The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-28
The Cotton Culture.

The London Times acknowledges the entire
dependence of England and of the world upon
American cotton in the following emphatic terms
"In sober truth, the American slave owner 10 one
of the few consistent personsges left the earth,
ssys on decision of Ch.racter There il no subter-
fuse, no sentimental humbugsery,' az 1t 10 called
BY the New Orleans Delta, about him. He does
what he likes with his own he avows his principles,
aet.isp to them, and now openly prophecies Mil:
leAium In which ths cotton plant shall be the tree of
life, and the minsteriAg angels shs be ofthe family
ofHsm. On the contrary. the sbolitionsts aud free
soilers, the Northern States and England all play
ing the hypocrte. We all live by the cotton tree
l. the British heart Of oak. Many baronisl hall,
other works, have been made from cotton wool, and
from the African who wstered it and plucked the
hossy pod, and cleaned it and packed 1t int bales
Millions OF our countrymen would never have
seen the light but for this exotic production
and for its cultiystors A failure of the crop is
70 Q large part Of our people . virtual famine
Should the cultivation of the plant find Its limits
that H. should it not increase in equal proportion
to multiplication Of the hu man and its growing
means OF life than we are by the narrowness of
these isles We know oil this. We know that the
thread Of our national dynasty is cotton. We know
that for ell mercantile purposes England is one of
the States; and that, In effect. we partners with
the 8outhsrn planter; hold bill of sale his
Goods and ohattles his live and dead stock and tai
lions share In the profits of slavery. Yet, az ia
don, we are Aboitiontsts, we fete Mrs. Stowe, cry
ever her books and pray for ami slavery President
and oaly the other day some If soberest states
men were denouncne and prohibiting slave grown
sugar: But oil this time We are clothing not only
ourselves, but all the world besides with the very
cotton picked And cleaned by Uncle Tom and his fell
low su lsrs. 1t il trade. 1t Is tho great staple
Of BnsIsh industry. Weare Mr. Legrees agents for
anything happen to Mr. Lesree, and should he be SO
INF rtuaste to keep his black stock we shall sill
b ruined, and shall have to take place in the
sssoad rank Of nations"
The Times goes on to admit that there is no
present probability Of Z cotton supply equal to
the wants of British trade, except by bringing
more lands into cultivation and more hands to till
It; which hands, it adds, cannot be procured, ex-
cept BY revival Of the slave trade, in some form
or other Under these circumstances, the Times
sppssls to the enterprise, skill and money of Great
Britain. In behalf Of the culture of free cotton,
both In India (Which, 1t IL believed will give more
cotton, now that the railways are forcing their
way into the heart Of her dense population,) and
IN Africa, which, according to DIR. Livingston, IL
full Of peoples and countries suited in all respects
TO the cultivation of cotton.
A late debate in the House of Commons gives
little encouragement to the appeals of the Times
In that debate, one Of the speakers, Mr.. Hatfield
sdvsrtsd to the increasing demand from the Eng
Nab manufactures, and the high prices paid to
he United States for the raw material instead Of
fostering the policy Of looking to the vast possess
s'ons Of the empire In India. Mr.. v. Smith re-
Piled from the ministerial side, that the govern.
ment were willing to entertain any specific pro-
position from Mr.. Hatfield on the subject Hsde
nssd that Il had been neglected, stating that expo
sinsuts bad bssn made, and were stia being made,
but except In Bombay, bu. lille succsss had been met
c1k g-e*