The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-22
Hon. 4. Il. Clayton At R,falo.

To-, New xork, on the occasion OF an eXcur-
sion in connection with several gentlemen
from this section, few days since, which we
find in the Picayune Of the 10th:
Mr.. Mayor Of Buffalo, and Fsllo,r- Citizens.
For this manifestation Of courtesy and kind
feeling permit me, on the part of the excur-
sionists, to return our sincere acknowledge
ments. Ten days ago we left our homes in
the far off sunny South, and wherever we
have been we have met with hearts as warm,
and hands as cordial, as if we were among
old and long cherished friends. We have
been met notas Strangers from distant cline,
but as members of one great family and house.
hold.
We have come from the great emporium of
the South, New Orleans, from the sugar plan
tations OF Louisiana, from the cotton fields of
Mississippi, and from the tobacco farms of
Tennessee. We have traversed the prairies
of Illinois teeming with wheat and with corn,
and pouring into the new Cairo of the West
far greater stores ofgrain than the delta Of the
Nile ever poured into the lap of the Cairo of
the old world. We have visited Chicago,
city whose growth has no parallel, and whose
history, dating no farther back than so years,
is a marvel that almost exceeds belief. We
have passed over the rich plains of Michigan,
and paused in her beautiful city of Detroit,
and there witnessed refinement and polish
scarcely equalled in cities Of much greater
age. We have passed through the neighbor-
ing province of Canada, and found nothing
| but kindness there and we paused for time
| to contemplate the great miracle of nature, the
Falls of Niagara-earth's greatest wonder
| Wherever we have been evidences of wealth,
| of property, and Of all that contributes to a
civilization and comfort of the highest order
have met our eyes. Your vast chain Of lakes,
the magnificent system of railroads which is
| fast stretching its arms over the whole con-
tinent, are not the least OF the wonders we
| have witnessed. But you are better acquain-
| ted with these than l am, and 1 will not
dwell upon them. Will you suffer me to de-
tain you for a brief period whilst l advert to
what may be less familiar to you, the cotton
| fields of the South. There our harvest is Just
commencing, and for five months we shall be
gathering the rich staple, which furnishes ma
| terial for the commerce OF the world. Not
| the wheel of a car that rolls upon its iron
way, not the paddle Of steamboat that turns
| upon its congenial element, but feels the i'm
! pulse which is given to the trade of the world
| by the growth of cotton. Let US pause for q
| moment to consider its contributions to the
commercial prosperity of the earth. In its
| raw state the crop is worth about $250,OOO,-
OO0 A large portion of this goes to England
| is there manufactured and constitutes but little
less than one-half of the total exports from
! that country. In that state its value is some
| two hundred and seyenty-five millions of dol
| lars, exclusive Of the value of what is con-
sumed in England, which amounts to f2O,.
| 100000 more. American cotton forms five
seyenths of all that goes to that country
| Some four millions of their people are depen-
dent upon it for their daily bread, and sixty
or seventy millions of pounds sterling are in
vested in the trade.
So important is this supply of cotton to the
prosperity of England, that her ablest men
to-day are looking about for the means Of sup
ply, in the event Of deficiency or loss Of
the crop in this country A late London pa
per says that the French Emperor, with all
bis fleets and armies, is a pet lamb in COMPARE
| son with such an event. That it would en-
danger the safety of four millions of people,
aye, and of twenty millions more--of the
| institutions of The Government, and of the
enormous capital which has been accumula-
ting for ages.
This is the British view of the subject let
me ask you, my friends, how it strikes you
What has built up your beautiful cities, and
4 your proud manufacturing establishments ,
Where do you find the best customers for
anything you have to sell I? Certainly in the
Southern markets. What has built up your
own great commercial emporium in the other
end Of your State ? The proceeds of the
| two hundred millions of raw cotton exported,
return almost entirely in the shape of imports
into her customhouses. The profits of this
mighty trade impart life and activity and en-
ergy to all her pursuits, and give promise Of
making her the mightiest city on the globe,
and she is already of this continent. Strike
down the production Of cotton and what mind
can calculate its effects upon her destiny, or
its influence upon her fate. Perhaps single
example may illustrate my idea. You cannot
have forgotten the panic Of 1857, it is too re
cent to have escaped your recollection. Al
most every bank in the United States followed
the example of the banks in New York, and
| --aGFssnden Rsiuata GrtnnaS matted away
like frost work in the sun, individual credit
was destroyed, and the nation seemed par
alyzed by the shock Men stood aghast at
the ruin which stared them in the face. The
millionaire Of one day walked up bankrupt
on the next The cry arose, "What shall be
done for safety ?'' The answer came, not in
words, but in deeds. The South poured her
rich crop of cotton into market, the pressure
was relieved, the panic ceased ; and the car of
commerce rolled on as il nothing had happened
Was ever victory SO triumphant and so com
pletly achieved by means so simple and as dir
ect? | stand here to-day myself q cotton
planter, and as one of the representatives of
this the greatest material interest Of the world,
to ask if there be one man who would raise
his hand to destroy ito ask if all will not
put forth their utmost efforts to support and
uphold it.
But it needs no active aid in its behalf The
only appeal it has to make is, let US alone
Give us of the South but the enjoyment of
our Constitutional rights, let not one jot or
title of that sacred instrument pass away,
give it to US in all its length and breadth and
fullness and completeness, and the human
Imagination cannot rise to the conception and
comprehension of the vastneSs which awaits
this mighty nation.
am no politician, and if were / would
not desire, on an occasion like this, togive ut
terance to partisan political opinion. But /
do desire, however, to say few words to you
in an economic point of view, on the subject
of that species of labor, by which alone this
great staple of cotton ever has been, or ever
can be, cultivated to the required extent
The physical constitution of the black man
is alone fitted to bear the exposure to the
Southern sun, which is indispensable to its
production. Rut the black man is a slave,
and in the minds of some feeling exists
against the institution of slavery, which may
endanger its safety. Let me tell you, in all
sincerity, that blow at that institution is a
blow at the cotton interest of the world
Destroy the one, and the other falls with it.
Can the world do without cotton Reflect
before you give practical answer.
Permit me to say, in conclusion, that we Of
the South yield to no portion of the country,
in our feeling of loyalty to the constitution
framed by our fathers, for the leading purpose
of forming more perfect Union. Let that |
constitution be permitted to perform its |
functions, in the spirit and to the extent in |
tended by its trainers, and can see no limit |
to the duration, or to the greatness of this |
mighty nation. But unless this be done, / |
see great reason to fear for the permanency of |
our Institutions Let but the barriers of the
constitution be broken down, and you may as
well strive to stop the mad waters of Niagara,
when rushing along the falls to plunge into
the vortex below, as to curb the tumultuous |
passions which would agitate this great peo-
pie from one extremity Of the nation to the |
other.
From the Petrol
The Ground Swell for Breckenridge and
Lane.--The Spirit In Calhoun.
The evidences that the great mass of the
Southern people are moving as one man, in
he great battle for Southern rights, under our
chosen leaders, Breckenridge and Lane, crowd
lpon US with npidity that makes US regret
'ur limited space, which prevents us from
aging them all before our readers. That
'pirit will go on and increase until November,
when it will proclaim in thunder tones that
We are one people, determined to have our
tights, in or out ofthe Union
A ratification meeting was held at Benela,