The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-23


appear, at least as rivals Of England in foreign mar
keis Not less than seven tariffs have since been
enacted on the continent Of Europe against the
netition of England; and the prospect now is, that
ibev will be rather increased than diminished. In
addition TO this, very serious revolution in COM
merce and manufactures and thereby IN the relative
position of empires, has been effected by the intro
duction of the cotton monopoly into the United States
which, in my opinion, though well understood in
Europe, is, as yet far from being duly appreciated
throughout the United States.
Al the time that the Portuguese, Spaniard, Dutch,
and English fought for supremacy, their great OBJ
+ ect was to establish some kind Of monopoly which
should render the rest Of the world tributary to
them. In proportion as colonial articles became
generally introduced in Europe, they fought for the
Possession of the most fertile colonies-not to ex-
tend their territories but to obtain a monopoly of
The favorite article Of consumption Holland, for
long WHILE enjoyed the monopoly of the spice trade,
(which has been partially restored to her since
1857 and brutality cruel were the proceedings by
which she endeavored to preserve that monopoly.
lava and Havana have since acquired the ascend
ency in the production Of sugar and coffee, Java
has besides, obtained almost monopoly in the
production of indigo) but far more important than
either, or the growing colonial wealth of Brazil, is
the huge cotton production Of the United States, which
furnishes two-thirds Of the active trading capital Of
America The monopoly is two-fold: first, as re-
cards quality; and second in reference to quantity.
Sugar, coffee, tea and tobacco though articles Of
ptru great consumption, yet far from being abso
Lutte neeessaries Of life. Their consumption varies in
different countries. 1t is probably largest in the
United States. Their next greatest consumption is
in England and the north of Europe; while the
south finds, in wine and other beverages, substi-
tute for tea and coffee; and in bee-root sugar, even
a substitute for the sugar manufactured from cane.
While the consumption of those staples is thus
limited and liable TO huctuaion, their production is
Az ~. IL. r. tlNz v..l.a
in Java, the East Indies, and the boundless empire
Of Brazil. The case is quite different with cotton.
Cotton is the cheapest article Of clothing while sugar
coffee and tea not the cheapest articles of food
there u.s. therefore, prospect Of the staple charac
ter of cotton being soon changed. Its tendency, on
the contrary, is towards universally of application
The manufacture of cotton, or of articles in which
cotton enters largely a component part, has been
steadily increasing for the last thirty years. and an i'm
mense amount of capital, exceeding by far the sums
invested in any other kind ofndustry, is employed in
it, The introduction ofmachinery, and the application
Of steam, has wonderfully increased the amount Of
the products by rendering them cheap, and is at this
moment furnishing employment to hundreds Of
thousands of people in every civilized country. OF
all the applications of machinery to manufactures
that to the spinning and weaving of cotton is the
most important II is an element not only of wealth,
but of power and the foundation Of the whole indus
trial edifce of Great Britain.
manufactures have sprung up in every part of Eu-
rope Belgium, France, and the States of the Ger
man Zol-Veren have been able successfully to COM
pete with England in many branches of industry,
such as the manufacture Of linen, woollen cloths,
cutlery fire, arms glass; leather &C.; but in the man.
ufacture of cotton Great Britain outstripped them
all. Her superiority in weaving, but more espe-
caly in spinning that great staple, more than bal
anced the losses she sustained in other branches,
and rendered, in fact the whole continent of Europe
tributary to her industry. England possesses, in
this respect, the advantage of concentrated capital
besides abundance Of coal and iron for the con-
sruction and working of machinery. The Germans
and Belgians still import between seventy and
eighty millions of pounds of twist annually from
England, and France is obliged to admit English
twists above the number 200 fine, duty free. As
long as England is thus able to maintain her manu-
featuring supremacy in cotton she domneers the
European continent. If, by any combination of cir
cumstances, she were to lose it, the decline of her
other branches of industry, and with it that of her
commerce and navigation, would necessarily follow.
From this brief exposition, we may easily COM
prehend the extreme anxiety of the British gov
eminent to encourage the cotton industry of Eng
land, to every obstacle that can impede its
progress, and the somewhat morbid desire of rem
dering itself master of every avenue leading to it,
Here it is where England and the United States
meet; for although England has, at least to GER
tain extent, the supremacy in the manufacture Of
cotton, America enjoys, as yet, in the most abso-
lutte manner, the monopoly Of the ro,c material.
This monopoly it is that England looks upon with
such apprehensons for her safety; and to break
down which, all her efforts for the last thirty years
have been constantly directed As long as articles
Of cotton are as necessary for common consumption
as bread, their defective manufacture in one coun-
try must instantly be supplied by another; the
failure Of the wheat crop in one place, is always
followed by a proportional increase in the exports
from another An interruption in the cotton man.
ufacure Of England, therefore, would at change
the direction of that industry; it would transfer it to
Belgium, France, Germany, or the United States;
and, by taking away the great basis of the indus
trial fabric of Great Britain, shake the whole sys-
tenn to its foundation England (to sum up the ar
gumenD depends for her commercial and indus
trial supremacy on the manufacture of cotton and
is dependent for the material of that nanufac-
| ture on the production of the United States.
As long as this state Of dependence lasts, Eng
land is not free agent. However she may feel
disposed to break with America, she is obliged to
yield to her superior INTEREST," for she has not only
to calculate her position toward the United States,
but her manufacturing relations to her European
| neighbours and the world generally. What she
| most breads, in a war with America, is not the
amount Of direct damage she might sustain in
the actual conflict but the decline Of her industry;
and, what is worse, and more fatal to her lasting
prosperity corresponding progress which would
be made by her neghbors. As long as England
Is dependent on America for cotton, she has all to
lose, and nothing to gain from war; so that, if she
be wise, she WILL for good many years to come,
prefer negotiation to actual hostiites.
Meanwhile, England has been doing allein her
power to prepare for conflict with the United States.
She has endeavored (hough not succeeded) to
pacify Ireland; she has coquetted with France and
Russia for an alliance; and she has made public
display Of the ourishng condition of her exchequer.
Yet has she financially done nothing but remove the
burden from where it was longer to be borne,
unto shoulders capable of sustaining it. She has
not been able to conquer the national prejudices of
The French and the Russians are, by their geo.
graphical position, too much opposed to England
ever to become her friends. Accordingly, England
has not yet armed herself and, Notwithstanding the
buster of her papers, will not do So Who does
not know that in her present position, it would be
very difficult and costly problem for England to
collect $4,000 men on point and what force
would that be to act with, to effect invasion of the
United States Neither is she over-anxious to in
crease the expenses Of her navy; because every adj
uilonaI penny is likely to disturb the nice artificial
equilibrium of her complex machinery Of state. All
Inc warke appearances that the most sklllful obser-