The New York herald., 1862-03-30

heavy and neglected. while the higher and 0etter
class OF brands hrm. Wheat was inactive, and
sales limited aud confined TO small lots, nclud-
ing red State and Jersey on the dock at 81 81, a
81 So for amber Jersey in store and 81 As for white
Michigan Corn was heavy and lower. with moderate
sales, at soc. 5Sc for Western mixed in store and de-
vered and &C. 5sc for New Jersey yellow part quite
dry. Pork was unchanged and less active. Tho sales
made at $l3 $l3 IL for mess and small lots
reported at SIS 25 and 81 $40 37k $40 62 for
prime The government contract for S1S bbls
taken at tl3 so So rs Beef steady aud lard
active and Arm. Sugars active aud prices quite
steady The sales embraced $500 hhds 800 boxes aud
4,5oO bags Coffee quiet, espec tally for Rio sale
OF 200 mats Of Java made at 28c. Frcights were
inactive, while rates were without change of moment.
"King Cotton NIeditating suicidc-De-
bate in the Rebel Congress.
King Cotton is in bad way. Beleaguered
by our encirciing fleets and armies. powerless
to arrest their advances into his dominions, and
despairing of foreign Intervention, he has turned
his thoughts upon suicide. Read the report of
the interesting debate in the rebel Congress
which we publish to-day.
The rebel House of Representatives mad
passed a resolution advising the planters in the
confederacy of jeff Davis to abstain from plant
ing cotton and tobacco this year, and to devote
themselves exclusively to the production of
grain and provisions; and, this resolution COM
ing up in the rebel Senate, Mr.. Brown, Of Mis-
sissippi, proposed to substitute bill peremp-
torily curtaling the cotton crop of 1862. The
debate will explain what followed. In the end,
the resolution, including Mr.. Browns
proposition, was rejected, eight to eleven,
from which we may conclude that the
cotton planters of our rebellous States will be
left to decide for themselves the extent of their
cotton planting for the present year.
We presume, however, that, with the last
years crop still upon their hands, and with the
so-called Confederate States shorn by cur ad-
vancing armies of the grain and provision pro-
ducing districts Of Kentucky, Missouri, Vir-
ginis and Tennessee, the planters in the
cotton States are now disposed to devote the
balkof their lands for this season to Indian,
corn, Irish and sweet potatoes, peas, beans,
&C., for the subsistence Of their armies and peo-
pie Heretofore, from the border slave States
aforesaid, and from the great storehouses of
the Northwest, our cotton States have been al
most exclusively supplied with their corn meal,
-four. pork, beef, mutton and whiskey; but now,
with our armies advancing in Virginia and
North Carolina, and from Tennessee against
the rebel frontier defences of Alabama and
Mississippi, the cotton States must produce
their own provisions for the present year, or,
should this war hold on 50 long, they will by
September next be reduced to the straits of
famine.
The season tor cotton painting Is now
at hand, and in few weeks it will be
over, when. in default of . crushing rebel de-
feat in tho interval, we shall most probably
learn that not one-fourth OF our average South
ern cotton crop has been planted. A great
Union victory, meantime, in the Mississippi
Valley, or in Virginia, resulting in the flight Of
the rebel government from Richmond, may
change the minds Of the cotton planters, with
the conviction that further resistance to the
arms of the Union is vain, and that If they are to
destroy their last years crop to save it from
''the Yankees" they may as well have full
crop of cotton for the inviting markets of the
world next fall as anything else, especially as,
with the Southern advances of our troops, the
granaries of the Northwest will again be opened
to the remotest corners Of the South.
Upon this important question Of planting full
or small crop of cotton this season, the rebel
Senator Barnwell, of South Carolina, contends in
the debate before us that the South must sustain
its cotton culture that call our interests appeal
to US never to give it up. We must raise it,
hold it, and fight for it. We must let the world
know that we have it, and that we will sell it
cheap, and that we will fight to keep it from
our enemy and protect IT," Mr.. Hunter, Of
Virginia, taking the same view, said:-"The
policy which diminlshes the supply Of
cotton will hold out no inducements to
England to break up the blockade;"
but Mr.. Selnmes, OF Louisiana, had given
up all hope of English Intervention, and
he was therefore in favor Of warning the
Southern people "to prepare for the con-
tinuance of lengthy war, and that produce
must be raised for our subsistence" The pre-
vailing idea, however, in the Confederate"
Senate seems to be that the South must continue
tho cotton culture for fear that England may
remove the throne Of "King Cotton" to her own
dominions.
The question is grand and comprehensive
one, and Is now in process Of solution by our
Southern cotton planters themselves. By the
Ist Of May the problem will be settled, and,
from present appearances, it will be settled
against the monopoly Of the cotton culture in
the South, by crop there so short as to compel
the expansion of this culture to very great
extent in ell other available parts Of the world
Meantime, IT must be remembered that the rebel
Congress at Richmond has enjoined the de-
struction Of the crop Of last year, in
every case where IL cannot be saved
by removal from the grasp Of our stea-
dily sncroaching armies; and the same
decree has gone forth concerning tobacco, rice
and sugar These staples are to be consumed,
II thev cannot othargse be resctIad from afha