The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-03-05
A Word to planters


As planting time approaches, 4 word in re.
iation to the character Of crops that should be
raised the present year, may not be inoppor.
tune. We rcg'ct to hear that it Is the put pose
of planters IN many sections OF the country 20
plant considerable portion Of their lands in
cotton, notwithstanding the difficulties in the
way OF obtaining sale for this article and the
very coGent reasons which necessitate the
raising OF an abundant supply Of grain. We
hope that the idea OF planting any more cotton
than suihcency to preserve seed, will be
abandoned. Besides being umpatrio'ic, we be.
heve 1t to be bad policy for the planter. There
is now no reasonable probability that the crop
OF cotton on hand can be brought to sale with.
in the next twelve months : the prospect for a
removal Of the blockade by European int erfer-
ence Is more remote than IL has ever been :;
both the Emperor Of France aud the Queen OF
England have spoken upon this subject in terms
too plain to be misunderstood. They say that
so long as the rights Of neutras are respected
they will not interfere between th. conteud;nc
parties; and the North is not likely to give
them any occasion to violate this declaration of
neutrality. The English and French papers
nave been mistaken in assuming that IL was
the purpose OF their respective Governments
to interfere in the American crisis. and We now
have no reasonable hope of being able 10
achieve our independence, except through our
own exertions.
} II would be folly, after the recent declsra,
tions of the English and French Governments,
TO rely upon them any longer. IL, then, we
are to carve out our independence by onr own
efforts, is Il reasonable, in view Of the present
aspect of affairs, to suppose that the war will
terminate within the next year President
Davis thinks that il will last through series of
years, and Il il does, what will il profit our
farmers to continue to raise cotton Even
uron the hypothesisthat the war will end aud
the hiockade he removed at the expiration Of
one yer from this time, 1t would be folly to
ra'se another crop for the crop already on
hand will yield as much money when the block
ade is finally removed as two, or even four crops
will yield, the price being governed by the sup.
ply on hand
We do not know what day may bring forth,
but so far as human foresight is capable OF de.
termining future contingencies, h does appear
that 1t Is the true interest Of the planter, and
certainly the intcres, Of the country. to aban-
don the making Of cotton until aher the war,
and turn their attention exclusively to grain
crops. This is unquestlonably the safer course
to pursue. A man may think that 1t would
be a ruinouE business to forego the making Of
cotton, the cop from which he has hitherto
derived his main support and iueraase Of wealth,
but this is only one among the very many sac.
rGces which the future contingencies Of this
war, will oblige US TO make. The revolution
which We have insugurated ., not confined to
political matters 1t extends 10 the business Of
agriculture, the interests Of commerce and alb
other branches Of industry, and tbs sooner ws
begin 10 reslite this fact. the better.