The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-08-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
Oyeur-Production of Cotsor,

Gently published, asks our reason for
The opinion We expressed. some time
ago, that there was no danger what
ever of the over.production of cotton.
Our 6rst reason is the general one,
that applies to oil products. When
ever the production Of any cornmodi-
Sy becomes Improbable, it will be
promptly reduced by q resort to some
other that pays better. Hence tho
least and the rarest Of evils is over.
production of any thing useful.
But there is no probability that the
consumption or price of cotton will
for ages be such as to indicate re.
duction Of the supply. Thus far it
seems the United States contain the
only soil and climate we'll adapted to
the culture of cotton. The attempts
to raise it elsewhere-in India, Tur-
key Egypt and the West Indies have
thus far signally failed although
they had all the cooperation Of am.
pie means. In those countries it
seems the climate is not favorable.
It is warm enough but is too uniform
It does not afford enough frost to
kill the boil worm, and hence after
the first two or three crops, the worm
becomes so abundant as to be ruinous.
There may be other regions hitherto
unexplored or untried in which this
difficulty would not occur, but if
there are, it is probable that they are
in countries whose institutions are
unfavorable. Indeed, no country
but. one in which political dcspotism
or domestic slavery exists, would an.
swer for the cultivation of cotton.
Without one OF the other, people will
not work in SO warm q climate
Hence whilst abolition abroad and at
homo, has abolished slavery in some
places and excluded it from others,
one result has been to render the re-
gions that remained slavcholdins
more valuable and prosperous fnan.
cially than before. The evil is that
they have thus been weakened politi.
caly and materially, SO as to be
growing insecure.
The present consumption of cot
ton extends all over the civilized
would and into much of the barba-
rous. The civilized races are all in.
creasing in population, in various ra-
tlos, and already number about three
hundred millions. The slaves of the
South are only three millions. They
multiply more rapidly than the rest
Of mankind, except their masters.
But the per centagc Of slave labor
realized every year from the increase
of slave population, will not supply
the augmented demand fer cotton,
resulting from the annual increase OF
the civilized world.
Nor are the cotton lands vet to
be cultivated, of an extent or quality
to augment the ratio Of cotton pro.
duction, whilst those now under cul.
I! ture are undergoing some inpovcy.
ishment.
Nor is there any probability that a
substitute for cotton will be found.
We have seen a great deal in the pa
pers about fax cotton. But VIC
don't apprehend the least rivalry
from that. According to Mr.. Clau.
sens method, the process Of prepa-
ring the flax is so tedious and labo.
rious as to render its competition
with cotton hopeless. On the other
hand the only real competitor with
cotton will lise from recent events,
and has risen in price. A large
portion Of wool hitherto manufac.
tured, has been obtained from Aus.
tralia. But the discovery Of gold in
that region has raised tho price of
labor 80 much, and diverted it from
raising wool, that there is danger of
actual loss of the Aocks in that coun.
try.
The discovery Of gold in Califor.
MIA and Australia has advanced the
money value Of labor all over the
world. For the enormous demand
or inducemcnt for labor in digging
gold, has acted and must continue to
act, for some time to come, on its
value. The price of cotton and all
other commodities must rise. The
value Of capital generally cannot rise
in the same ratio, because the sup.
ply is increased by the production of
gold. But the value Of Southern
capital of which 80 large a portion
IS labor, must advance largely. We
think that the gold Of California and
Australia will add moro to the wealth
Of the South than to that of any
other country. And II ;s rnn,orko.