The national Republican., 1861-02-06
COTTON.

supply Of cotton, as one of the contingencies Of
the revolutionary proceedings in the States on
the Gull, which threaten the stability Of the so.
cial and industrial organizations of those com.
munities. A serious reduction of the American
crop will certainly occur, If these proceedings
are not checked. Without taking into account
at all, the possibility of resulting serve insur.
rections, and even if the GulfState planters
continue to employ in the production Of cotton
such Of the labor which they now have, as is
not diverted into military channels, they will,
at any rate, cease, both from choice, and in.
ability, those large annual purchases Of labor
from the border slave States, which have hith.
erto enabled them to keep up the supply of
cotton to the advancing calls of commerce.
This possible loss of the American cotton
crop, does not alarm the Englishmen at all, as it
need not and will not alarm anybody. They
know that the means exist to make the loss
good, and they are merely pointing out the ur-
gent necessity of making use of these means,
in such good season, as will diminish the EN-.
barrassments of changing their sources Of sup.
ply of an indispensable article.
As the London Times observes, cotton may
he produced in ".ftty regions Of the globe" 1t
is not confined like pepper and cinnamon to a
few known localities. Great Britain has pur.
chased chiefly from the United States, not be.
cause it was not obtainable elsewhere, but be,
cause, quality and price considered, it was OBJ
tainable here cheaper than anywhere else.
The London Times points to three great
surces of supply, India, Australia, and Africa.
1t says:
"Three. quarters of the globe are actually
competing for the favor Of our orders. Asia
gives us India, and India, as is invariably
found, offers anything we want. Tea, flax, silk,
linseed, cotton-whatever crop fails elsewhere
is sure to be producible in India. As it is, the
Indian cotton supply comes nert TO the Ameri.
can IN point Of magnitude, though with long
interval between, and it is already calculated
that these imports will be materially increased
during the current year. Then there is Aus
tralia bidding for notice. We are assured upon
the evidence of excellent authorities that moth.
ing wouid be easier than TO make australia as
good cotton field as America is nOw Invest
the capital, organize the trade, invite Chinese
laborers, and the desired results will follow
with the most infallule certainty. Hardly has g
we opened our eyes to these agreeable visions,
when the advocates of African civilization in
terpose their claims. Africa is the re,y land Of
cotton. In those regions the plant is not an
exotic. 1t requires no naturalization. 1t grows
there lready, and is even cultivated, as far as
the ignorance of the natives will permit the
process. Then ,chy not ertend hand TO The
struggling negro, and benefit an oppressed race
by The same policy which would provide our
manufacturers with inexhaustible supplies?"
correspondent Of the Times states:
"That the seasons in Australia afford three
months longer for the growth Of the plant than
in America, that the cotton grown there is the
best in the world, and that he looks forward to
the day when cotton will be the great agricul.
tural staple Of that continent"
The London editors have no confidence in the
capacity of South Carolina and her associates
to produce cotton, after they shall have fairly
plunged into secession.
Thus, the London Daily Neps says:
"The pitiable confusion and alarm which
followed instantly upon the signing of the ordi.
nance of independence show how unprepared
even the leading men are for an isolated exist.
ence. They were all adrift as to their currency,
their post office, their taxes, their defences
They had not looked at the practicability be.
fore they took the leap; and they are doing Just
the same about the future. Without adequate
ports, shipping, varied industry, or available
capital, they assume that they can provide the
world with cotton, while all the world sees the
impossibility of it." Restricted
within their present territory, which is yearly
becoming exhausted by slave ,illage, and sup
piled with the dearest labor in the world, which
will escape into the free States faster than ever
the American cotton planters not only have nc
chance against other producers of cotton, but
could not make it answer, if they had the field
to themselves. If they have been subject to
debt, and crippled by mortgage hitherto, much
more impossible will they find it to get on
hencetorth, when the Northern capitalists who
have sustained them are no longer their fel
low.citizens and partners, but their rivals in
policy and in trade. Add to this that the South.
ern States are mutually jealous and contentious,
that the bulk of their white population is dis,
satisfied and turbulent, and the black race rest.
less, excited, and suddenly brought within view
of an equality Of numbers, and the most vehe.
ment partisan will scarcely allege that the pros
poets of cotton production are good. There is
no use in Disgusting the truth in such case
and the plain truth is, that affairs in The Uni
ted States can take no turn ohich UiA not teace
our chance Of cotton supply precarious in The
extreme.
"What, then, must we do? We must lose
no time in promoting the growth of cotton
wherever it will grow. The obvious method is
to strengthen the hands of the Cotton Supply
Association, and of every society which can
satisfy US Of its ability to grow what we want,
within our own dependencies or elsewhere.
The case is in our own hands. Australia or
India could give US all we want; but not with.
out some pains on our own part We must
take what we can get from America while pre-.
pairing our own crops; but zoe must be ready
TO dispense wih any amount Of american cot
ton which cannot be got to grop in an atmos,
phere Of political and social rerolution."
Thus, to all the other injuries resulting to