New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-07
Is COTTON KINGS

The basis of the confidence manifested by the
Planting States in their ability TO establish and
maintain a Southern Confederacy is tersey en-
bodied in the current political phrase Cotton is
king" These States have hitherto enjoyed a sort
ofmonopoy throughout the markets OF the civilized
world as producers OF Cotton, and have actually
come 10 believe that they alone can supply the
demand. We are told that by simply refusing
to sell to our manufacturers, they can create
general industrial and financial ruin, and thus
coerce our consciences and intellects by On ire
sistble appeal TO our pockets.
Nothing can be more fallacious. Leaving out
of sight their own evident necessity to sell,
which is quite equal to our need to buy and
assuming that, for the first time in the history
Of commerce, money will cease to command its
equivalent, this supposed monopoly is temporary
and fictitious, end can be speedily oyerthrown.
Cotton has been raised for ages in India, Persia
Egypt the West Indies, Japan, and Australia
No country in the world is so favorable to its
growth as Africa. There, as we are told by DR..
Livingstone, the American cotton-pant is Pc
rennial, grows wild in the most wonderful pro-
fusion, and is cleared off as nuisance to make
room for the culture Of vegetables.
The present artificial prominence of our Plant
ing States arises only from the fact that there for
the first time, Apglo-Saxon energy, under sub
stantia and pacific political Institutions has been
applied to agriculture in climate capable Of
this product. Nor would this alone have suffced;
for under the present commercial and poiti-
cal union OF Free and Slave States, the in.
geuuity and intellect of Northern mechanics
have essentially contributed to this result.
Free Labor has produced the Cotton-Gin, the
Spinning Jenny, and all the varied machinery
which have rendered Cotton practically avail
atle In 1884, eight bags of cotton, shipped
from America TO England, were seized there, on
the ground that SO much could not have been
produced in the United States At that time,
the tedious labor of slave for one entire day
cleaned only Il single pound of cotton from the
seed But in 1893, Eli Whitney-a Massachu-
sets Puritan by birth and Connecticut Yankee
by adOptiOn-inyented the gin which cleans 300
pounds in day. The effect was magical. Southern
industry revived Slavery renewed its expiring lease
Of life An enormous production followed, yet has
scarcely kept pace with the ever growing demand.
One hundred years ago there was not cotton
shirt, nor u yard of cotton domestics in all
America. Now, cotton fabrics are necessaries Of
life and enter into the clothing of every indi-
vidual.
But while the science and civilisation Of free
society have been thus enlisted in the develop
nent of Southern Industry, the COMPETE
ton OF Free Labor in the production of the
great staple has been virtually prohibited.
Every foot of our Southern territory has been
consecrattd in advance to seryle institutions, aud
now it is loudly proclaimed that only BY the toll
of the slave can cotton be probably produced.
Fortunately, the facts are otherwise. The cul-
ture of cotton by free labor has already COM
meDced, and is rapidly progressing under British
auspices. The annual product of Hindostan alone
is estimated at 450, Coz, 600 Bs., Of which about
two-thirds are consumed at home and the re-
mainder 10 shipped in equal proportions to China