Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-08

tve., Washington.
The Dus, on sugar.
Every new attempt In grnw cotton on large
scale in foreign countries whether IN lndia' al
RIGA. the West Indies, South Amerlca-eVerv
proposed substitute for cotton. and every pr"po
sed substitute for sugar cane, which for the mo-
ment is supposed to have any chance OF success
lis caught at by the Abationist. and their CO
adiator, with the eagerness Of desperation IN
the hope that something will result there from to
damage the interests of the slaveholding States.
Hitherto. disappointment has attended or follow,
cd all such attempts. The Southern States still
are. aud are likely 10 be. tho grand source of
supply for The cotton spinners of the world. fut
Just now the coun,enances of the pseudo-phllan
ihrnpiss are Frightening with hope in regard to
sugar. They find the production OF sugar III
Louisiana has fallen off from 495 900 hhds. IN
1888. to 100000 in 1856. and they are now dis
posed to complete the ruin of the business by
making imported sugar duty free. AT present
il i 30 per cent.
We are opposed to this measure, on national
grounds, unless lis advocates are prepared also
to remove the duty from imported cottonS and
wooens, neither of which branches is at this
time much depressed as is the sugar cult are.
We do not mean to say that we are IN favor OF
making woolens and cottons duty free at pres
ent arr not. But if SO important an interest
rs domestic sugar is to be crushed because hap
pens to be for the moment depressed. then we
say that the same principle ought to be applied
to other articles which struggling with TO
reiga competitions.
We conyerscd not long since with an lntelli-
gent sugar planter from Louisiana. He spoke
of the plant having been damaged by frost and
| drought year or two ago. but did not express
any apprehension Of permanent failure. A
similar view Of the matter Is taken by the u. 81
Commissioner of Patents in his Annual Report
ON Agriculture, submitted TO Congress in April
or May last.
The Louisiana sugar crop has been subject to
large tluctua tons, from TIE first; yet on the whole
it has rapidly increased. Tie average of the
last ten years is 260, 900 bids equal to 256 000,-
900 lbs; which is more than one third of the to-
tai amount consumed in the L. States. Nowit is
easy to sec that if this 2S6 900 900 lbs. should
cease to be grown, and we should be thrown
entirely upon foreign countries Tor our supply
the price of the article would he greatly enhnnc
ed; 50 much, that we should probably have to pay
more for the article than do nj present, and
moreover, a considerable per cen,age of what we
should then pay. would go into the pockets of
foreigners in iore sn countries, instead of Icing
paid, as now, in the L. S. Treasury. Cuba char
yes an export duty upon sugars leaving that is
land foI the United Stutes,a it is,egulated with
"A view to bring them up To the pric as here. Tn
.lonhte lily the partial failure of the l. luisana
Ear ciop the past year, has much to do with the
present high prices. A total failure, from year
to year. or which is tho same thing in effect, an
abandonment of the culture, would aggravate the
evil. 1t may be said that AS long as sugar re-
mains N its present prices, the Louisiana plan
tors would do well enough without any duty
This may be true. But can it be expected that sa.
gacious plnntcrs will go largely into the business
with the full knowledge that they will thereby
rrd1ce prices SO low AS to destroy all their pro.
fits And what would do in case Of u war
with England Where shnul we get our sugar
then! We could not import il; we could not
grew it for s"me time 10 come, our plantations be-
ing abandoned, devoted t. other productions
No; ms long a. we have duties on imported cot
ton woulenS. iron, coal, &c, let US have them
also ON imported sugar. No branch If industry
ue. d. them more. 1t is almost the only ) Juth-
'rn product that derives any benefit from the
Fantf. As il IL necessary to diminish the rcve-
hue. let the duty on sugar he reduced from 30 pei
cent, the present rate, to 12b or % per cent and
let Northern products submit to II corresponding
reduction. There is already. and always ha.
been too much seetionalism in the construct on
and operation of the Tartl-we trust it will not
be made more gnrlng.
So far rs the feiure of the Louisiana sugar crop
the past wear has resulted from frost md drought
1T will be safe hereafter il has been hereto
fore. SO far as ii results from the exhausted cen
dltlon of the cane, th" evil i about To be rene
died by an importation from ahroad,-a govern.
nent vessel having already been sent to Derne-
ritra for thai purpose. 1t would not ho at all
strange If within three years the crop should be
us large a'it was in lS53-N. Y. Jour. Of Com.