The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-10-28
Does Lancashire Want CottopIl


The cotton lords Of Lancashire are in
curious dilemma. On one hand, their
factories are wholly or partially out Of
work, and, on the other, they have made
and are making immense profits on the
sales Of their manufactures Two years
ago, these cotton lords had as much man
ufactured materials, fine as well as coarse,
in their warehouses, as equalled the usual
demand Of the whole world for the next
five years. Had the accustomed quantity
Of cotton been supplied from the United
States the Lancashire factory masters
would still have gone on increasing their
stocks Of cotton manufactures ad ibitum
beyond all possible consumption, and
Hnally clearing away these accumulated
stocks at a tremendous loss. As Il Is,
the manufacture has ceased, from want
Of the raw material, the poor artisans are
out OF work and in poverty, which a Sc
we're wintr will make worse, and may
convert into social war; but the cotton
lords, who are selling of their goods at
much advanced prices, are really making
more money now, while their mills or
factories are doing next TO nothing, shan
they ever made before The war in
America, which has deprived these peo-
pie of cotton, has been the making of
them, by checking their production and
enabling their stock to go of at increased
and increasing prices.
Perhaps these facts may throw light
upon the apparent nonchalance with
which Lancashire has regarded the nom
supply of cotton. Were the manufac-
turers in earnest, did they really "starve
for cotton" they would have taken some
pains TO procure il from other than Amer
lean soil. They talk great deal OF
what should be done, but do nothing.
They ought to have sent competent per-
sons and a million or two Of dollars
over TO India, TO attend to the increased
culture and production there, but, in
stead of this, lately voted, at a public
meeting in Manchester, that Sir Charles
Wood, the Secretary of State for India,
ought 70 be impeached by Parliament
for not growing cotton in Hindoostan.
They might as well impeach him for not
growing Catawba grapes and Newtown
pippins on the rocky soil of the cold and
sterile Orkneys.
AT the time they did this Mr.. S. La
ing, late Finance Minister Of India, who
had great personal knowledge of that
country, had announced that if the peo-
pie of Manchester looked to India for a
supply of cotton whereon to employ the
toiling population of the North of Eng
land, they would and must be disappoint-
ed "Years," he said, must elapse be-
fore cotton can be grown in India in suf-
ficient quantities TO supply the place of
that which has heretofore come in from
the United States of America, and even
if cotton were grown, the industrious
and sl1illful inhabitants of India, living
upon the spot, would manufacture for
their own profit the cotton they grow"
Were the supply of American cotton
never to be restored, people would have
to come back to the use of wooden and
linen garments, which have been superse-
ded by the cheaper and less durable cot
ton goods. These goods are steadily
advancing in price, and when their cheap
ness has departed, the public will see
the advantage of reverting to linen and
wooden, as more durable, pleasant and
wholesome materials for wear. On the
Continent Of Europe in
France, Belgium, and Prussia - the
growth of fax has been largely increased
of late, and, particularly at Rouen and
Lille, the cotton manufacturers are
adapting their machinery to the manu-
facture of fax and wooden articles. The
cotton lords of Lancashire have not
dreamed Of such a change. They are
doubling their ordinary profits, while the
artisans are starving, by the sale of their
vast accumulations of cotton goods, and
until these are cleared away, they must
not be expected to do anything for sub
shutting wool and fax for cotton. Char
ity is on their lips and cupidity is in
their hearts. The Lancashire cotton
lords do not want cotton just yet,--PliI.
Press.