New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-07

to plant more corn may be acted on as
now as aforetime. No one can
guarantee abundant crops in Europe, hence the
foreign demand for this years crop among us is
copjectural. Neither can any one predict the de-
mand from the South when intercourse between
the two sections shall have been re- established.
But it will be remembered that beef and pork
rose rapidly in price Immediately on the open
ing of the single outlet to Nashville. Other
portions of tho South must be as destitute OF
Northern staples as Tennessee, and Ike results
must follow like facilities. Curiously enough,
year ago the Sonth was exhorted by its re-
bellious press to plant more corn and less cot
ton. We have no means of knowing how gen.
orally it was obeyed. But two facts
arc prominently observable-the Rebels
are oppressed with the care Of o
large cotton crop, and are threatening it with
fire. while food of every description sells in
every Southern city at famine prices. The
people ore everywhere suffering from a scarcity
of food, the army alone appearing to have
enough. These facts are corroborated from
multitude of sources. Prices alone, as quoted
from various quarters, prove them, even after
allowing for tho imitation of the Rebel currency.
This scarcity of food is being aggravated b.
the wholesale destruction Of army stores pre-
yious to every capture or during every retreat.
Though the harvest of last year was an over.
flowing one, yet it has yielded an insufficient
supply of food to the South Her millions of
slaves have this year been building forts, not
boeing cornfclds. A widespread conscripton
has taken all the whites from home, leaving the
slaves to do as they please, and it has evil
deuty pleased them not to work longer with
out wages. Rebellion plumed itself on Slavery
as an element of strength-whe the whites
were fighting, the blacks were to be producing
food-the Rebellion was not to be starved out.
But in spite of propilous season, an incipi-
ent famine has overtaken them.
1t is one of the remarkable incidents Of this
condition of the South, that certain products
peculiar to that section command enormous
prices, such as sugar and molassss. While this
is so, Northern farmers are actually producing
the same articles for their own consumption.
An urgent injunction should go forth through
the North to plant the Sorghum and make her
own sugar. heavy duty on the imported
article looms up in the future, and the pros
pect is that crippled Louisiana will hencefor-
ward afford but scanty supply. The p-oduc-
ton of every Southern staple III fact mast be
in limited amount. But it was not expected
that the production of the commonest articles
Of food would dwindle as they have. In an
cient times famine went hand in hnnd with
war, because ablc-bodied men quit the farm for
The camp, leaving the women and the helpless nj
home 10 perish Of starvation. In other in
stances the invading army drew its subsistence
from the country invaded, consuming all its
products, and leaving its inhabitants nothing.
Such q dearth the Rebel army Las created in
many places which il has eaten bare. But
through all this war the North has teemed
with abundance.
All the evidence before us goes 10 show that
the call upon the South to
plant more corn and less cotton, il has not
been done as largely as was necessary for her
people. They have undoubtedly planted less
cotton but not enough corn. Their distracted
condition may prevent their doing 20 tho pres
cnt year also. Ii Northern farmers planted
greater cornfelds than ever, year ago, be-
cause 10 one could then soy how long tho war
was to continue, how much more necessary to
repeat the operation now when the manifest'y
waning proportions of the rebellion indicate its
speedy termination. Trade follows the Union flag.
When it shall wave over pGcfed South, and
when the sixteen hundred steamboats, which two
years ago were necessary to transact the trade
upon the Mississippi, shall be again travcrsing
its waters, every surplus barrel of beef, and
-four, and pork, and every bushe of corn in
the great West will be wanted somewhere.
The European harvest may be again failure;
our own may be equally deficient. But among
The ccrtaintics for farmers is that Of heavy
taxation on almost everything they are to eat
or wear, the fruit Of this unnatural rebellion.
Every reason exists for them to plant more
acres than before. The season for doing so is
not yet over. All that they may raise will be
wanted somewhere-in Europe, at the South,
or among ourselves. Go where it may, it will
be sure to pay. IL the country planted no
more beyond its average than just enough TO
pay its annual war tax, it would be some two
hundred millions richer.