Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-19
COTTON CULTIVATION IN AFRICA.

! The following extracts are from a psmpb,e. on
the culture Of Cotton in Africa as means f,r m.
abolition of Slavery in the United States
AS slavery originated in the spirit of gain. bv
which alone it is still sustained it is proposed to
make use OF the same agency to ACCOMPLISH IL,
overthrow. 1t is generally conceded that the pro.
mt derived from the culture of Cotton is the chief
support of slavery in America, and this being tho
most vulnerable point, is that towards which tie
attack on the institution should bo directed for
whatever should prove available in making slavs
labor Improbable, must of course cause the de-.
mand for that labor to cease 1t is proposed to ac
complish this result by means of the cultivation
OF cotton in Africa with the use of free labor
AS tho soil Of Africa is much etile than that
OF the United States, and is particularly adapted
to the growth of cotton, the advantages 10 its fs.
vor must be apparent to the most superficial obser.
yer; for not only all the best varieties az pres
ent cultivated in the United States, be more cheap.
y raised in Western or Central Africa. but tbera
are several kinds indigenous to that continent ~
superior quality, that have been highly approved
in the English market When it is remembered
that this plant is perennial in Africa, and produces
very much more than it does in America. wbere
",
forme. the latter will be very obvious but in
comparing the cost of labor in the two countries
the difference IS still greater in favor of the FREQ
labor OF Africa, over the slave labor of America.
10 make this apparent to the most skeptical. II
is only necessary to compare the value of slave.
in Africa, with the market price of the same c,ass
of laborers in the United States. The FOREIGN
slave'traders usually pay from twenty to Fifty dol.
lars for each slave, in trade goods, at an enormous
profit; go that the cash value Of good field band
may be safely estimated at from fifteen to twenty.
i've dollars while the same laborer in America
would cost from five hundred to one thousand dol
lars. This comparison shows TIE real difference
in the value OF labor to be estimated in calculating
the relative costs Of the production of this impor.
tant staple the variation in the price of which 40
seriously affects our commercial prosperity A.. IA
make the information respecting it, Of the first
Importance on every arrival from Europe, Al
this comparison, however. is only between slave
labor in the two countries and as the object OF
encouraging the increased production of cotton ia
Africa is to liberas tho bondman there as well 90
here, some may be inclined to doubt whether tho
native African in state of freedom, can be 30
stimulated by the love of gain, and the hope of
improving his condition, as to compete successful.
ly:witb the compulsory labor used here. Bu. i,
must be remembered how vast is the poruIatio,
Of Africa, and that the employment of even a very
small part OF il, for few hours each day, would
give greater amount Of labor than that obtained
by compusion from the smaller number in the
United States. And when we take into view, the
difference il the cost of living, the exceeding pro-
duchveness ef the soil, and that much less cloth.
ing is required in that tropical climate than with
us, may we not reasonably calculate from these
facts, that cotton, more than equal to the whole
product of the United States can be obtained from
the free sons of Arics in their native land at less
than one.half Of its present cost, while amply com.
pensating the laborer and. at the same time great
ly improving his condition in other respects 7
This plan s. then, simply to make the immense
profits at present derived by the slavetrader from
his nquitOus business together with the great
emolument accrarg to the planter 10 the United
States, from the unre9uted labor of his slaves.
both available TO the African himself And ,hs
same process that thus benefits tho free laborsr.
as necessary consequence liberates the bondman
in America, and emancipates the uucounted mil,
lions OF slaves in Africa for it is not to be sun.
posed that slavery will continue long anywhere,
when it is found to be improbable. -
Assuming, then. that the free labor of Afrie,