Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-06
AMERICAN TOPICS ABROAD.
What Is Theught and said About Cotton.

what Is Thought and Said Ab0ut Cotton.
From the Liverpool Tines A5g. II.
The effects of the war in America are beginning
to react on this country. Hitherto we have been
mere spectators of the sanguinary struggle hoping
that the course of events would bring it to speedy
and satisfactory close; but recent events show that
we are only at the beginning of the end, and that,
great the suferings of the immediate CONTESTANTS
are, these suferings must be felt more or less by
the whole of Europe, and more especially by the
great producing countries, France and England.
One of the first consequences of this unfortunate
civil strife is a serious dimnutOn In the amount of
English railway dividends. Almost every great ar
terry Of OfcOmmunicGtion which pierces England from
one extremity to the other acknowledges decrease
of business and this is reflected IN the reduced di
vision of profts-a condition of things which Is
painfully felt by th1se whose property is embarked
10 such undertakings and the worst feature is that
bad as the present prospect Is, the future holds
out little encouragement. Every week the stock
Of cotton-for the manufacture of that article is
the staple produce of EDgland-becOmss "small by
degrees and beautifully less" and the question
arises where shall we look for fresh supply when
the present one is exhausted? The East Indies may
send 100000 100000 extra bales; but this is
mere ssOp TO Cerberus,D when measured BY our
actual necessities. What supplies may we hope for
from Australia, from thu West Indies, from the
West Coast of Africa, or the other portions of the
earth to which we were told to direct our eyes?
Ultimately, we may perhaps receive from these and
other sources enough 10 keep the mills OF LaIlca-
shire and Lanarkshire geiDg; but "while the grass
grows the steed stsrves," and the difficulty is how
to manage during the painful interval. This diff
Guilty must have been present to the minds of the
Southern planters when they raised the standard of
revolt They argued that the first law of nature,
selfpreservation, would compel England and
France to force the blockade cf the South
ern ports to supply themselves with an article
the possession of which is essential to keep
down starvation and insurrectIon at home
and in this sense they reasoned wisely. We
may rub on with comparative ease until the Fail of
the year, but toward November and December next,
when eotton-laden vessels from New Orleans, Mo-
bile Charleston and other ports in possession of the
Southern COnfederaey, usuIly make their appear
ance IN Britt h and French waters, the question
will arse-a serious one for all parties-what is to
be done? There are those among US who contend
that unless peace between the North and South has
been secured the interval must in selfdefense
violate the blockade to secure that great essential
of lfe-cotop. Better these persons argue, to risk
a war with America than to millions of our Op-
eratiVes turned into the streets to die of want
better to provide ourselves with what we cannot
do without, at whatever cost, than to bring worse
than waI-famine, disease, and pestilenee-tO our
own doors.