Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-02-01
AN ENGLISH VIEW OF AMERI-
CAN PRODUCE.

NSuuS dIliClc On Tue Vital Necessity 10
England Of the cotton Of America. 1t
reiterates the aversion to slavery of its
people, and adds:
But we cannot allow the poor sable
creature to exhaust all our sympathies
and when we hear foolish, well-meaning
people, whose minds seem incapable OF
receiving more than one idea, cxult in
the hope Of slave insurrection which
would put an end to the production of
cotton IN America--we can but wonder
at the strange infatuation that prevents
their seeing how it would affect U.S.
Statesmen and traders, peers and me-
chanics, seem to be all alike. 1t is time
this blindness ard delusion ceased. 1t
is impossible to reflect seriously upon the
nature Of our cotton supply, without
evoking phantom that no exorcism will
Danish. 1t seizes and transports us TO
some extensive town, whose tall chin
neys are visible in every direction; but
there is no crowd in the streets; no mill
door or shop is open. There are no is
ton Of the iron giants is hear6--no
whirling of the spindle-no throwing Of
the shuttle--no clanking of the loom
no hum of human voices-not one sound
of human life. This unearthly stiffness
chills our blood. Where, then are those
five hundred thousand busy, intelligent
human beings that should people it p
We enter an open house; we penetrate
room after room; and, impelIed from
street to street, we find everywhere liv-
ing skeletons, and voiceless misery and
death, until, arriving at the deserted ex-
change, we read The cotton supply
from America has ceased"
But could it be that any of our great
manufacturing towns should ever present
such a spectacle ? Are we, then, SO de-
pendent on American cotton? At pre-
sent it is but too true. America sup
plies nearly three-fourths of our cotton,
aud therefore the greatest danger that
can 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 pct lamb
IN complrTsvu with such an event. An
enormous amount Of British capital aua
the lives Of millions of British people
depend on our cotton supply being CON
slant and adequate. We have no desire
TO create any unnecessary alarm; but
where the national safety is concerned,
every possible danger for which reme-
dy may be found ought to be treated as
II it we're probable danger, in order to
stimulate the procuring of that remedy.
10 show that there is no exaggeration in
our statement, we appeal to the following
unimpeacnable facts: OF 1928, 600 tons
Of cotton wool imported last year, $685.
OOO were American. OF the total cost.
$50, 100000, about G24,000, 900 was
for America. When manufactured, this
cotton produced exports, G51 ,000, 900;
home consumption, G24, 900, 600, total,
G75, 900, 900. OF this 100000, 900.
for American. The wages and profit Of
manufacture we're G45, 900, 600; Of this
G36, 0L0, coo Of American. We pay for
much of this cotton by products of our
hardware and other manufactures. Sup.
pose we pay thus el5, 600, 900. It re-
suits that out Of our total export Trade Of
Gl3l 10000 American cotton in
manufactured state figures to the extent
of Gao, 900, 900, which, with the els.
600, 600 above, makes G55, 900, 900 of
and for American cotton only G10 ,000,-
600 less than onc-half Of the total exports
of Great Britain. AT the same time man
uiactured American cotton TO the value Of
go, 600, 900 year is being sold in shops
and warehouses, and consumed in the |
United Kingdom. Then there are the
transactions connected with
this 32S, 600 tons Of cotton-the shipping
employed in its import and in the subse-
4uent exports. 1t is not so easy to es,i-
mate the amount Of capital engaged in
this commerce, manufacture, and trade,
and involved in transactions with the
United States, all mixed up more or less
with this cotton supply; but il must
to from two hundred to three hun
dred millions sterling.
- "N"Sh ~ EOvNo anu money ana /
what as regards human life Nearly
400 900 people are engaged in manufac-
turing American cotton only, and firm,
hree 10 Jour millions Of haman Jeinqs de-
0end upon IL and upoa as manufacture
for their daily Jood. Yes, four millions
II men, women and chidren-not ne
sroes, not Americans, but white people
English, Scotch, and Irish--now happy.
,onten'ed. and even prosperous, and adj
ling largely every year to the national
ycalth, would be plunged into the lowest
Ibyss Of misery by the failure ofthe Amer
can cotton supply. should this happen
'cfore some palliative or substitute is
ound. And we say it is impossible ade-
Iuately to estimate the awful calamity Of
UGH failure Of supply Why, fifty
iladstoncs rolled into one Chancellor Of
he Exchequer would find it difficult TO
make both ends meet. Talk Of income (
ak, we should want one Of ten sbillings
u The pound, and with nothing coming
n TO assist realized property irpaying il.
This Wow Of il is bad enough but that ]
i the immense mass 5f misery, suffering
rightfal death and social confusion il
yould produce, is worse still. Passions
gould become ipaamed, the maddened
'cople would strike right aud left in their