The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-29
-'' Afrc is all the suns,
And as her earth her human claY IS kindled !,

His form CLOVIS with a more intense and buoy
ant animal life, presenting a striking contrast TO
the sickly exotic of Circassian blood, in the ex-
uberance of its native joy, and his soul laughs
back to the laughing landscapes, which, like
Aaron's rod, blow in a single night. And who
shall say that the same congenial influences
would not aid in evolving the latent capacities
OF his intellectual nature-a nature which has
never yet had opportunity for self-develop-
ment under the auspices of Christianity 1t
were irrational to answer in the negative, when
we know that universal harmony subsists be-
tween the moral and the natural world.
In the tropical regions of Asia and Africa the
prevailing winds do not traverse such a wide ex-
tent of ocean, and hence do not collect such a
vast amount of water US those which fan the
fsce OF the tropical regions of America The
direction of the former is parallel with the
coast, while here the trade winds strike the
coast perpendicularly, penetrating and carrying
their moisture into the interior Hence il il
that the coasts only of the tropical regions of
Africa and Asia are fringed with verdure and
the vast interior is rainless desert, impenetra-
BILE and fatal to life. This, which appears to me
| to be most striking and philosophical reason
for the great difference existing between the in
tertroplcal regions of America and those of the
older continents, | find in pamphlet by Lieut..
Maury, on the basin of the Amazon. Another
remarkable difference is that in the Asiatic and
African tropics there is dry and wet season,
each lasting half the year. This is accounted
for by the fact that the winds do not prevail
steadily and unvaryingly from the sea, as is the
case in America within the torrid zone This
wet and dry season, which alternates in Asia
and Africa according to my information, is
what has heretofore rendered it impossible to
| cultivate cotton in those regions. Many years
since, read statement made by Mississippi
cotton planter, who had been employed by the
British Government to test the practicability OF
raising cotton in India to supply her manufac-
turers, and make them independent of America
for this staple. This gentleman was undoubted-
| ly selected on account of his intelligence and
| practical experience. So momentous and i'm
| portant trust could not have been confded "a
| incompetent unfaithful hands by such wise
and able men as the British rulers have proved
| themselves to be-and there can be no doub,
that they presented the very strongest motives
to urge him to success in the undertaking. What
reward would England grudge the man who
could give her supply of cotton in India2 But
the experiment. after long and patient trial
| failed; and the reason for the failure, given by
] the gentleman of whom | have spoken, was the
prevalence of wet and dry Seasons season o
floods and a season of drought, each occupying
half the year When planted at the beginning
of the rainy season, it flourished for while bu
| the long continuance of rainy weather destroyed
/
found that the drought was as disastrous as the
| long-continued rain and So after all, his pa
| uent and earnest efforts failed, and King Cotton
still rears his throne on this side of the Allan
tic, and his reluctant votaries in Europe pay
| their annual tribute to our slave owners. In
the American tropics the rims are distributed
| throughout the year as they are in our temperate
ATTITUDES, but there they make an unceasne
summer, maturing two crops in the year. The
cotton plant grows without cultivation or care
ana can be produced more abundantly and
cheaper than in any of the States of this Union
The same is true, in still greater degree, of the
sugar cane.
L remember when Virginia and Kentucky, and
other border slave States were on the eve OF
emancipation. Everybody will tell YOU this
and some will say that these States would long
since have emaneipated their slaves but for the
meddling impertinence of the abolitionists.
have heard many good people say this, who
| firmly and sincerely believe in its truth never
theless, it is not the whole truth. The fact is
that a very great rise took place in the price OF
cotton about that time, and has been maintained
ever since, and this multiplied the money value
of negroes three or four fold. II is sad con-
fession to make, but it must be made. The ad.
! vance in the value Of slaves caused the humans