New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-04
ENGLAND.
THE COTTON QUESTION AND THE
RTnCKADE.
TRIBUNE.
From The London Times Oet.

From The IondOn iiHes, Oet 81.
II has been evident from the beginning OF The
American War that tiuie must come when the free
expectation of Cotton from the SoutnsIn port
would become serious question with I'rge Class
in England. All that has been RAID Oh tue sup"
plies which may be brought from India, EHypt
the West Coast of Afica, and other places ls no
doubt, true. There are great fields for cultivation,
there sufficiently skliul and industrious
grow the plant and there capital and enterprlse
enough at home to turn these TO account. But all
this cannot be done in day. Cotton culture cannos
be extemporized on a scale sufficient to support the
mills of England and France, and the Rhine and the
| Northern States of America as well. The people
must be reused TO q new or more extended pfoduc'
tion, seed must be obtsined, machinery, however
simple, must be provided, roads must be improved,
transport organized and IA men are not born cotton
growers, the ant of rearing this variable ana often
disappointing plant must be learned by at east snort
time Of probation. IT. short two years are prooaby
the shortest time that would .uce to bring the wordc
energies into play in the cul iVat9n OF Cotton. It's
calculated that not fewer than 100 souls, or
sixth Of the population Of the British Isles, are In
terested in way or other IN Tie cotton manuiac-
ture All these it has been certain from the begin.
niug must day begin to feel the scarcity OF cot
ton and TO cry out, if not from actual suffering, az
Least from apprehension. There may De cotton AZ
sea from India and other parts OF the world, and
may be proved by compacen sats iciaDs that aiterA
certain line the mills Of Lancashire and Scotland Will
be Independent Of tie slave-grown produces but
what il to become of the millions Of operatives in tie
meanwhilei What is TO become Of the unhappy
families who see "two-thirds time" dwindie down
"o half time," and then the factory gates eDsg,
one after another while they themselves are lett to
wander to the poo. house clem In sllercef lhen
there arc the manufacturers themselves wbose great
establishments must be kept up at aloss, when, Win
all their burdens except wages the same, tnere are
only The profits Of two or three days Work Ia tne
week Il is not to be expected therefore, that tho
wear viii pass away without some agitation on tne
part Of the anxious and terrified cotton world OF the
North
Even now is said that there prevails among Ger.
tain classes in Lancashire wish to zee our Govern"
ment take a more active part ia American affairs.
The manufacturers ara beginning 10 be indignant
that the great staple OF the world should be with.
held and all Europe brought iuto discomfort or acc
tua ant, in order that the ambitious States OF the
North should extend their sway over people VINO
have rejected il, and who, according 10 the canons
which American writers themselves have laid down,
should be allowed 10 choose their own institution5
and work out their destiny. As the interest ot
people is, so, for the most part, will be their prn-
crles. Whstever may baye been the feeling Of the
Manchester world on Slavery, whatever may have
been their opinions on English interference IN Tor,
eign qusrrels, .hey take 10 this quesion the part o!
the cotton-growers of AL:sriea. II the North does
not euancpate the slaves, why shoG:a ~ Ioroid the
Transmission of the produce which Slavery S,Ves e
ma kindi No principle is involved in the contest,
and go Englisbmen, they think, may With safe con-
science take which side they like. Their intereeta
bid them sssist the South IN getting their cargoes
across the Atlantic, and we KEEP ap large navy;
will be better employed in raising the blockade %
/ Charleston and New-Orleans than In cruising DC.
tween Mediterranean ports or lying at anchor az
Spthesd.
To break the blockade of the Confederate ports k
therefore likely to be the counsel OF the extreme
party among the manufacturers. That sucn step
would be taken by our Government, they Will, per.
haps, hardly venture to bope, but they may tbioE
that loud outcry, producing chance OF collision
between the two countries, may dispose the people
of the Northern States TO come TO terms, and put au
end to the war. Thus the two communities whlcH
live by cottonthe growers IN the southern oIa'es
and the manufacturers herc-may be found eonioined
in the same policy-thst is to enforce the aeknowl
edc1uent of Southern Independence by emoronm8
England with the North. II is beyond doao' tnse
the Southern people have all along counted on snen
demands being made IN England Us those oi VIII. @
we are speaking. The whole course OF tne was
has shown that the Confederate States are raieu
men who have deeply studied these questions peiors
they raised them and who have accordingly SHOWS
themselves generally quite right In the Juas'
nents they have formed. From the beginning, tne
Precedent and Mr.. Stephens, and after them the
Southern Press have declared that the needs OF the
European nations would force them within yearto
use their influence, even something more than ins
fuence to pat an end TO the war and establish Soutn
ern Independence. They ale. OF course, kept wen
informed Of wrat passes in England, and, inoeeo,
know the temper OF the Lancashire manufacturers
very probably better than the great body OF the En-
glish public know it. IL may, then, be coneeve9
that the proposal to break the blockade, spoken On
for the present in whispers, but likely shortly to os
discussed in louder tone, will be strong encoua
ragement to the Confederaies to persist 10 their res
sstance At the present time, when It seems likely
that campaign is TO begin scale such as europe
has seldom seep, and when it Is possible tnst ins
North may avenge Bull Run in one or two oloodS
battles, the attitude of party IN England whicn
holds out hopes Of foreign interference cannot izn
be matter Of great importance. Adverse iortuns
may be forgotten, doubtful fight may oe tuihes
into victory when IL is thought that the South hs
only to hold out few months longer, and 70 keep
its Cotton safe its plantations in order to bring 70
its side the largest navy in the world.
We should be sorry that any such conviction
should gain ground In the South for il is no part
our duty TO interfere In this unrghteous quarrel
and We feel sure that England would rather undergo
much suffering than break through the plain ratf &
of international law. Having recognized tne Con'
federates as bellgerents, we are boano oy nM
which admit of no doubt or debate 70 respect , Is
blockade which the Northern States have estao.
lished. This blockade has been duly notned, u
has already been acknowledged by our Govern
ment and submitted TO by our navai onieos W
the station. To break it in any way w9uo ~
act of war against the Governments OF the xi,,s%
States. and any hostties which might I1liow
would constitute an unjost war on oar part, wn'cni
whatever its issue, would stain the repuIsuSon -
this country and expose US to the Jus' roproseu 80
the Americans in after times. Such scts, We ~
sure, England will not commit, even 70 save s nss
Greatest manufacture. Whenever the Nortnernerrs
have established an effeotual blockade tney VII
be free to keep Il up without in'crierneo
our mart But here another consideration arises.
Is tbe blockade everywhere etfectuali IL certainly
"a NOT. As might be expected, when rev inga.s
and "orvetes Undertake to seal up three thousand
miles Of coast there is in the great majority Z, yss
No blockade At all Few only Of the Amennean .sx
csss The is that vessels are shnpt luna