The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-19

game disregard Of prudence and the same def
ance Of the elements.
Cotton Prices and Cotton Productlon-Fal-
laeies OF the Humanitarians and Cotton
Supply Associations.
The cotton year closes on the first of Septem-
Der, ard periodically, just before and for some
time after that date, we always have rain Of
fallacious argument about prices and production
Of that staple, from Manchester men, British
cotton supply advocates, and theoretical humani-
tarians who look upon cotton as the corner stone
of the institution Of slavery in the United
States.
1t grieves these people to the heart that the
civilized world will demand of the negro that
he shall produce cotton for its consumption, and
that the American system Of negro slavery is the
only one yet discovered that can make him per-
form the labor necessary for that purpose. For
years past they have been seeking cotton pro-
ducing region in some other part Of the earth
which should rival our Southern States in the
production of this staple, and supply the pbilan-
thropic cotton spinners with a raw material at
cheaper price, and that had been grown in con-
sonsnce with their peculiar notions Of humanity
For while India was to be this great cotton
Utopia. 1t was tropical country, was under
British rule, had one huadred and eighty mil
lions of beathens, did produce little cotton, and
no doubt could be made to supply any, even
fabulous, number of bales Tie cotton humani-
tarians went at it with rush. Associations
were formed the press was get to proclaim the
tidines, and number of Britiah evangelcals
with Bibles, ard Yankee niger drivers with pa
tent plows and cotton gins, were sent to plough
in couples in the burning fields of Hndostan
Cotton was produced; but it came only in small
quantities, ard that was short in staple and poor
in FIBRE Somehow or other the Hindoos would
rot take kindly to the new doctrines of the evan
gelicals, nor the new fashions of the Yankee mig
ger drivers in cotton growing. Even the land
was so heathenisk that it would not nurture
kindly the new Christian cotton seed that was
sent in abundance, and numberless Brahminical
bugs set upon the new-come plant as soon as it
peeped from the bosom of the earth, and devour-
cd it. The hopes in India were blighted, and it
was given over to the "greased cartridge" and
rebellious SepoJs.
Since then q new field has been found in which
the seed of the church and the seed of cotton
are to be cultivated with equally prolific sue
cess. Africa is now the chosen bantling of the
humanitarians and the cotton supply advocates
The negro at home, free, enlightened and indus
trious is at once to be made to comprehend the
inalienable rights OF man, and the great advan.
tage Of growing cotton at six cents pound for
the pbilanthropic British Cotton Supply Associa
ton. There, however, the missionaries and niger
drivers are not to he yoked together. The latter
are thrown aside, and their place ia to be sup
piled with evangelicas Invested of their clerical
functions, like Doctor Livingstone, and fitted out
as traders. The British Cotton Supply philan.
thropists are in ecstacies at the promises of the
ungowned Doctor, of President Benson, of Ii.
IBERIA, and of Mr.. Edward Atkinson, of Boston
Under their magic guidance the negro in the
wilds Of Africa is to do, through moral suasion,
what he will not do except upon compulsion
anywhere elso.
Unfortunately, the hopes Of these philanthropists
are founded in firm belief of the moral perfecta-
bility Of the negro nature, rather than in
critical examination Of the requisites to produce
good cotton at six cents pound. They start
with the fact that the cotton plant is perennial in
Africa, and the negro the most docile and indus
trious of human creatures. II is no matter lust
now what the negro is or is not But the cotton
plant, they will ind, if they viii look into the
subject is perennial wherever rain falls in all the
regions of the earth, and yet the true cotton of
commerce is produced only in the United States
The reason for this is obvious. To produce good
cotton great many more things than land and
negroes are requisite, necessary as these two ad-
juncts are. First the negroes must have
some motive to cause them to work with regu-
lsrity and constancy at seed and harvest time
Nature is regular in her seasons, and man must
be equally so in his labor to profit by them.
Then, cultivated intelligence must secure the
blowing Of the land, the proper selection of the
seed, the watchful care Of its growth, and its
rapid gathering the moment nature opens the
boil, before the sun, the rain and the dew have
maIred its beauty and quality. To do all this
it must have capital boarded, from long years of
former labors. After this, it must have ma
chinery to gin and pack it, railroads and steam
pOoso W 0Am6 euPPhSo ouu tohC Iue
crop to market, merchants to distribute
it over the world bankers to take care Of the
payments, and the thousands of mechanical ap-
pliances that are the great handmaidcns Of all
industry, commerce and agriculture. These are
not supplied by teachers Of the moral law nor
preachers Of gospel tidings. Aud without them
philanthropy will never grow cotton at six cents
pound, nor at twelve, nor yet at twenty, 10 any
great quantity in Africa or anywhere else
We acknowledge the fact that the world must
have more cotton. We can give it this year
Only about three and three quarters millions of
bales. OF these we use the odd hundreds of
thousands ourselves, and send the three millions
Of bales to Europe. England and France are
the two great cotton using nations, and they
consume about twelve pounds head of their