Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-14
The Cotton supply.


The subject of the cotton supply:
There is great conflict Of opinions as t,, tn
future cotton supply. First, as to the American
crop there is great uncertainty as to the amour
raised in 1861 and as to the amount of tina
crop either destroyed or likely to be destroyed
| We so far know only that very little has com,
forwards but the reasons for this are obvious
many planters are prevented from doing so, O.
have no facilities if they were mot prevented
Some may have facilities and are not prevented
fear the seizure of it on arrival. The recent mil
itery order in BUelPs department, necessarily
operate to prevent the forwarding of, or traffic in
| it. Some planters no doubt feel determined tC
| withhold it under any circums tances. The ad
vance Of our army has not as yet opened the
way for sscertainiug with any satisfactory pre-
cislon the amount OF the crop of 1861. So that
estimates vary from 350O,000 to 100000 Of
| bales. OF the amount destroyed there is equal
| uncertainty. As to the crop of 1862, there is a
general impression that it is a very small one.
Observers moving with our army and navy speak
of immense corn fields and of limited cotton
fields m the heart of the cotton country. How
much more of the crop Of 1861 win be destroy
ed is matter of the meTest conjecture. Should
the war 90 on, as heretofore, spreading itself
out and dividing itself up into sn infnity of de-
tails, and be marked by alternate successes and
defeats aud of course slew, however sure, pro
gress OF the Federal arms the probability is that
large quantities Of the gathered crop will be sac
rhced, chiefly by parties acting under orders of
the Confederate authorities
But should the late vigorous action of the ma
tional executive be followed up By the vast
gathering to arms that may be expected, the
moral effect upon thinking men at the South
msy be such as to warrant the expectation of a,
great change of feeling aud opinion there Such
1aA e Al.
government and the indisposition of England
to interfere, aud aware, too, of the approaching
exhaustion OF Southern resources, must perceive
the hOpelessness Of further resistance In fact
we should not be surprised to learn that con-
yiction OF this hopelessness had come generally
to pervade the public mind at the South. The
men Of tie South have as quick and correct
perceptions, and can see premises and reason
from them as accurately as any other people
No doubt during this war they have had what
may be deemed reasonable hopes of accomplish
ing their object. No man can tell what would
have been the effect of active foreign interven-
ton after Bull Run. But hopes, which cannot
be pronounced unreasonable have been disgp.
pointed. In fact, all the hopes based on any
thing beyond the internal resources Of the
South, have vanished This must be as appa-
rent to the Southern mind as TO the Northern
What, then, will result? VIII the people of
the South be universally insane enough to com
NIT literal suicide VIII they like the fanati-
cal and stubborn Jews pursued by the Romans,
make funeral piles for themselves, their wives,
their children and their slaves, out of all their
possessions which fire can destroy The sup
position is not admissible.
Tine reasonable suppOsition, on the contrary,
IS, that struck by the tremendous preparations
made to oYerwhelm them, by a conviction that
they can expect no help from abroad, and By
sense that their own strength is declining, they
will take measures to avert the gro wing fury of
a storm, which they will see they have one-and
only one-means of allaying. The effects of
the impression created by the recent order of the
Federal government may in few weeks be vis-
Ible IN some OvertuTes, such as nothing short of
so tremendous a demonstration could have elic-
tied. Ia that event, the cotton store houses of
the South would be unlocked and we should
ascertain how much is in them. Perhaps four
months or ninety days may determine it.
Of the supply Of cotton abroad, statements
are conflicting and unsatisfactory. Some rep
resentations made month ago, assured us that
the supply IN England would be well-nigh ex-
hsuSted IN six weeks or two months. These
are however, offset by accounts
Of a very different tenor. One Of the latest cir
culars-s statement prepared by Neill Brothers,
whose statistics OF the cotton and its movements,
have been universally quoted fJT yeaTs-reck-
ons the demand at Liverpool, for both consump-
ton and export, - 600 bales a week, for the
last eight months 1t then adds:
Now, should the imports from India and
other countries, excluding America, for the re-
neinder of the year only exceed those of last
year, subsequently to this date, by 75 900 bales
{ and there is already an excess of 10000 bales
ahoat,) the supply, added to the present stock in
Liverpool would give total of 81 600 bales,
or exactly b 600 bales per week for the remain
der Of the year"
There is some reason, therefore, to believe
that the dearth of cotton is not so excessive as
many have imagined and there is also reason
to hope that events will, within a very short
time, release the cotton treasures of the United
States, thus relieving the appresensions of the
cotton famine which has been so much dreaded
Prentice Mad and Frightened.
As specimen of the wrathful visitation to be
inflicted on the true men of Kentucky, the fol-