The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-21
The Importance of Cotton 10 Great
Britain.
fErnn AZ Inndnn Nnms Mar -

from the london News, Dec T.
When the new Cotton Company fixed the term during
which the cotton merchants and manufacturers might
shew how much OF The enterprise they desired keep
their own hands IL was well understood that by the ex
piraion Of that term much light would be thrown the
month the scheme opcn the trade exclusively,
that might be seen how much Of the requisite capital
would be subsc bed By thCso most nearly interested
They were supposed, truly otherwise 70 be more
aware than The general public Of the doubts and Difficult
ties always banging about the question OF due supply Of
tie raw material Of great manufacture and Of the
probability Of good return FOR their investment sub
sCriocrs 60 the scheme for growing cotton IN safer
places, anu under circumstances than region in
foreign country peculiarly liable 10 disturbance Be
fore the day arrived for throwing open the scheme 70 the
public, there must have been news from America which
woad and fix the attention Of all Europe TO the
prospects OF the planting States OF the American Union
ought % hasten preparations for rendering ourselves less
dependent han us arc on the produce Of The slave States The
project Of the Cotton Company is as See by an adver
tsenvnt 70 that eject now thrown open 10 the public
The trade have lib.rally supported H. they bound
prudence to do They have appropriated the shares Of
cleo TO most encouraging extent and the rest OF
the subscription il expected from the public. In the
form of shares Of go each The two considerations
involved in the enterprise arc closely connected,
though thy require u be presented separately The
consideration appeals TO prudence in the national pa
ioc sense and the other to the prudence OF the ind
ydua Ia regard 10 his personal fortunes II ought to be
enough either that the country requires great exerion
to grow cotton n our own territories, or that such
scheme offers proltble investment for money: but II
i true that the danger Of our dependence on the United
states for cotton increases every day and that the
pect Of profit from British cotton growing improves In
proportion there can hardly be much doubt Of the sue
cess OF the company's proposals.
AS 70 the rs consideration the actual commcrcaland
political pants in the United States speaks plainly enough
us and all the world that uses cotton Tobacco can
be had elsewhere and Of the slave States only
a small proportion OF what i wanted at home ba erery
cfrIsod country IS Interested ia The prospect Of ts oo
ton fields, and certainly b,fere that pros.
pet 50 pvccdrioas Wh,chcVr nay the eristinq roiai.
cal 4arr may issue. the co1sn cuare in great danger
We have never believed, readers aware, that
the American Union would be dissolved by the defeat OF
the Southern party We have never believed that the
plantation would be rayaged by civil war; or the crops
todden down by the march OF the federal troops. But
doubt whether that issue would b. for the pros
pect Of cotton supply than sny probable alternative II
the cotton States attempt 70 withdraw peaceably from
the Union he planters have means Of supporting their
slaves and tng their lands without the all q the North
capital which they would then b. unable 10 obtain.
Already the value OF Negroes land and crop has fallen
fatally as to punge many Of the planter class 10 ruin and
helpless as they always about making their csates
profitable without Northern agency and Northern capt
tai they could not carry podacttn al all while sepa
the requisite aid from Us but in the nrst place thcy
lay down the Impossible condition. Of supplying our need
OF cotton, that should remove inierdct on the
slave trade and IN the next, we are 10 advance money
for the growth OF the cotton need had better grow
the cotton IN our own territory, BY sort % labor We
can have confidence in than IN slave States where
nothing Is, again Be- This brings US
to the yet consideration Of the prccaroasness Of
the labor which the Amercsn cotton depends The
negroes are little likely 20 be ON good terms with their
owners la event ~ another If the political quarrel
Is nado up really apparently. the negroes likely
70 take their affairs into their own hands OF their owners
believe that they will, which comes practically TO the
thing and the quarrel goes the first effect
win be TO the negroes under the worst pos bic con
dtons for their rcspectabiy and industry Everybody
has been wondering for fortnight pas, why we heard
nothing Of the negroes connection with the turmoil In
the southcrr states Every other class has had its be
havor described and there something suspicious In
the silence the class whose destiny is the subject
* contention. But few significant hints are now
c0fnrg which portcnd anything rather than quiet
bocrg OF lie cotton fields Ihs large importatons OF
AMI ammunition into southern ports are not,
as pretended FOR an attack Washington or for
s@tncc invasion IL federal TROOPS, but 10 keep
down the negroes Whatever haurcas the nrst supp~i-
ton always y, that the negroes are dissatisfied or
"disacctcd and they reported 70 b. 80 now by po
htical slavc0wners Who bitterly blame one another Tor
taking freely within hearing of the servle class 81 the
triumph 81 aboiitiousm Mr. Lincoln should oc elected
Tho negroes expected 20 revolt IN triumph under an
anti slavery government, nr ~ revolt IN DISAPPOINTMENT
n tho President viii not help them. 10 regard U
cotton CROPS ID Is tie thing whether the negroes
rise or are suspected Of intending a. They are treated
a. rebels In either panic stops work. the planters
say they their lives and families before they
eau think of their lands; aud the slaves are pros.
tratcd IN terror, and under punishment hanged, sold
90 and dispersed ruined Industrial ahorers. What
has often happened u late years partially and Temporal
ry IN prospect q change N the federal policy, now
threatens 70 happen more extensively. IN consequence
Ct that change being accomplished. The most exieri
enced men in both sections el the country doubt whether
the slaves viii ever thoroughly settle 10 their compulsory
labor from this time forward Tho employment of free
labor In cotton growing will doubt be the ultimate
issue. and the practcshiiiiy aud economy OF this arc
already proved In the frontier slave states NJ wc as In
Texas st the other extremity but long tract OF dsor
der risk and oes Ives between the reseui time and that