Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-24
For the Enquirer
'Ehr Navy isain.-No. II.

they ask with the air Of one who has demon.
strated his problem on the black board, do ;sf
want with Navy
All such arc in deIusiou In the nrst
place, Cotton is not king" The great ..king'
of the age is commerce +; cotton. and the sta
plies Of the South are only some of its MOBILES
and, unless human nature be changed, they,
without Navy, will be powerless for protec.
ton. Unless we have the national ability to put
forth physical force or Navy strength necessary
to support the dignity Ct the nation, its great
staples will be source OF weakness Tor mere
wealth is weak, and, like unprotected wealth
every where, our commercial staples will invite
to outrage and wrong.
There seems to be q general but vague des,
floating in the public mind Of the South, that
some how or other cotton is to enable US to do,
If not entirely, at least to great extent, what
other>natious require armies and navies TO &C
complish for them. Because cottonwood is
essential to the industry Of certain people, and
because we are the chief growers Of cotton
WOOL therefore, say these political dreamers, We
can so treat cotton i'll a diplomatic way, as
both TO enforce obedience 10 our revenue laws
at home and secure respect ard safety III our
citizens abroad But can we. LID ever
unprotected wealth secure immunity 10 its
owner.
In the U,St place, cotton, like every other
article of commerce, becomes, when handled
in any other than the regular commercial way,
a two o.edged sword, as apt to wound producer
rs consumer Every obstacle which VIC place
between it and the channels Of commerce here,
operates as a bounty for its production else
where.
II is a vere current, but mistaken idea, In
subpose that This is the only country in the
world properly adapted 10 the cultivation Of
cotton. Ne svch thing. 1t is not orr purpose
to point out those other cotton regions. But
should even the present paper blockade cor
tiuue for a few years, und cotton rule ct the
present New York prices OF % cents, OF even at
Is, our aforesaid political drcalners may wake
up, and fad the r6ttHG ~Ceptre, Il not entirely
lost to our hold, at least divided in nur hand.
Every one can see and understand how. in
case the supply Of American cotton u foreign
markets be Interrupted or materially inter!cred
with that the effect will he to enhance The
value Of other cntionS. And by doing that you
will no, onlY stimulate those already engaged
in the cultivation Of cotton abroad, IA increased
production, hut rnn temp: their nrisl!hJlS INTO
the iield, and induce others successfully to
bring lands under cotton cultivation, which but
for such encouragement would never have been
thought Of Oar cotton Interests cannot he
tamprred with without danger. Ever: attempt
to block the channels ot free trade is more
or less hazardous, anu ti.,n would he pactiril'
larly su
II l., r dclusiuu, 10 s;lps',sr that ~ ',Arr Tie
only cotton climate aud soll w'!. Th:r!l Me
face of the earth has been garni3te'i The sta
ts,irs Of comnerru show thai it Is T,.'' .. 4
careful survey and proper study uf the Phys!ta!
features Of our planet, vii! reveal, a, places Vet
in the wilderness, cotton adapllOua II least
equal to those which have made us ::n lrnsPcT
GUS, and of which we arc 50 proud, n"! C say
puffsd up and vain.
But suppose England and France no n"i
choose for = few months 10 rosne I" break This
paper blockade which w have not thu naval
strength to force, paper though i. he. Does
it follow that that blockade, weak aud iGelu-
ciert as up to this time it has nGforion7y 1ecn,
will continue so until those foreign ua!lons Sst
ready to act:
The amount appropriated lor ,hr l-'l'c"in
Navy during the current Year, is upwards al
$40, ,000. 600 tforty millions. IS fur as any
Navy that VIZ have is concerned, his hniillas
of steam tugs. pllot.bosrs and launches will De
as etfectnal in the blockade OF our ports as fleets
of seventy-Eours with steam trigatas for tenders
would he In fact more so--bn: why, We
need not say. The truth i; une that;s p1!oatlr
to the minds of naval men.
But returning IN the school oi the tS.:nn
diplomatista. and admitting. ioT the sake al
argument, that in all that has been advanced
above, they are right and We are wrong; there
is another delusion as to the power which cot.
ton is to give our nation in The world, and
which, il our counselors continue 10 indulge,
it NAV, it is to be feared lead us into difficulties
and dangers Of a very grave character.
We cannot, either with cotton alone or with
all the agricultural staples of the Confedcracy
put together, establish commercial policy or
adopt any course which will make cotton ami
trade stand US as nation in thf stead of
Navy. Without Navy, all nations that COME
to us by sea. will mock us; and, laughing at
our laws. will plunder our citizens exactly in
proportion to their wealth, or tire value of or
merchandise and our weakness.
For the truth Of this, and aS example, ~e
neel not 20 back into the dart, ages or int"
any remote period Of history, but to our oWn
times, and to the scenes ann events which llv-
ing men have witnessed.
Time was when the production u. the pre-
cious metals in the new world was really, III
the eyes of certain nations, what in the dog
mas of school among us. cotton nnw iS,
KING.
But no sooner had the Spanish armada b;=h
lost and her Navy destroyed, than the a:sa
swarmed with free hooters, and cruisers under
all flags, seeking plumber from the gold.ta!ssl::
ed and siver.ladeu GALLONS Of Mexico an''
Peru, and their coasts were harassed, ard their
towns were ravaged by these sea-rnbber2,
whom Spain bad not the naval IoFcc 10 with
stand
Mexico and Peru both SIT themselves up
for independence; they ~cf- acknowledged and
received into thu family If natiohs The pro
duce oftheir tnines, like tba! of our raii"'i
fields, was of great value 90 The strong WIZ
are the commercial nations. This produce waz
held to be a commercial Necessity TO the world.
neither of the young nations had navy, aud
both relied upon their meIchantabl" products,
to win for them favor and respectful consider
alton, with all people that should Srth
from them with their ships hospitality. Shel
ter Dr commerce
We have seen with nuf nwi eyes, atIa iha'
tell. in part what we know, as warning t" ll''
subjects of "King" Cotton, that yet indulge in
these vagaries as to its power to govern us.
France, England and the Cn:e'I States. e.
pecially the last two, mads haste TO send tbcir
men- Of war to the coasts oi hot'i Of those an
ii naval republics. at first really 'or th' rpT
pose OF friendship, encouragement end aisSt
ance. Soon it was found hat the young ma
tions bad neither the means Of enforcing their
revenue laws OF Of preventing the ErnuEsler -
The single nan-of-war was, 1T a few years, lol
lowed By squadron which each patton re
solved to maintain, on those distant coasts
permanently These :qnadrons both Amer
can and English, did little else than spurn the
laws and smuggle. They did it with the appro
,al Of their own Governments, and Oh the plea.
openly avowed, that specie wss necessary to
It's commerce, and their merchants required it.
Smuggling was the easiest, and TO them. til,
cheapest, way to get it, Each squadron locked
after the interest Of its own countIyuen sna