Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-17
THE GREAT STAPLE.


ceive is The Commercial Review OF The South
and West" edited at New Orleans by J. b. u
Dc Bow. Il is an able and learned exponent OF
the interests of that vast and growing section
OF our county, which is destined, ere long 70
WELD an imme nse influence upon the poll'icai aho
commercial desinies Of this whole nation.
The April No. opens with very engaging
naper on the Cotton plant. ltdevelopes in clear
and admirably connected manner, The eariiess
knowledge we have 10 relation TO The grown "
the cotton plaintiffs culture among Inc ane'euS
lie history in America-and the extent OF 'n'
.o,,on trade lis difficult TO determine Inc exact
r.,;od when cotton was first cuitiva'ed ~ 'ne
a;asr.n, COTTON sections Of The UnHeo old"s.
From The researches Of Mr.. SeaorooK, Inc en-
zion, President of The State Agricultural society
of sooh Carolina, the culture OF this staple was
ATTEMPTED 10 be forced upon The planters OF w
o;n;a one hundred and thirty years before lhe ne
uo,o,;on Out of Ibis contest Of Tie molher couh-
,rv 10 prescribe The employment OF The COLONY
and the resistance Of the Virginia planters 10 'ie
.ncroachment, arose The navigation acts, as lhey
are called which prohibited the receipt or export
&c arv European commodities other than ihose
carried 10 them BY Englishmen or EnsIsh-onll'
ships. The &C. Of Charles I'd in similar sp''
Ri was calculated 10 depress the value oil 'ooac-
90 and the Virsinans were driven to other CROPS
cotton among the rest.
,ro show the wonderful increase OF the e1pof-
,a,ion Of this valuable staple, we may reer 70 .ue
,,nob,ble ncjden, which occurred IN iio7,
only sixry-,wo years ago, OF eight bags OF cos'oh
teins seized in England, on The ground 'hA' %
much cotton could no, possibly be the produce Oh
The United States! In 1885, the export value OF
cotton from The u States was sixly-one millions
Of dollars.
The article closes with some interesting pa'sa-
aes, showing the complete failure Of Inc o'''''h
Government 10 raise up in the East lnoies great
rival 10 our cotton-growing interest. we nave
already referred TO the bursting OF lois ouoole,
which was 10 render Great Britain indePen-
d.n, Of u.s. The following sketch confirms
the gratifying position that The Un''ed States
stand Without rival 10 the production OF ms
immense staple, upon which the comfort ana
wealh OF nations are TO SO great an extent
has.a. With this hook We may hold quiet Inc
srea, "Leviathan of the deep" With the magic
wand OF the cotton plant, We may preserve inc
mace Of the world. England requires our cotton
"a preserve her thousands of operative, from dle-
ness and starvation, and 10 increase her own ma
,iopal wealth She cannon 90 to war win US, oe-
c.rse we hold in our hands the destinies Oh nef
manufacturing population. Nature has decreed
that we should have The exclusive controi Oh 'hc
cotton market-and, b. liberal commercial regu-
la,ions we may no, cay enrich ourselves, ou'
preserve the peace Of the world. II we snali
..;z. The present favorable moment 10 strike OH
,hs m;sebieyous restrictions which are calculated
70 keep up i'll feelings with other nations, anu 10
onera,e iniuriously upon ourselves; If we meet
in the proper spirit The free trade movements
which are sprineing up in Great Britain, ana
which are destined, we hope, 10 sweep over ihe
world. we shall enjoy The cheering spectacle oil
u, n,,ions united in peace and good will by The
lies Of ncres. and BY the civilizns action OF conf
msrce. Bn. 10 the extracts fromthe Commercial
R.v;ew which Gcpic, The failure OF the East H.
dia scheme, upon shich:ae British GeFefnincR'
50 foudly relied 10 cripple our strength alc ensure
her own proud independence
.sThe cotton OF Inc East Indies ranges lowest IN
ouali.y AMI value. IL is imported in large qnan-
,ilics into Europe, bnt, from want OF skill IN cal
.iyation and in picking, eYcies but i'it' regard.
Every edor, has been made on he pafI OF me
British authorities 10 improve The qoaiiy OF ihiS
staple but thus far The efforts nave oeet i9u"ess,
and although millions have been expended The
desired result seems no nearer attained than :;
6rst. The policy of Britain has been 10 build up
nor Eas, al the expense of her West India posses
sions and ultimately, In the production OF cotioa
a, leas; al the expense of the United States; ant,
indeed II Nature did not present an insuPefabIe
obstacle, the last would have long since been ei-
fected for there has been no want OF capital and
enterprise on her part
"The people Of the South we quote IRON an
article in the Southern Quarterly, have been
dreaming that their ola enemy, Lord Cornwa'l,',
was dead, and lha. he wonld never trouble The
South more. Though dead, be lives 10 marble
and on canvass in Great Britain, and in the cot
ton. rice. sugar aud indigo plantations through
out the British Empire 10 India. He was defeat
ed. il is true, in the South, by Washington and
Lafayette, but in less than ten years from that
defeat he succeeded in conquering nifty millions
OF people in Asia, stripped Tippoo Saib Of hait
his dominions, and, as il in vengeance LOT MS ae
fea, in America, raised up IN As'a powerful
competition which now threatens to rob The South
OF her agricultural wealth. 10 1893 The East In
d;a Company purchased three little villages ex.
tending about three miles on the Eastern margin
of The Gapees. The ground on which these VIII
Iases stood forms the site OF the great city Of Cal
cu,ta, containing al present upwards OIL oVO ooo
inhabitants. Il is the only commercial rival
which New Orleans has TO dread IN the whole
world
an has been regarded as worthy Of note, that.
nm the very day tha, the bill passed in England
for abolisSing slavery in the West Indies, an act
was nasssd for effecting an arrangement win Inc
East India Company, and for the better govern
,nent of his maies,y's Indian territories "A des-
no,;e government ia then established giving 10
an English governor-general, or overseer, iu'i
power over The lives and property OF all persons
except native born Englishmen.
aUnder so complete system, the East INDIA
Comnany went forthwith into he cultivation Of
cotton ON an extensive scale. They sent 10 Inc
limited States an agent to procure men accuslom-
ed 10 the improved growth OF the staple 10 Lou
;s;.,a EIGHT or len individuals OF this descrip-
,ion were found, who, in consideration OF the
high inducements held out left Nalchez, M'ssis-
sippi, in 1910, in the service OF The Company,
carving with them seed cotton, gins, models OF
gin houses, etc. Their term OF serves was
sereed upor for FIVE years. From the manner ID
which Cant. Bayles. the servant of the Company
was received in this country, says the Quarterly,
and the object oil his mission promoted, the
thought occurred 10 US, that the South, so famous
for the refinement and intelligence of It's inhaoi-
tan,s. was nevertheless behind The age in spc-
cies Of knowledge of vital importance. On any
other supposi,ion the open-hearied generous nos
pital;ty with which they welcomed Capt ba:ies
and s,roye 10 be foremost in promoting The object
OF his mission, canno, be satisfactorily account
cd for We all know, however, that, with all The
capital of the company, The judgment of the
agent, and the skill of the American planters ms
experiment in India has entirely tailed; ana lna'
ihn.e who have returned home consider the I'M
dertakins Of producing hne cotton as altogether
hopeless"
A communication from King & Queen states,
tina, they have 1.-TWO candidates in that county
both Democra;s-but that Gaines, The late mem
Der, will probably be elected, as there is an un-
willingness TO exclude him. although he is not
.n,;r.,y x,t;sfaetorv Tbere sre three candidates