The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-22
COLUMBIA.
Tuesday Morning, Aug. 81, 1865.
The Moral OF King Cotton.

The Moral OF King Cotton.
We give place in the Phenir, of
this day, to an essay, by an Intelligent
correspondent, to some of whose OPT
mons we must enter passing protest.
It is well that he should teach from
the text ss.N1 desperamelun''- n''-perfectly
proper that we should all encourage a
cheerful resignation to the inevitable
ON the part of our people. Despair is
a cowardly sort of refuge from misfor-
tune-a sort of moral suicide, which
disgraces manhood. Our correspond
ent wisely counsels against such equal
cowardice and folly. And he is right
in counselling prompt alteration in
our home policy and economy rs u
people. We have already urged re-
peatcdly upon our readers the subsSi-
tuition of the farming or thorough til
mgc policy for the more slovenly staple
c1,lturc-the slovenliness being due
equally to the use of negro labor and
the carelessness of the planter. We
counseIled, besides, the divcrsihcation
of our industry, urging the introduc-
ton, wherever possible or polite, OF
manufactures, mechanics, and, indeed,
all the arts. We are not prepared,
however, to endorse the glowing pro
pha,y of our correspondent with re-
gard to our magical progress to rapid,
grand and prosperous future in Caro-
lima, or the South anywhere. We
would encourage no delusions which
might mislcad the hopes, or conduct
to eStravagant expectations. Better
teach that we have to struggle forward
slowly and painfully, walking for a
season in the paths of trouble and all
vc1sity, companioned by humility
alone: for such, We take it, was the
design Of God when he suffered us to
be stlbdued to our present prostrate
condition. Now, assuming this to be
the design of. God, the producing a
moral reform among our people which
is vitality necessary, it seems strangely
absurd to- fasten upon cotton'and negro
slavery the offence which lies in our
popular morals. In regard to negro
sl,ivery, we know that it has been the
common allegation Of our enemies that
this was our great curse. 1t comes
with q bad grace from those who sold
us the negro, pocketed the money, and
then tore their own signature from the
bill of sale. We shall say something
hereafter on this head, satisfied, as we
are, that few years will suffice to re-
licyc us, in European opinion, froman
sthe present odium in this respect.
Cotton and negro slavery, however,
are described by our correspondent as
o1lr tyrannies, the evil genii which de-
specifically ruled us to our ruin. This
.:an only be meant to signify that We
have been tyrannized over by our
wealth wealth being assumed by the
-pious as the great corrupter Of human
hearts. Ip this sense, we need say
nothing. Cotton was gold-was mo-
ney-and its possession, like any other
treasure, was perverted from an use
fnto an abuse. We mocked God in
the possession of wealth, and said in
our hearts, ''Therc is no God" We
might write thousand, homilies on
this subject, yet would fail to persuade
any people that they should not seek
the acquisition of wealth, which would
be as evil in it's effects, by-the-way,
whether acquired through cotton, or
stocks, or trade, or labor of amy sort,
or through any other material. But
it is g. strange misuse of thought and
language to find that mischief in the
material, cotton, which lies only in
our minds and morals. What! Cot
ton! That beneficial agency, given us
by God himsclf-clothing the nations
Of the earth, giving innocent and use
full employment to millions. Cotton
all evil, tyranny! What monstrous
error! And how foolish were it to