The Arkansas banner., 1845-02-26
THE PLANTING INTEREST.

The runous depreciation III the value ot one of our great staples, Cotton, the suddenness with which the decline has taken place, and drearY prospect of reaction that the iu- ture presents, have given birth 10 various suggestions designed to foster the idea that combination might be brought about on this side of the Atlantic, of an extent and potency equal to sustaing prices at q point that would remunerate producer The plans shadoWed forth for eflecting this object are, many of them. so wild and impractcable, as to betray their origin; depressed and disappointed slate of mind produced by disasters that have come upon a large class of citizens with a rapidity that allowed brief preparation for a crisis so overwhelming. This decline seems
 to have been owlHg to natural cases, as every speculation that has been entered into to ar rest 1t has resulted in lossos to the parties concerned. Now that over production has worked its legitimate consequence, 1t IS cu- rious to reflect upon the infatuation that urged the great body Of Southern planters upon a catastrophe that moderate degree of saeacitY. and caution must have foreseen.- But as prices receded the planter strove to make up the difference in increased crops the very policy that was sure to aggregate the evil
 Amongst the numerous remedies proposed for the existing state of things, a Convention cf Cotton Planters has been suggested. The object of this body will be to devise means fer reducing the quantity of staple produced. It Is much to be feared that such conven- ton would not come to any definite arrange ment either i'll respect to the ratio of decrease or the modes of etlecling il. 1t would have, in tue first rlaee, 10 determine the amount of crop to be raised t would Be necessary 10 apPortion this amount among the ecottongroW- ing States, and then again amongst individual planters. Any general rule of reduction would bear so heavily upon certain districts as would make t oppressive. Say, fer in- stance, that 1t would be determined that the crop Is oNe-thifd too large, and to reduce 1t within the limits agreed upon, 1t should be further decided that every planter should re- duce the production on his estate one-third, by planting one-third less acres in cotton.- Would not this be an onerous condition for the young planter who has just begun the business with force portlonately large Ill comparison with the number ol acres he has prepared for cultivation Or should any l other arbitrary measure be adopted, the n- stance of hardship under 1t would make it unpopular. Suppose 1t was agreed that no more than a certain number of bales should be raised 10 the hand, how would this affect the eultiyators of up-lands The tillers of the rich bottom soils would be the only sui ferers; the reduction would fall on them ex- cluslYely Il Is almost, If not quite impos- slhle, to devise any rule or measure that will not work unequally, when applied to such an extent oi country, to such q variety of soil and modes of cultivation. Besides, were convention to agree to any fixed mesure that promised success if faithfully carried out, what sanctions could it give of enforcing ac- l quiescence in ils mandates The decrees of the convention would be binding only upon those who were members of il, or who sent delegates to represent them in that body.- The obligation of even these would be merely a moral one-sueh as the upright and hon. orable would fulfil with scfupHlous fidelity. But many would not. The planters might denounce such, and justly too, as recreant members of society, and ostracise them from all tellowship-yet denunciatlons of this sort would have little weight with those whose sense of honor would net keep them within the terms of their engagement. And then again the large numbers who would not agree 10 be represented in the convention would scarcely be held amenable 10 its decrees.
 Is there then no remedy; Although Me donbt the power of conventions to furnish one, we think the good sense of the planter may-and this too will be done. if done al i all action. Self-intefest should long ago have done that which self-delence will soon make necessary to be done. When it is known that crop of seventeen hundred thousand bales will fetch more money than one of twenty-tour hundred thousand 1t seems strange that planters do not employ their la hef ln raising other products than eotton.- hat the smaller crop would sell for more actual money than lhe largest one needs 10 other demonstration than tue commercial his- tory oi the past year. Just twelve months aga the impression Was very general tbat the crop la the United States would full short of that el the preceding year hy six hundred thousand bales The effect of this belief was io faise prices to q poiat oi nearly loo per cent. above what they rule now-ths. loe, in the iace of the large surplusses of the pre- yioits tears. Besides tha difference a thc actual returns oi specie, the planters al-aare great losers n ihe esia expense of getting tee i1rge crop lo market This l5em aleHe. winch appears insignificant ia company vith the huge statistics ot aeolton crop. Wlll make 1ae planters fiei in leV seaFs h pgopaa- Nas u iste allk ai esup. lraIehis and other cHsrges n ihe mere hamliing and g5aaspaFia. tinH ai | ipeFasse Haf 08If 4naa the eSeess. H9fi HFeu tHfF fHfre pF6au5toa Na afe siE1a bounds w6,su ee sse thst tle rxaast. sss 9l sesaHg snAH ei iaa millions laaz zsss5s ssss s.fsEsss ss fssz Nsssia 44ssf tis.st el s.ssfHsHHas aas U egsH milton
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