equal TO
all the rest of the whole Great Valley, vet
in respect to Trode, we are a colony
dependent colony. We paw tribute to New
Orleans and Kentucky, with degree OF
submission, to say the least of it, very re-
markable.
All countries, ! believe, erc6p issisi
sippi, which have trade Of ang Ia po anca
land water where sea vessel oael
them, communicate direct with other trad
ing points, without the employment Of an
intermediate agency. If an intermediate
agency is necessary between Mississippi
and the Cotton Market, il is because of the
expense of bringing sea vessels to Vieksbura
and Natchez. And this expense must 8
course be enquired into. 1t is an axiom il
commerce that cannot be questioned, tina
the producer pays the expense of transport
ing the production from the fields where i
grows to the market where it is manufac
tured or used. And it makes no difference
whether the producer transports the articll
to market as his own or sells IT in the il
term. Still the producer pays the expenst
of the whole transportation. Or in othe
words, and which is the same thing. the ar
ticle is worth less where it is made thai
where it is used. AS much less as the cos
of transportation. So that the planters o
Mississippi are the persons interested in al
the round of expenses incurred by thei
cotton bales in their travel from the Gins t,
the Manufactures. The employmentso
any number of persons or agents, in an
capacity whatsoever, in and about the cottol
between these two points more than wha
:, is absolutely necessary, may be both pleas
!" ant and profitable to them, but every dolla
of the expense of it is Just so much Of
dead loss to the planters of this State. An
if theae be unnecessary expenses in til
present mode Of conducting the trade, III
u planters themselves must remedy the evi
e. Those who control and conduct the trad
OF now, are directly and Immediately interes
~ ed in increasing those expenses.
~ ~ We have seen that Mississippi Cotton SUI
tains very large amount of expense
various ways in New-OFleans such as /,
pressing, storage, drayage, re-shippine, il
surance, and an almost countless cataloue
of items, as we'll as most enormous amour
Of loss and damage The loss and damas
amounts to much more than the charged &.
penses. During the Cotton Season, Il
levee, yards and streets of New Orleans al
Exceedingly muddy. We know that
several weeks at time, every winter, II
utterly impossible for teams Of any kind
ne pass so that the cotton, when sold, can
nt, delivered. Under such circumstances,.l IT
ate impossible that il could be handled al
sd. shipped without damaging il greatly b
Lne notwithstanding al ibis II IS damaged
no various ways much more than IS necessai
Ia- II IS IN this mud, upon these streets II
oe levees that our cotton IS stored for mont
g at time; large cut with knife seveI
inches long IS made il every bale. viii
aak serves no other pFaclical purpose than
Y, give opportunity e thousand sabon
ate and loafers, g steal bg peaesneal m
re- bearded iron islTumenl VIII penetrate I
bale, making an incQls zee % inch bne
bring ont better or uef anp| dan
~ large handful taken f1om SO Nh