Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-04-24
Cotton planting.


 Cotton Planting. incredible as 1t may seem, it appears that there are planters in Arkansas determined to planteotton Letters from various points confirm this, and, moreover we have heard of . call for public meeting to discuss the late law of the General Assembly and the propriety of resisting it. That the number ofthese.m men is comparatively small IS true, but that number is large enough to do inf uite mischief. It may be too late to attempt torea son with them, for they are either Lincolnites or fools but we may as well state few facts for their consideration, and ask them few questions.
 The proportion of improved or eultivatable land in Arkansas to the whole territory is barely eight per centum of the whole area. If every acre was planted in corn or grain and grasses, we would have heed for it all Take the single article ot Indian corn and 1t is estimated by the best calcula tors that the Confederacy will require at least one hundred millions of bushels. Parts of Virginias Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and, perhaps Arkansas, cannot he depended upon the present year for corn and grain. The cereals must be raised in the cotton lands. At the lowest cal culation Arkansas must furnish ten millions of bushels. At ten bushels to the acre, which is large estimate, this will require one million of acres to be planted in corn. If it is not done we are all ruined, rich and poor alike. The corn and wheat raisers; the producers of the cereals have. gone to the Our army is made up in great part of farmers and farmers sons. At least two- thirds are men who, if not in the fields of jwar' would be in the fields of peace. Twenty thousand cultivators of the soil have left their homes and the labor heretofore performed by them must be sup piled by negro labor. Not only in raising corn but stock of all kinds, oats, wheat, rye, potatoes, and various articles of food were raised by these men, All these things must be produced by slave labor or famine will ensue The planter who supposes that he can raise only enough corn to supply his plantation wants and devote the rest of his land to cotton forgets that he lives in revolutionary times Rather than permit their little ones to starvc men would take his corn by force, and burn his cotton to teach him a lesson. The only hope planter can have in planting cotton is to sell it. That he can het pay from the Yankees is only to be hoped upon the supposlton that he can make them believe he is a-good Lincolnite. The fact of his raising cotton would be pretty strong evidence
 
 that which they can get by stealing. If the blockade is raised, whichs matter of uncertainty for years, the crops of 1861 will be thrown in mar ket and prices will go down at once. If England can do without cotton for six or.eight months she certainly can manage for year with one full crop thrown at once into her ports. Put in two crops and it would not command five cents pognd To look to Europe for sale of the cotton is to draw draft upon time, to be honored no one knows when and for what amount
 If, as has been suggested with some plausibility, the unpatriotic planters have secret under.tand- ing with the Lincoln government, and that federal emissaries have promised them to pay for the cot ton if they will but raise it, have only to say that such promises and agreements are poor things to rely on If the armies of Lincoln ever penetrate to cotton farm they will steal every bale of cot ton it, and if there is crop, they will set the negroes to pick it at forty cents day, and each negro find himself
 The planter who raises cotton instead of corn this year endangors the whole Confectionery. It will require that every tillable acre and every working hand be devoted to the production of  these questions? Our spring, so far, has been B very wet one, and it is probable that the summer will be a dry one. What, if . drought shouId come and cut off the upland corn? What are those to do whose husbands and sons are in the army if the scanty crops put in their fields should fail Will men who are fighting for my rights and defending my property, when they find their families suffering gc,1,, al, I -l,t A. continue to fight for me? Wo uId my life or prop erty be safe from the hands or hungry and oxas- perated men? Can l gather this cotton crop in safety? Will my patriotic neghbors who are plant ing corn and bending every energy to sustain the C0nfederacy, permit me to play into the hands of Lincoln and raise large cotton crop to entice the fcderals here? After all, setting duty aside, ig noring patriotism and pretermtting all questions of right, is it safe thus to outrage public opinion and trampIe on the law? While it is questionable if can sell my cotton, might not l lose the whole crop by others showing the disregard for law, by setting fire to my cotton and gin and perhaps tossing me in it?
 Let the planter ask himself these questions. Of course he must choose his own path, and he may pretend to despisc warnings, but we have talk cd with hundreds in and out of the army on this subject, and if there is one thing on which our peo pie resolved it is that treason selfsness, or greed the part of cotton planters shall be per mitted,to reduce the women and children to starva tion No one or few planters would be safe in trying the experiment.
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