Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-02-24
:, Nronl the LONDON ItMes.
Cotton and ASmericaa slavery.

!, From the London Times
Cotton and American slavery.
The importation of cottoh into this coun-
try has, since the import duty was abolish
cd, Increased sixteen-fold. Having been
63, 000,00 lbs., it is now LOCO, coo, GOO
lbs. This is one of those giant facts which
stand head and shoulder higher than the
crowd-so high and so broad that we can
neither overlook it nor to see it. It proves
the existence ofa thousand smaller facts that
must stand under its shadow. 1t tells fisk
teen times as many mills, sixteen times. as
many English families living 81 working
those mills, sixteen times as much profit de-
rived from sixteen times as much capital
engaged in this manufacture. 1t carries af-
ter it sequences of increased quantity of
freights and assurances, and necessities for
sixteen times the amount Of customers to
consume, to our profit, the immense amount
of produce we are turning out. There are
not many such facts as these, arising in the
quiet routine of industrial history. 1t is so
large and so steady that we can steer our
national policy by it; it $50 important to us
that we should be rediced to embarrassment
if it were Suddenly to disappear. 1t teach
es us to persevere in policy which has pro-
duced so wonderful result; its beneGcent
operation makes it essential to us to. desl
carefully with It now we have got it. Some
years ago an island arose in the Mediterra-
mean and we were al discussing 1t and quar-
reling about it, and keeping up brisk FIRE
of diplomatic notes over it, when one fine
morning the Disguised island suddenly went
down again, and ships sent out to survey lit
sailed over the site it had occupied We
must not do anything to disgust this huge
lump Of profitable work which has suddenly
risen among us. We are inclined to look
upon it with respectful and superstitious
tenderness, rather as gambler does upon
run Of luck of cards, hoping it may last
forever +.
Lord Brougham and the veterans Of tie
old Anti-Slavery Society do not, we fear,
share our delight at this great increase in
The employment of our home population
Their minds are still scared by those horri-
BILE stories which were burnt in upon them
in their youth, when England was nos only
9 slave ewning, but even o slave trading
State. Their remorse is so great that the
ghost of black man is always before them:
They are benevolent and excellent people;
but if black man happen to have broken
his shin and white man were in danger of
drowning, we much fear that real Anti
Slavery zealot would bind up the black mans
leg before he would draw the white man out
OF the water. 1t is not en- inconsistency,
therefore, that while we see only cause of
in this wonderful increase of
trade, Lord Brougham sees in it the exag-
geratiou of an evil he never ceases to deplore.
We, and such as e.who arc content to look
upon society as Providence allows it to ex-
lst-to mend it when We can, but not to dis
tress ourselves immoderately for evils which
are not of our creation,-we see only the
free and intelligent English families who
5hpye upon the wages which these cotton |
bales produce Lord Brougham sees only
she black laborers who, on the other side of
,he Atlantic, pick the cotton pods in slave
~. Lord Brougham deplores that in this
Importation ola thousand mil
ions of potnds of cotton the Ions share of /
The profit goes to the United States, and has
been produced by slave labor. Instead of
twenty three millions, the United States
now send us eight hundred and thirty mil
ions, and this is all cultivated by slaves. -
It is very sad that this should be so, but We
10 not see our way to remedy. There
seems to be rather chance of it's becoming
volse. If France, who Is already moving
UPWARDS in restless, purblind state, should
open her eyes wide, should give herself fair
play by accepting our Goals, iron and ma
,hinery, and, under the stimulus of whole
ome competition, should take to manufaetu-
ing upon large scales ,tEer these three
Millions Will hot be enough. France will
,e competing with us in the foreign cotton
markets, stimulating still further the produce
# Georgia and South Carolina. The jump
which the consumption Ct cotton in England
las just made, is but a single leap, which
nay be repeated indefinitely There thou
and millions of mankind upon the globe,
Il of who's car, be most comfortably clad in
otton. Every year new tribes and new NJ
ions are added to the category of cotton
7eavers. There is every reason to believe
nat the supply Of this universal necessity
I'LL for many years yet to come fail to keep :
ace with the demand, and, in the interest )
that large class of our countrymsn to ;
'dom cotton is bread, we mus. continue to
ope that the United States will be able to
apply US il years to come with twice as
'uch as We bought of them in years past. a
Let us raise up another Market" says
lie Anti Slavery people. So say we all
We know very well that the possibility of '
rowing cotton is not confined to the New |
World. The plains of Bengal grew GOTTEN d
etore Columbus was born. and we. With
n mechanical advantages, can actually af7
nd to Sake the Bengal cotton from tie o.
rovars and send it back to them in yarns ell