The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-01-09
OF The following letter, addressed to the


Hon. FRANcls S. Lyon, of Demopolis, Ala,
handed US by friend, we think cannot fail to
he interesting to all cotton planters and dealers.
The author writes as one who knew his subject.
LIVERPOOL, Nov. %, la49.
Dear Sir :-Havins been 4 locker on here
in Venice since August last. and entertaining
deep solic,udc Cor and sympathy with the pro.
ducers Of our great staple in the United States,
] am induced TO Offer to you and through you 10
the parties Immediately Interested few sug.
gestions, which if properly acted upon, must
have an important, and think an eftctual in.
huence in producing uniformity and certainty in
prices. The chief cause Of depression in orr
markets is that fatal and suicidal practice OF
throwing the whole crop into the markets in 3
or 4 months; this is nothing less than being
bound hand and foot and delivering yourselves
into the power Of your executioners. The de-
liyeries Of cotton into the several ports from
New Orleans to Charleston every week and
comparative statement Of the corresponding
week of the previous year is regularly posted up
in the Exchange News Room every week. and
these people consider every bale so delivered
as their legitimate prey, particularly when you
regularly from year 10 year gut the markets in
December, January, and February, crowdlng
your factors tables, and pressing sales, wh by
chance, the article is little up, when common
sense and reason should teach you that this is
the very thing that buyers. like 10 see. Reco!-
lect that there is not only in cotton but in all
other transactions wide difference between
twill you buy?" and twill you sell?"-irom
the days of Solomon down TO the present, The
cry of lhe buyer has been, "it is naught. it is
napght;" how much more then will it be the
case if they have market filled to rePeton.
Keep your cotton at home, withhold it from the
market, especially in those months, and only
send il forward when it is wanted, don't be
afraid Of its falling, nothing can make it do SO
but this gul in The market. For series Of
years Pasi. even those Of greatest depression,
cotton has always been worth ten cents, aud it
would have been insured 10 the planter if it had
been hsId, aad venture the assertion that there
is no investment that would pay so well as cot.
ton withheld from market at periods OF depres-
sion. Again, cotton has within The past year,
been placed upon much higher and more Ger.
tain basis than ever before, and my firm COMIC.
tion is, from all have seen and learned here,
that with reasonable degree Of prudence on
the part of producers, in withholding their crops
that prizes may be, and will he maintained at
an average of 10 to IL l.2 cents for years 10
come there is not one good reason against it,
while there are many in its favor. The sue.
cessful introduction OF steam navigation by sea,
has opened up vast markets for cotton goods
unknown to the world as consumers of our IA.
brics few years ago when you and were
boys no young lady considered herself becom.
ingly dressed for ball or wedding without an
India Muslin Robe--now India and the Brazils
are considered the most important markets for
all kinds OF cotton goods from Eng land. France
and the Continent now take fully halt as much
ofthe raw material as England does, and they
are urging forwards and increasing their man
ufac,orcs with great artlor, and see that the
Southern States are awakening to the imPor.
lance Of this subject. God grant it may con.
tnue and extend. Instead ofincreasng your cnl.
tnrc, invest your surplus funds in manufactures,
thus rendering your cotton crops secure OF
good price and at the same time large profits
from the manufactured article. Another reason
why think prices will be maintained in future
j., that consumption has ovcriakcn the produc-
ton. The surplus stock OF American cotton IN
Liverpool was sOs,l00 bales OH the 3lsl De-
ccmber, lS45. The stock reported last week
vas only 245,5lO. Allowing the average
weekly consumption for the remainder OF tune,
it must be reduced to or even below 100000
by the Isl of December next, with the certain
~ Of the incoming crop being very deficient.
Indeed, from what saw and knew of the state
of the crops before left the United States,
with wha, have heard since, | should not be
surprised should it turn out even less than that
OF is4s, which was l,775,637 bales. Should
This prove to be the case, or the crop net reach
much above 100000, all who hold to their
cotton will get well paid for it, before May or
Juue next. The wants OF the world require
three millions OF bales at least, for which 1t is
mainly dependant on us for all this b"as, OF
Indas, Egyptians, Pcrnans, Snrats, falcsiIncs,
&c. &C., aud " oiher COUNTRIES that they pa
rade 80 ostentatiously before the public, amounts
in fact to nolhing-many OF these bales are not
larger than good plantation meal bag ana hold
abort as much. Having glanced at the Impor-
lance of pressing forward our domestic manu-
factories, allow NE now TO give you an extract
from work Of Mr.. Burn on the statistics Of
the cotton trade. He says "the value of the
whole export of British and Irish prodncr, for
the last three years, has been as follows: In
1914, s5O,G49, ,3O6 1s45, E53,29s, ,O26; 1916,
E51,279,735; of which cotton manufactures
and cotton yarn formed G25,505,339, E26,.