The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-06-30

And yet South Carolina was then proha'
bly, even more than now, interested IN the
export trade for although the actual amount
of her exports-cotton, rice and indigo
was less than it is at present, we think that
relatively il was more. AT that time, the
cotton States Of the South West we're al.
mos, uninhablted, and she was the prlncl.
pal producer Of that great staple on this
continent whereas she is now OF less
than secondary rank among the cotton
States, so Hunted is her capacity of pro-
duciion, and so heavy the cost, as compar-
ed with the fertile valley Of the Mississippi
while her export of indigo has long ago
been cut off by that of the East Indies, and
that of her rice, if i, is not diminishing, has
not materially increased.
And this remark leads US TO say that the
day is not far distant, unless the signs CT
the times be singularly deceptive, when the
fate that attended the indigo will overtake
the cotton of the South, SO far as the de.
mand for the English market is concerned
This apprehension, we are aware, is deri.
ded as chimerical by some persons, who are
reluctant to admit any fact which initiates
against a theory, imblbed from their col
lege text books and nurtured by their pc
li,ical an,ipathies and prepossesslons. But
the voice Of the past, as well as events
Transporting before their eyes, should, It
seems to US, be sufficiently emphatic and
unequivocal to dspel the illusion under
which they labor, and to convince them,
that, however sound, as speculative truths,
may be the free trade dogmas of Adam
Smith, they can never safely be adopted
BY any one nation, as the basis of its com
mercial policy, while all siher nations dis
card them, and legislate upon diametrically
opposite principles.
What says the, rOice Of the Past as
soon as the independence of these States
was established, "Great Britain, through
the Eas, India Company, (says the Address
OF the Wing members of the New York
Legislature 10 their constituents directed
her attention to Asia in order 10 cut Cd
those articles (indlgo and rice) from thi;
country. OF indigo, the total imports il
Great Britain in 1852, was 495, OIL pounds
of which 400, 566 pounds came from the
United States, and onIy %, 535 pounds from
Asia. 10 l7Ss, the total imports Of that
article amounted 2,0S6 90I pounds, of
which, l,060,l G4 pounds were received
from this country, and l,025,737 pounds
from Asia. In May, 1892, the Directors
of the East India Company first announced
10 the British government the success OF
their attempt TO make the indigo OF lndia
surpass that Of America, and to exclude 1t
from the English market; and now indigo
has CEASED 10 be raised in the United
States" This IS what has been done in re
ference to an article which once formed {
considerable item in the exports of South
Carolina.
And what do The erent5 ROE transpirins
clearly iHdlcate "Fhe same policy (sayl
the New York Address, is now being pur
sued with reference 10 rice, which will be
fore many years be also excluded from the
Eoglsh market, by reason Of the great sup
ply tina, country will obtain from her Eas
India colonies. The same remark is alsC
applicable to the great Southern staple o
Gotten; and the day is close at hand wher
the English manufacturer will prescribe hi;
own low price to the Southern planter, Of
refuse TO take bis product. That this even
is near ,ranspirlng, is evident from the wei
established fact that the cotton crop IN III,
East Indies in lsll is more than the en-
tire crop 10 the United States in 1927, an
more than our total exports in any yea
prior to 1882, being estimated al 800,00l
bales, and showing an increase more rap
than at any tine 10 the U. States since il
Introduction into this country. Thes9 fact
should convince our Southern friends tina
within the short period Of six years lbel
must propose 10 grow cotton at four or sil
cents per pound, or turn their attention t,
something else" The Address from which
we have made this extract was written sew
eral weeks ago-and It's prediction seems
by The tenor Of the last adylces from Eag
land, TO be nearer 10 its confirmation thai
we bad supposed possible. The Lyerpoo
Mercury OF the 18th Of April, states, that
during the preceding week, the total amour
OF imports into that city wss 907S bags c
cotton, OF which 1892 we're from the Uni
ted States, 1862 from Bombay, 1888 froa
the West Indies, and 696 from Brazil
The same paper contains the following Ia
Bile OF exports into Great Britain, for six
teen weeks. ending April 22, for the pas
and present year:
Year 1919. Year 1871