The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-10
KING COTTON AN ABOLITIONIST.

1t is said by the friends of Slavery that all
the enterprises which, during the last ten years,
have been set on foot by the English cotton
manufacturers, for encouraging the growth of
cotton in India, Africa, and the West Indies,
have utterly failed. We know not how true this
may be, but, allowing the fact to be stated,
and it only serves to hasten the abolition of
Slavery in this country. The New York Day
Book asserts, with great confidence, that the
Southern States of this Union are the only sure
reliance of the cotton manufacturers, and is
delighted that Slavery in this country enjoys
the precious monopoly. 1t states, and we pre-
sumo with approximation to accuracy, what
is the relative increase Of the demand and sup
ply of cotton as follows:
"The published statistics of the past ten
years have shown that the gradual increase in
the demand of cotton goods has been sixteen
per cent per annum, while the increase in the
production Of the raw material has been only
nine per cent. thus leaving the actual supply
short OF the actual demand at the rate of per
cent. per annum. Or, in other words, the con-
sumner can obtain from the producer only
ninety-three bales out of every hundred he re-
quires. And this, too, with the energies of the
cotton-p planters of the Southern States on the
full stretch, awake as they are to the import
ance of keeping the supply fully up to the de-
mand.T
If this statement be reliable, as we have no
reason to question, it is clear that the price of
negroes, now exorbitantly high, must still 60
up higher. If the demand for cotton were
merely to keep pace with the supply, the effect
would be to keep up the price of negroes; but
since the demand is in excess Of the supply,
the effect must be continued rise in prices.
1t is easy to imagine what the effect of an
lncessant augmentation in the price Of slaves,
resulting from the increasing demands for and
price Of cotton, must be upon the institution Of
Slavery in the northern slave States, which
cannot grow cotton. These States produce only
such articles as are grown in the free States
articles whose prices fuctuate, but cannot con-
tnue to rise in proportion to that of cotton.
Slave labor must therefore go to the cotton re-
glon, and the northern tier of States must adopt
free labor in its place.
The deportation Of slaves is now, perhaps,
greater than ever heretofore; but if the price
OF cotton is TO 60 on increasing at the rate indi
Gated by the Day Book during the next ten
years. the effect must be completely to denude
Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, of
their slave population, and greatly to reduce
the number in the next tier of Southern States,
VIZ: North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
Here, then, is'a greater enemy to the perma-
neney of Slavery than "Abolitonism." King
Cotton himself is but Trojan horse, and is
doing more for the overthrow of Slavery than
all its other enemies, domestic and foreign.
The worst of it is that there is no remedy
against his insidious operations. The cotton
planters, the slave breeders, and the negro
traders, are all his tools and instruments. He
holds them by fetter stronger than iron-by
their cupidity-and compels them to do his
work Of abolition.
The propagandists and friends of Slavery
fully realize the correctness of these views, and
hence their demand for revival of the slave
trade. But it is Of no use. 1t is utterly impos-
sible for them to repeal the laws which prohibit
and punish that traffic as piracy, and equally
impossible to reopen the trade regardless of
law. The attempt has been made, but with
odIStSS. LIE VI WI. Du-
ehanan, if inclined to wink at the clandestine
tathc in foreign slaves, dares not do it. The
North is unanimous against it, from moral
Considerations, and the older States of the
South are too much interested in keeping
up the price of slaves to tolerate it So,
'ne revival of the slave trade is simply i'm
possible; and King Cotton, in league with the
snemles of Slavery within and without, will
continue his work of emancipating the older
S'S'es, and concentrating the institution upon
Tue shores of the Gulf. Thus concentrated, and
stripped of political control of the country, with
:ne whole moral weight of Christendom against
= slavery cannot long survive. The philo-
.Opn,c prophecy of De Toquevile is having
Speedy fnl6lment