Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-17

ton make war on cotton2 Without firing Il
gun, without drawing sword, when they make
war on us we can bring the whole world to our
feet The South is perfectly competent to 60
on, one, two, or three years, without planting
seed OF cotton. l believe that if Sue was to
plant but half her cotton, it would be all i'm
that after three years cessation she would come
ont stronger than ever she was before, and bet
ter prepared to enter afresh upon her great Ca
reer of enterprise. What would happen if no
cotton was furnished for three years? will
not stop to depict what every one can imagine,
but this is certain: Old England would topple
headlong and carry the whole civilized world
with her. No, sir, you dare not make war on
cotton. No power on earth dares make war
upon it. Cotton is King. Until lately the Bank
OF England was king, but she tried to put her
screws as usual, the fall before last, upon the
cotton crop, and was utterly yanquished. The
last power has been conquered. Who can doubt
it that has looked at recent events? When the
abuse of credit had destroyed credit and ami
hilated confidence, when thousands Of the strong
est commercial houses in the world were coming
down, and hundreds of millions of dollars OF
supposed property evaporating in thin air, when
you came to dead lock, and revolutions were
threatened, what brought you up? Fortunately
for you it was the commencement of the cotton
season, and we have poured in upon you one
million six hundred thousand bales Of cotton
Just Mt the crisis to save you from sinking.
That cotton, but for the bursting of your spec
ulatiye bubbles in the North, which produced
the whole OF this convulson, would have brought
us Sl00,0O0,00O We have sold it for S65 ,000,-
00O, and saved you. Thrty-fve million dollars
we, the shareholders Of the South, have put
into the charity box of your magnificent finan-
ciers, your cation lords, your merchant princes.
But, sir, the greatest strength Of the South
arises from the harmony of her political and
social institutions. This harmony gives her
frame of society the best in the world, and all
extent Of political freedom, combined with en-
tire security, such as no other people ever en-
loved upon the face of the earth. Society pre-.
cedes government; creates it, and ought to con-
troll it; but as far as we can look back in Lis
toric tunes, we find the case different; for gov
ernment is no sooner created than it becomes
too strong for society, and shapes and moulds,
as well as controls it. In later centuries the
progress of civilization and of intelligence has
made the divergence so great as to produce civil
wars and revolutions; and it Is nothing now
but the want of harmony between governments
and societies which occasions all the uneasiness
and trouble and terror that we see abroad. 1t
was this that brought on the American Rcvolu-
ton. We threw off Government not adapted
to our social system, and made one for ourselves.
The question is, how far have we succeeded
The South so far as that is concerned, is salts
fled, harmonious, and prosperous.
In all social systems there must be class to
do the menial duties, to perform the drudgery OF
life. That is, a class requiring but . low order
of intelligence and but little skill. Its requis-
ties arc vigor, docility, fidelity. Such class
YOU must have or you would not have that
other class Which leads progress, refinement,
and civilization. 1t constitutes the very mud
sill of society and of political government and
YOU might as well attempt to build house in
the air, as to build either the one or the other,
except on this mud.sill. Fortunately for the
South, she found race adapted to that purpose
to her hand. A race inferior to her own, but
eminently qualified in temper, in vigor, in docil-
ity. in capacity to stand the climate, to answer
ali her purposes. Weuse themfor our purpose,
and cali them slaves. Weare old fashioned at
the South yet; it is o word discarded now by
ears polite; but will not characterize that class
at the North with that term but you have it;
it is there; it is everywhere; it is eternal.