The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-05-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
SLAVE LABOR IN COTTON FACTO
RIES.

SLAVE LABOR IN COTTON FACTO-
RlES.
The Pensacola Gazette describes the Ar
calia Cotton Factory. wh'ch is now IN sue
cesslul operation:
st, is worked entirely by slave labor, runs
"a looms, all turns out 1000 yards OF cot
ton Der dav. The problem is here solved of
the adequacy of slave labor to manutac'ur-
inc purposes. The Gazette remarks that
the cost of the raw material is the great e!e-
ment Of expenses in the manufacturing OF
coarse cotton goods. When cotton is worth
cents at Pensacola, it is worth 1-2 cents
laid down at Lowell. Here is difference
then of Just fifth, or twenty cents in the
dollar. The Arcadia Factory will, when
completed, work up 1000 pounds per day.
Here is a clear saving of sl5 per day in the
raw material alone, enough probably to Iced
all The operatives engaged in the work.
We have no doubt Of the success of slave
labor in iabrica,ing all common goods male
of cotton and'wool And as these great sta
ples are nearly worthless excep, for manu-
factures of some kind, nothing is palmer than
tho prnprie,y of spinning and weaving at the
South these products of its soil. Withdraw
onc.lourlh of the hands now employed IN
overS,ockng the markets Of tho world with
COTTON. by its too extensive culture, and set
them at work with machinery for its cheap
manufacture. and slave labor will be render
ed twice as profitable as ii now is. II re-
unires no more intellect to manage cotton
picker. spinning. jenny, or power-loom than
tn hold pow, use hoe, or an axe. Skill
and expertness at the latter are as much me-
ebunical arls as any performed IN cotton or
woolIen mill. Of course, al arts must be
practicrd to be learned, whether they relate
TO iilIage, manufactures. or navigation.
At the present reduced prices, the cotton
now stored in this city and Hamburg, is
worth about a million and half oi dollars.
an amount of capital which has earned no.
thing since harvest Had the water IN the
Savannah, which falls forty five lcct between
the inlet and outlet OF our silnrt canal, been
fairly applied to the spinning and weaving of
this cotton. il would this day be worth toe
million of dollars. Having The means to
render our planters and business men of all
classes far more independent OF England
and Europe than they now are, It Is ques-
ton of great inutncnt whether we Will or
will moi. avail ourselves Of all our natural
advantages.
In 1916 there were spun in En- gland and
Scotland 495. .O33, 100 pounds Of cotton yarn.
Ofthis Isl, 0.495, ,O33,l09 pounds were
exported in the shape Of yarn or twist; l4O,-
263,54S, pounds in plain cotton cloth, bleach
ed and unbleachcd, and in what arc called
unded and are printed calIcoes. If we add
these figures together we have, as per Off
cial returns 10 Parliament, total export oi
the goods named, equal to 305,393,6O3
pounds.
1t is to the manufacture of cotton yarns
and plain fabrics that slave labor is best
adapted. The above figures show excu-
sively that the wants of the human family
require more ofthese goods than of all others
of our great staple. With cheap bread
s,uffs aud provisions set down at our own
doors, cheap labor in excess, cheap water
power, and bales Of cotton on hand by the
hundred thousands, which nobody will pur
chase al fair price, and millions more grow
ing, and exhausiDg the soil, is i, not time
that we look at this matter in sober earnest!
The unfortunate waste Of the raw material
which nature uses in forming cotton plants,
is a calamity not at all appreciated as it
should be. If bag Of cotton is worth twen-
sty-four dollars, the ingredients in the soil are
worth at least six dollars. The injury done
ioa State by the impoverishment Of its soil
has never yet been fairly stated, much less
duly considered. The misfortune reacts
with blighting influence on all city and vii
= lage property, and on every interest OF the
community both rural and urban.
By growing fewer poI.nls of cotton on a
plantation, it can be raised at similar cost
per pound, whilst its price will be much high
er. The common objection to manufactures
at the South, from an alleged lack OF capi-
tai, is more matter of fancy than fact,
There is just as much capital in Georgia 10
spin and weave cotton, as there is to pro-
duce the raw material. 1t cannot be other.
wise than that large surplus of wealth over
consumption is annually produced. Instead
OF sending this surplus money out of the
State to purchase more field hands and mules
in order to wear out whatever of virgin sol
is still left in growing cotton at five cents
pound, let the annual surplus be invested II
cotton mills, so as to add double and treble
value to every bale made in the State. The
planters Of Georgia can invest few millions