Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-04-20
Original Artitlts,
For the Advertiser.
REVIVAL OF THE SLAVE TRADE mo. XIII.

had then lost hcr manufactures at least she had
established no new factories, while the North had
diverted all capital from most other pursuits to
that of manufacturing. The North had taken ad.
vantage of the high price Of cotton and consequent
high price of negroes, during FIVE years, to sell
her negroes to the South and to establish factories
with the proceeds Of the sale. But tho South, in
stead of having established factories by tho time
cotton fell, was then actually in debt for cotton
laborers bought on credit 3! the high prices Of
monopoly, created by the closing of the slave
trade. Not only had the North profted by the
monopoly of the slave market but she had also
tasted the sweets of another monopoly-namely,
the monopoly of manufacturing under the high
Tariff of 1916. Therefore, when cotton fell in
1920, the South finding herself without manufac-
turss and actually in debt for negroes at high pri-
ces was desirous Of having low Tariff. But the
North said no; and for the first time the doctrine
of a sectional protective Tariff was announced in
Congress.
But the high price of cotton for five years after
1915 with the slave trade closed) not only ruined
our manufactures, destroyed our shipping and,
transferred our commerce to the North, but it also
DESTROYED the culture of Indigo and Flax, which
formerly gave profitable employment to negro To-
bor ut the South. We now import about Si,o00,-
600 of Indigo annually, whereas we once exported
large quantities Of it. The cotton lands Ut the
South are capable of producing as much and as
good quality Of Indigo as the East Indies, yet We
have surrendered the culture aud manufacture OF
it to India the largest Colony of our hereditary and
implacable enemy who has well nigh an exclusive
monopoly of all the Indigo used in the commerce
of the world. British India supplies about S2O,-
100000 Of Indigo to othor States upon her own
terms, and we pay 50 cents pound for most Of
what we consume, in plsce Of exporting it, as we
did formerly. Had tho slave trndo nevor been
closed, this humiating spectacle would never have
bcen presented to the prosecuted South. Tho long
continued high price Of cotton with no increase OF
labor from Africa caused it. And 100000 negroes,
fresh from the juugles Of Congo, can now find pro-
6tablo employment here in the growth of Indigo,
estimating that each one could produce $lUO
worth.
We likewise once grew vast quantities OF faX
and it is not matter for dispute that all the pres
emit slave States, which do not produce cotton, are
as we'll adapted to the growth Of flax as Russia,
Holland, Tuscany or England. We each year i'm
port about $12,OOO,OO0 of raw and manufactured
fax. Yes, we import nearly Sl,UoO,oOO Of even
linseed oil to paint our houses. What caused this
but the diversion Of negro labor from FAX culture
to cotton culture, whom the slave trade was closed
and cotton rose so high in 1915? Taking the es-
innate that each negro could produce slo0 worth
at least 10000 Africans are wanted to raise fax
Tor our home consumption and it is susceptible Of
proof that 100000 moro of tbem could compete
with the fax-growers Of Europe in their own mar
kets. If our negroes can distance all competition
In cotton culture, why not in fax culture too? If
the slave trade were revived, make bold to say
that our non-cotton growing slave states would
have monopoly of fax culture within half CEN
tury.
The South also once manufactured linen cloth
and other faIen fabrics. But, just as the culture
and manufacture of fax was becoming On impor-
tant branch of Southern Industry, the slave trade
vas closed and cotton rising SO high aoon after
wards absorbed all the fax lsborers-dcstroyed
all the fax manufactures. Where now within the
confines Of the whole United States is even one
dsx Factory7 So far as I know there is not a sim
Gle ward of fine linen made from one end Of our
country to the other If the slave trade had never
sceon closed, in all probability the South would
this day have monopoly OF both the culture and
manufacture of fax, and the cotton market would
have been glutted no sooner in 1920, or at any
time SINCE Tho transfer Of laborers fron the fax
and indigo fields to the cotton pstch proceeded
only on the principle that the high price Of cotton
made one days labor of tho cotton hand worth
perhaps two days labor Of the flax and indigo
grower. But if negroes could have then and since
been gotten from Africa, the hs1 and indigo busi-
moss would not have been destroyed, and the South
would now have had monopoly of those two pro-
ducts as we'll as of raw cotton.
But she lost them, rs she did her manufactures,
and is rapidly losing her hemp culture too. Moth
ing but the fact that tabacco, rice and sugar are
commanding as much profit in their culture, as
cotton does, even ut present prices, prevents tho
destruction Of those pursuits and they will be
destroyed unless the slave trade be revived, un-
less some other country than ours shall produce Il
large quantity Of cotton. One OF the other result
is inevitable. Even the sale Of those idle vxgn-
bonds, tho Free Negroes, into slavery after the
fashion which Arkansas and Missouri ore setting
tho other Southern States, will not permanently
save our cotton monopoly. Tho world wsn,s more
cotton, and muss hays it, upon tho principle that
every demaud muus be supplied Nvr will man.
kind long permit days labor in my pur1uit to
pay for two dny'a labor in another bu.insss which
also employs much capital Or many laborer,.
The moment heayy rice occurs in the price Of
sdton our planters invest all the proceeds Of that
cottyn in mVre negro labor, and they actually 90
in debt to got still moro vi it. They do so partly
through the temptation Of o long continued high
price for cotton, and partly through eomputsion Of
the limited and restricted supply VI slaves. This
excites CONF etition among buyers, and then ne
groes rise in proportion " the rise il cotton. The
price of cotton regulates tho price Vi must other
property at the South, because nearly all our cap
tai is employed in cotton culture and its cuncom-
tants. Therefore, as cotton luctuItes in price,
every other kind Of Southern property must keep
it company, in all its changes, and especially cot
ton laborsrs since the value Of every uborer must
rise or fall with the value Of what he produces.
Now, whenever tremendous rise takes place in
the price Of cotton and the number Of Slaves in
this country is limited by the slave trade being
closed, sll other branches Of Southern industry
must surrender their negroes to the imperious de-
mand Of cotton culture.
As so much capital is amassed by even a small
advance in til. price of cotton, it s plain that
when great rise takes place, the ability of the
Gotten interest to purchas, negroes is such that it
will drive ull other cumpititors out of the slave
market aud that tho cotton planters will then
compete with each other, until the price Of negro
labor becomes higher than that Of poor rhite labor
This result is unavoidable as the supply Of whit.
labor is imtsble, while that Of negro labor IS d
much and no more-a fixed quantity, which NJ
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