Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-17


putation Of actiOus motives, any Of the number
less captions objections which too many are already
too eager TO advance
Outside of the adoption Of the resolutions we /
have quoted there was very little to show the spirit
and temper of those composing the Convention.
We notice that there were two delegates in the /
Richmond Convention from this State. Messrs. |
GEORGE W. BRlDF1ELD and WIZ. T. HELMS of Knox
vile. the former the editor Of the Register were re-
ported as delegates. Tennessee and Virginia were
the only States represented Of those that refused to
secede at Charleston the former being represented
by two delegates and the latter by one
English view Of the Cotton Question.
The London Chronicle, fierce anti-slavery jour
nal has leading article in its issue of the 25th ult
on the cotton supply question IN connection with the
subject Of slavery from which we make the follow
ing extract:
The English aversion TO slavery is well known,
and we believe even the American shareholders
themselves would be glad to get rid Of it if they did
but know how. But we cannot allow the poor sable
creature T. exhaust all our sympathies; and when
we hear foolish, wellmeaning people whose minds
seem incapable Of receiving more than one idea
exut in the hope Of slave insurrection-wh
would put an end to the production Of cotton in
America--we can but wonder at the strange infat
uation that prevents their seeing how it would affect
us. Statesmen and traders, peers and mechanics,
seem 70 be all alike. 1t is time this blindness and
deusion ceased. 1t is impossible to reflect serious
ly UpOn the nature o. cur cotton supply, without
81, evolling phantom that eXercism will Danish.
Ii seize and transports us TO some extensive town,
whose tall chimneys visible in every direction;
but there is crowd IN the Streets no mill door or
shop is open There are no issuing clouds OF smoke
not one pulsatiOn of the iron giant is heard-nO
whirling Of the spndle-nO throwing OF the shuttle
no clanking oftbe loom-no hum Of human voices
not one sound Of human life. This Unearthy still
ness chills our blood. Where, then, are those hve
hundred thousand busy. intelligent human beings
that should people it, We enter an open house; we
penetrate room after room; and, lmpelled from
street to street we find everywhere living skeletons
and Yoceess misery and death, until, arriving at
the deserted exchange, we read:-"Ihe cotton sup
ply from America has ceased
But could 1t be that any Of our great manu-
featuring towns should ever present such specta-
cleg Are we then. 50 dependent on American cot
ton? At present it is but too true america supplies
Ilearu three tOgbS Of cotton and therefore the great
est danger that threaten This country at the present
time Is sudden cessation Of the supply Of cotton from
America. The French Emperor Of the old ladies',
with all his dreadful fleets and armies is pet lamb
in comparison with such an event An enormous
amount of British capital, and the lives Of millions
of British people depend on our cotton supply being
constant and adequate. We have no desire to create
any unnecessary alarm; butwhere the national safety
is concerned. every possible danger for which
medy may be found ought TO be treated as If it were
probable danger, in order TO stimulate the procur-
ing of that remedy To show that there Is no eXag-
geratOn in our statemen, we appeal ID the follow
ing unimpeachable facts; Of $4,000 tons Of cotton
1500l imported last year. $1,000 acre american. Of
tie total cost 3O,eD0OO0 about E24OOOOO0, tCGS for
America. When manufactured this cotton produc-
ed-exports. E5l 600 600 home consumption, G24,-
100000 total e75, 100000. OF this Coo, 100000 for
American. The wages and profit of manufacture
were E45 600 600 OF this, ESQ, 100000 American
We pay fer much Of this cotton by products Of hard
ware and other manufactures. Suppose we pay
thus SIS 100000. II results that out OF our total
export trade OF El3l0OO 600, American cotton in a
manufactured state figures to the extent Of 100000
600, which, with the Gl5OOOOOO above, G55,OOO,OOO
of and Tor American cottOn-only &lO,OOOOOO less
than Onehalf Of the total exports of Great Britain
AT the same time manufactured American cotton to
abe value of E20O0O,OOO a year Is being sold IN
shops and warehouses and consumed in the United
Kingdom. Then there are the mercantile transac-
ton connected with this $4,000, tons of cOttOn-the
Shipping employed in Its import and in the suOse-
uuent exports. Il Is not so easy TO estimate the
amount OF capital engaged in TINS commerce, manu-
featuring and trade, and involved IN transactions
with the United States, all mixed up more or less
with this cotton supply; but 1t must amount to
from two hundred 10 three hundred millions ster-
ling.
So much for goods and money; and what as re
cards human life? AedriV 100000 people are engaged
IA manufacturing american cotton only, and from three
TO four millions Of human beings depend upon q, and
upon Us manufacture, for their daily JO0d IeS,J Jour
millions Of men, lrOme and cbldre-Rot negroes not
Americans Jr lr.ie people, English, Scotch aud ITSh
now happy, commended, and even prosperous, and
adding largely every year to the national wealth
would be plunged into the lowest abyss Of misery
by the failure OF the American cotton supply, should
this happen before palliative or substitute Is
found. And we say II Is impossible adequately TO
estimate the awful calamity OF such failure OF
supply Why fifty GaldstOnes rolled into one Chan
CellOr Of the EXchequer would find It difficult to
make both ends meet Talk of income tax, we should
want one Of ten shillngs in the pound, and with
nothing coming in 10 assist realized property in
paving it. This view Of it is bad enough; but thai
Of the immense mass of misery, suffering frightful
death and social confusion would produce, is worse
still Passions would become nhamed-the mad
dened people would strike right and left in their
fury; imaginary grievances would be elevated to
the first rank of realities; and whatever else might
be saved from the vortex it is quite certain that all
the artificial distinctions Of society would vanish
dream.
Within a few years this question has excited the
most earnest soIcitude in England. Statisticans
have been looking around, and they have found
that nearly one half Of the commerce Of Great
Britain consists Of cotton and cotton goods that
some four or five millions of British subjects are
directly dependent upon this trade for their daily
bread, and that should falling of Of the staple &C.
cur. starvation death and and social anarchy stare
the English nation in the face. These are facts and
facts are stubborn things They put to flight, at a
breath an immense amount of theoretical philan-
thropy and sentimental negrophiism Bread and
butter are stern realities, and starvation is about
the very last way in which men win die without
kicking up a rumpus about it. The British opera
tyes might he blown up by explosions or crushed
TO death by falling walls, or taken off by pesti
lence. and no particular commouon would be eX
cited. but if they were starving to death for want
of work Downing street would tremble with fear
and there is not stone in Windsor Castle thatwoulC
not tumble down before the ongry surging Of the
hungry mob.
II no wonder therefore that English Journal
lists are beginning to wake from their long sleep o
de.usion, but personal pride prevents them OWNING
nm frankly TO the real cause Of their difficulty
rIence while acknowledging that the United State
Is the only point from which they can expect sup
rl,- of cotton. they fail to allow that it is negr
.si,ve,, which is the cause Of It, Sweep that II
stitution away, and Georgia and Alabama and leza
would be as desolate and worthless as Jamaica o
Havti Overthrow it. and all the calamites that tn
writer in the Chronicle forcibly and ably depicts
yvould be present and overshadowlng realities In
institution Of negro subordinaton, or slavery.
the basis of more commercial wealth more physlca
comfort and more moral advancement than any o
all other agencies Of modern times Cotton mas pee
the great civilizer It is to this age what Prlnun
was TO the seventeenth century And yet is 1t nc
strange to hear people talk about such an Institute