The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-27
Anti-Cottom League.
practice.


the agricultural interest in the consumption of
domestic wool and flax, and in part upon ami
mostly to the system Of slave labor. The Lon
don Times, of the 9th instant, refers to it, in
tone of badinage, as follows:
"The great ti-cotton league is assuming for
midable aspect. Mr.. Ferrand, like another Father
Mathew, is administering the pledge to thousands
and though we have not yet heard of medal wc
believe that new Order of the Golden Fleece is in
serious contemplation He is attended by an Irish
nobleman, who If he is not blessed with 30 lively an
imagination, and 80 perfect command Of the
nacular, surpasses his colleague in the energy of
his denunciations. Which is the knight and which
the squire leave to those who have had better
opportunities of judging. AS the agricultursts are
every where taking the oath against calico, besides
eating and drinking TO its utter extirpaton.
and are invariably men Of their word, they must
by this time be taking active measures in their
villages. We take it for granted that they have
burnt every article Of cotton in their own ward
robes-evcry shirt, shift, stocking, nightcap, and
whatever else can possibly find place in laund-
ress's bill. They are destroying their laborcrs'
cotton smock frocks, fustians and corduroys their
calico sheets and counterpanes, and making lib
eral distribution of broad-cloths, fannels, lnsey-
woolseys, jerseys, sergcs stufs, woolen stockings,
and whatever our fathers before vianous
cotton was invented But why don't we hear Of
wool being more in demand? There is mystery
hanging over this part of the subject Do the
farmers hesitate to preach in their villages the
doctrine they profess in the towns? Or are they
clothing their laborers in raw hides-in sheep
skins or asses' skins! For few weeks longer, in
deed very small degree of clothing is necessary,
and in the present state of the agricultural interest
it Is possible that people deep in the country may
be relapsing to very primitive state of apparel;
but as the season advances there certainly ought to
be very great advance in the price of wool, or
Mr. Ferrand's leaguers are playing him false.
son Saturday there was great wool gathering
in the town-hall of Reading. MIR. Ferrand of
course, there, and spoke with his characteristic
vivacty; but his speech SO tame after the Mar
quis of Downshire's that might be said the meet
ing, like March, came in lion and went out a
lamb. The following is part of speech delivered
by the marquis to 300 gentlemen, at dinner at
Reading last Saturday
'sI did not come here this day to do things by
halves. No; came here to speak out, and to call
things by their proper names. loud cheers
And Inow declare that wish this citation to be con-
sidered a Pourance the part of the farm
ers against the Manchester cotton manufacturers.
[Cheering.l Now, mark my words-I will stand
by them-and If there be penalty attached to
them, on my head let it fall. ! recommend you
and all Englishmen to abstain from dealing in
single ounce Of their blood stained cotton goods
Loud cheers.l Nay, more; the Wings have
resolutely resisted all efforts to obtain Justice
as they have given the government patronage only
to their own party, and to those whom they think
they get 10 back them and bring round to their
purposes until it has become notorious that it
is useless and absurd for Tory to apply to them
for situation and they have descended 30 low
at elections to apply the screw, and to threaten
shopkeepers that if they do not vote for the govern
ment candidate they will take the Queens Arms
off their shop fronts IsbameI--that know to be
fact, and pledge my word for the truth of it--so
do recommend you to give your custom only to
those whom you know to be your friends, and
whom you arc certain will vote the right way.
[Cheersl That is plain English, / think. Laugh
ter and chcers.l''
The Liverpool Mercury refers TO the subject
in the same vein. Perhaps it is scarcely wor-
thy Of serious comment. The use of cotton
rests upon Its cheapness and admirable adapta-
ton to the purposes of clothing, from the heav-
lest and coarses, to the most delicate descrip-
ton. No substitute can now be found that can
compete with it and while the interests of
mankind dictate its use, it will continue to be
employed. Ii may, however, deserve the con-
sderation of the planters, how far the free
trade policy of their English friends operates to
their advantage. They have been disposed TO
be satisfied with the efforts of the men of
Manchester to nculcate their doctrines in
this country, but when they come TO re-
duce them to practice at home, the result is
seen to be that the agriculturists, who are
smarting under its effects, are devisng the
means of protecting themselves, and retaliating
upon their opponents at the expense Of the
American grower Of the staple from which
they derive their profits. They avail them
selves, to this end, of that hostility to slave
labor which is so deeply seated in the minds
of their countrymen. And what are the
Manchester men doing2 Do they endeavor 10
break the force of that sentiment Not in the
least. They, too, are laboring to make the
most of it, for the purpose of enlisting Paria-
ment In efforts to increase the growth Of cotton
in India. To the strength of that feeling they
have added, by their free trade policy, the strong
motives Of interest and revenge among all
those who derive their subsistence from the
cultivation of the soil.
The security of the planters consists in the
fact that. If this combination should be as en-
trely successful as the most exasperaied far
mer in England could desire, if cotton could
be banished from use in the British Islands,
the greatest and best market for it would still be
left. They would then appreciate the import
ance of the fact, that, though the most cotton
is spun in Great Britain, the most is ,co,n in
the United States. The total consumption of
cotton by the q 800, 900 inhabitants of the
United Kingdom, upon an average deduced
from the returns of ten years, in 1899, has
been l20,000,0O0 Of pounds per annum, less
than half much az the recent consump-
ton in the United States--a consumption
tnat can be indefinitely increased if the
planters will only consent that the cotton
worn by their countrymen shall be spun by
their own hands, and by machinery of their
own construction, wrought out of iron that