New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-10-09
TIKI COTTON CULTURE.


Between now and January next, the planters
of tho South must make their arrangements FOR
raising tho next crop Of cotton. We arc sorry
To perceive some evidences of backwardness
and distrust on the part Of some OF them 10 give
the system Of free labor anything like fair
trial. A great many familiar but exploded ar
guments are used to justify their past courses
or to prejudice tho pending reform. We arc
told with great emphasis that the exports OF
cotton before the war were $500, OO,OoO
while the united exports of the North were but
SO. 900. 90. and this prosperity, say they,
il los. To IA BY the abolition OF Slavery. There
are many honest skeptics about the industry OF
tho black race mt the South no doubt, but there
are many moro who talk and act Us If they did
not want I'm 10 thrive.
We hold that the chief end Of mans exist
ence, and tbs chief purpose Of human govern
ment, ia not TO geo how much cotton we can
grow, but, rather. in tho language OF certain
old document, the exercise Of " tie right to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. so long a.
that exercise does not trench upon the rights Of
Others. II is not Of 10 much consequence that
We raise gwen amount of cotton, hut that we
raise no rber OF it by fraud or cruelty. Dcsir-
able A. ia the balance Of exchange-which, how
ever depends IA much on what We buy ~ what
we scli--it is not half 10 desirable ~ freedom
and Justice. The market shows that We can
raise cotton much cheaper than any other
nation, and that we shall get nearly IA much
for crop of 1000, 900 Of bales ~ va used to
get for 100000. 1t will 90 very hard with us
if we cannot, by reasonable and diligent effort.
raise half as much with freq labor rs We could
under tho stimulus Of the lash.
But ia il true that We cannot raise cotton. as
we raise corn, by paid labor' 1t IS contended
by the advocates of the old system " You can't
raise cotton without niggors, and you must own
the niggers TO raise it," Cotton culture, say
they, requires constant attention from the inst
blowing till tho last bale is pressed. But We
have plenty Of pursuits ut tho North more eXact-
ing even than this at some of which black men
work sceadly enough for regular wages, %
mining, steamboating, rallroadng ard on news
papers. Even the Southern railroads at this
time are worked by more than half oolored mon,
aud in some cases upon most uncertain pay.
Again we arc told that we of the North know
nothing about the negro characteristics, his
vice, idleneSs and deceit, and the constant need
of master and driver. 1--WE have been born
among thom.' say they, "and you can't tell US
that tho Niger will work without compulson."
1t would be quite rs rational to accept
the opinions of common sailor
upon the principles OF navigation or the laws of
currents and winds az 10 accept this bigotry
upon tho status of the black race. by the very
same rule, however, slayeowners born and
bred are not likely to know 80 much about FREQ
men AZ We who have seen naught elze. There
has been some very conclusive experiments on
this very subject going on while the Rebels
have been fighting TO perpetuate their darling
institution. H. North Carolina, on the coast
islands Of South Carolina, in Tennessee and
Northern Alabama, and along both banks Of the
Mississippi. one, two and three crops have been
successfully rssed. To some minds, one pract-
cal demonstration is worth u thousand theories,
and there is abundant proof Of the feasibility Of
raising cotton proftably, and at the same time
10 improve the condition of the laborcr if our
Southern cavilers will seek for it.
In a work just published by B!elock & Co..
entitled Camp Fire and Cotton Field" by
Thomas w. Knox, no relates his experiences
as the lessee of an abandoned Louisiana plan
tation, in which he appears TO have reaped ono
crop of cotton and planted another by means
of free blacks. His statements of the problem
of the cotton culture are valuable, because
they are manilcsly the reflections Of clear