New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-29
THE COTTON SUPREMACY.

Advices from various parts of Africa speak Of in-
creased attention to the raising of Cotton and pre-
pairing it for shipment From Cape Coast and
Sierra Leone, there are advices to the middle oil
July, which state that Cotton was being collected
in the eastern districts of the gold coast, and that
a considerable quantity would be shipped TO En-
gland The natives were rapidly learning its com
mercial value. At KOpOng, small town on sne
bank of the Volta four tuns had been collected and
more was known to be coming in from the interior
Accounts from other places refer to large quaint
ties which would also be shipped to England. At
the last National Fair in Liberia, it was manifest
that Cotton, Sugar, and Coffee would soon become
staple articles of export. More than dozen sam'
pies of Cotton were exhibited in competition for
the premiums offered. Some of these were well
gnned and cleaned, and some were Of fine texture
and long and silky staple. Specimens were ex-
hibited from trees grown from American seed
planted eight years ago. the same trees continuing
to produce an annual crop. In this particular, the
Africans possees an immense advantage over the
cotton. growers of this country. Other specimens
were exhibited produced from American seed
planted last year. But the principal lots were Of
native African Cotton, accompanied with many
pieces of native cloth, socks and stockings.
Beautiful specimens of the latter were
shown, made from the staple of the ma
tive Cotton tree, which grows wild in the
forest and reaches hight of so to 100 feet. But
of native African Cotton there are numerous vare.
ties, from which these people annually manufso-
ture many Thousands OF pieces Of cloth, which they
bring to the cOast towns for sale or exchange. All
these cloths come from the interior where Cotton
is known to abound, and where vast population
of industrious workers, now measurably free from
the wars fomented by the slave dealer, are imps-
tent to open up commerce with foreign nations.
England is annually making more systematic efforts
to reach these psOple, and supply them from the
looms of Manchester, taking Cotton in exchange.
In few years, she will undoubtedly enter into pos
session of the vast traffic which Africa is thus espa
bic of supporting and all this immense region, now
supplied with cloth produced by native labor at
penny day, will be glutted BY the products Of tho
power-loom. The same mighty revolution which
her machinery effected in India will assuredly be
reenacted in Africa Meanwhile, our own Govern
WtUb ueNOuIcu Will OIL omoiuoh W POAP OsossO
power, either for itself for creatures of ito own
selection, shuts its eyes 10 the vast opening for
commerce and manufactures which the recent Life
ing of the vail from Africa has disclosed, and leaves
other nations to enter into possession 1t is posi-
bic that Cotton may some day be King in Africa -
well - here.
The whole import Of Cotton into England in 1857
WAS 296 900, 600 pounds more than the import of
ls43 OF this increase only $4,000, 900 pounds was
derived from this country, showing clearly that at
her bidding Cotton will flow into her ports from
every region where it is grown and that in the long
run she is not more helpessy dependent on US than
We on her An embargo on the staple would oc-
c.,on no greater CONFUSION there than here. While
in these fourteen years she drew 10000 900 of in
crease from u,, Ind-. alOne furnished her tie
astonishing increase of les, ZOO, 900 ofpOunds-mOre
than twice as much. The capacity Of India to in
crease her production of Cotton Is thus shown to
be immensely elastic and far greater than that Of
this country. She has millions of laborers where
We have only Thousands. No doubt the war in that
country, by arresiiDg cultivation and breaking up
intercourse, has checked the increase of English
importation, and created the drain on our market
which las sent up prices and kept them there to
this time, though they now begin to lutter. But
with the return Of peace the whole trade will 70.
vve. Steamboats, are being placed on Indian rivers
ard rsroad-buidiDg, to facilitate the cotton
transit is being vigorously prosecuted; and this
system in our Southern States gave astonishing
impulse to its cultivation, it must operate poteu
tally in securing the same result in India. In tho
same period Of fourteen years referred to, Brazil
sent an increase of 100000 pounds to England,
Egypt of 100000 and the import of "other
"countres" rose from 3, l35 900 p,unds in l5i3, to
100000 in 1e57. This comparatively small item
from "other courtries' was principally from Afri-