, 1861-02-02
TEE COTTON sUPHLR,
ENGLAND Looking to Other Sources.

----
The London 17mes, of the 10th nit, discusses
the question Of the cotton supply, In style
which indicates the desire Of England to pro-
vide herseH with sources Of production other
than the Southern States. We quote the mate
Iia1 parts of It's article on this subject ~ bear
ing directly upon the question of the Southern
Confede1acy and its resources,
tNot many Days ago We took occasion, in
discussing the sources Of our cotton supply, to
which this momentous question Is attended.
It is not that cotton will not grow only on par
ticu1ar soils, like cinnamon or pepper. The ar
&lele can u,.dobsedy Be produce In Gfty different
Segions Of tie glo6e, nor is there much res
son to doubt that any kind Of quality desl-
tiyation and skill This IL not the secret OF
the matter. The rea1 difficulty consists In this
that America has got fair possession Of the
market, and supplies us with cotton SO excel
lent in quality aud 80 nearly sufficient In guam
tity that only narrow margin Is left for fresh
marks some statistics have been compiled
which place the facts Of the case in q very clear
light indeed Last yenr was remarkable year
for the cotton trade. The imports exceed in
amount any rs yet recorded; the consumption
was proportionate]y Large, aud the stocks on
@AVS~ ANVV
BILE. Coming to figures, We may statc that the
weekly consumption of the kingdom was prob
ably about 5000 bales. OF these, II coo, as
nearly rs possible, came from the United
States, about 1000 from Brazil, 1880 from
Egypt and the West Indies, and $500 from
India. There is the whole case clearly ex-
planned. America sendsus sir-sevenths Of our
entire receipts, and maintains this yast supply
SO well and SO successfully that the market l.
all her own.
"Bnt, unfortunately, this source Of our raw
material, though so excellent while it lasts,
20 ttal qnestion ne ought to fed, md, short as
has been the interval since the appearance of
our observations, it has been long enough TO
illustrate ,sM alarming force the prtedrios4sne&s Of
tie support On rhich tce depend. The cotton
States Of America nre actually on the brink
| SO long forescen as possible Is now Imminent,
md If We should hear by my Of the next
mails that the cotton crop is In danger from
the arrangement Of industry and business, we
cans themselves appear to be scared at tho
prospect. We are told that the price ofnegroes
| has fallen enormously, and the value Of slave
| property could hnrdly yhaye been affected except
through some misgtvings Us to slave produce.
| At any rate, even if We assume, ns perhaps We
may, that the interests Of the cotton-grower
| will be strung enough to protect the cotton
! consumer against any very serious or fmmedi-
| ate mischief, it can no longer be denied that
our position Is becoming unsafe in the extreme.
We are holding on by single anchor, and the
strands of the cable seem actually parting.
Nobody can tell what may be the effect Of pc
lfttcal di6organization upon the Gotten States
of the Union and In what condition should
we find ourselves If the six.scvenths OF ouI
| supply which these countries now furnish
should be suddenly cut Oft? Suppose the i'm
ports reduced even by a half or third, what
but faint idea of the misery and ruin which
would overwhelm usif our staple manufacture
we're abruptly stopped.
"1t behooves us then, tcithous an hour de,as
to take this .eor4& in hand. Except for the
single difficulty We hnye described, it is per
fect1y easy work. Three quarters Of the globe
are actually competing Tor the favor Of oul
orders. Asia gives us India, and 1ndia, as in
yariably found, offers anything we want Tea
LAX, silk, lingeed. cotton-whatever crop falls
elsewhere is sure to be producible in India,
As it is, The Indian cotton supply come, ssert te
tAe american in point Of magnitude, though with
d long interval between, and it is already cal.
cnlated TINT these imports will be ma
terially increased during the current
year. Then there is Australia bidding
for notice. We are insured upon the
evidence of excellent authorities that nothing
,ooald Be easier than to mdks Australia a. good q
eotton tield as america is now. Invest the capi
tai, organize the trade, invite Chinese laborers,
and the desired results will follow with the
most infalliblc certainty. Hardly have We
opened our eyes to these agreeable visions
when the advocates Of African colonization
interpose their claims africa il the ev1y land
Of cotton. In those regions the plant is not an
exotic It requires no naturalization. II
grows there already, mud Is eyen cultivated, as
tar as the ignorance of the natives will permit
the process. Then schy not e1tend a hand 10 III
struggling negro, and bensfll an oppressed race By
Mesa'ne po'tey which would provide our manu
+, u awe have not made these oh
seryations in any spirit Of alorm. Although
the disruption Of the Union seems more prob
able than at first and may be 6aid, indeed, tc
have been actually consummated b. the ecces
sion Of South Carolina, VIC still entertair
hopes that the wisdon1 of American statesmen
may ultimately prevail over the unrcaeonrg
violence Of the Southern populace. and aver
the calamity impending.
"Our present wish:s simply to point The OLD
moral by the new p.ase OF affairs. Twelve
months ago It might have been plausibiy
argued that the actual disunion Of the Amcri
sequent danger to the planting interests, wert
contingencies which might, indeed, be con
templated, but which were By no means pro
hablc. We now sec that such events may
easily happen. The peril has been brought
home to our very doors. It is certainly no
imp. ssible that the Southern States may form
i conlederacy Of their Owl, and maintain, o.
even extend, their commerce with thss coun
try. The American cotton supply may posi-
bly, be larger than ever. Such result Is doubt
less within the bounds Of probability bu
enough has been seen to convince Us Of tn
reality Of danger. Whether disunlon vouls
be followed by industrial disorganization !
mny be hard to say; but, at any rate, VIC hav
now learnt that the political eonvulsion ma
occur at any moment, and We know bat to-
well, from the examples Of history, how ike1
1t Is that such eonyulsious should be ATTENDED