The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-11-08
Cotton Fast and Present,

The cotton famine Is now over: supnlv
and consumption nre fast resumipg the ro-
sition they occupied before che great de.
tangement censed by tho American civil
war entailed such severe suffering upon our
arhzans, ana such heavy losses upon our
master manufactures; the aggregate amount
CT our imports has grown to be az large as
ever. and every prices are tending raoidlS
toward an approach at least Of their former
level. II Is fittihg time, therefore, to take
sort OF birds eye view OF the terrible dis.
turbance, and to form sofIo conception of
the consequences which are likely to re-.
main after the storm that swept over our
staple industry shall have aitogetker sub.
sided.
In 1860, our cotton im2Srts, and our cons
sumption of the raw material, reached the
highest figure they have ever attained. The
total supply was 8,367, 900 bales, and tiie
weekly consumption was, or seemed to be,
$4,000 bales. This year, if the promotion
Of the first eight months are preserySH tin
the.end Of December, the importatiSns will
amount to up&ard OF 4 400, 900 bales; and
the weekly consumption 10 abotit 48. 600
paleS- Already we have received moro than
three million OF bales. But two remarka-
BILE differences are to be noticed, viz: the
sources from which NO obtained our sun
plies, and the prices we pay for them. Let
(. MS look at these In turn.
Previous TO the var, the United States
haoitually Furnished about rs per cent. of
our entire importation. In 1859 and 1860
tney sent us 4,66O,0 600 bales out Of 6, 1885,
oeo. In 1862 they Sent us only per Ont.
OF our supply. In 1865, thus far, they have
sent us only one million out Of three. or
about 80 per cent !, Next year. of course.
their proportion VIII be far larger. As soon
as it became cleaF that soma wears must
elapse before the Cotton OF op Of America
could resume it's old position and extent.
the whole world was ransacked for the Ait
ole, and every country that pYoducea cetton
increased its production as much as possj.
BILE. India, that used 10 send us 500. 600
bales year. has sent ON an average 1900
quo since the war began, and this year viii
have forwarded 100000 or 1900, 600 at
least. In the same manner Egypt and Bra
3u respectively trebled their production,
and last year supplied $3.50, 600 bales be.
tween them. This year The Egyptian crop
failed to q considerable extent, but the fail.
ura is not expected to be moro than tempo
rary. Besides these SOURCES OF supply. the
West Indies, Turkey and China made great
exertions TO meet our demand. and their
contributions fqr o while were by no raeans
despicable. THUS II will be seen that we
were fast becoming, as far as mere duality
was concerned, tolerably independent of the
United States. But this iDdepende ence did
not extend either to quality or price. No
other country was able to furnish 80 pre-.
oiseiy tho sort Of cotton could furnish the
right quality at so low rate. The East
India articles was cheaper, but inferior. the
Egyptian was longer and stronger, but cost
more, and was infefior In color. y.
scarcely ever In any article Of general
consumption have manufactures had to Ell
care such grevious and perplexipe sariatious
IN price MS have occurred In raw cotton
since 1860 For q long series of years
Iiddiing Orleans (American) used to be
purchased at Cd. per h., and Middling Surat
SEast lndianl at Al. perlb. To this range
she IDEAS and habits Of consumers. had ac.
Sustomed themselves. and It WAS no easy
matter to persuade them that any higher
prices could be general or long Sustained,
Bnt during the seyeres. pressure Of the
ecarcity, namely. in 1853 a, the frat men.
toned quality reached BOD. psr h., and the
!, latter 24d., or Ave and Blk times their ordi.
nary cost. Now matters hare so far subsid.
ca that Orleans cotton Is quoted at I'D,
ahd the Surst at 8d. II is easy to conceive
the disturbance and confusion created In
the minds OF both buyers and sellers by
aitoh fluctuations, as we'll as the alarm and
Distress they caused to the, ultimate con-
ssasssrs Of tho manpfactuteG aFtiele.
The question for the fufdfs-.indeed, in
q great measure the practical Question for
ths present NOV Is. whence si,hil we hence
forth, that is, next year ,shd afterward,
draw odf ptlHISiDai sunpiies oS cotton And
what pfitsss sbaM we be called npon TO nav
for thetHf Nc doubt at all exists as TO the
extent OF cur supply we are certain TO OBJ.
tain as naeh as we need mills will stop
far want ,ef tho raw material our consuS,p.
fion win ,socn be as gsest, Indeed greater,
than ever. But shsll we use ,HaeiiShn, or
Egyptian. or India cotton. and'ia what re.
isatire arnoants7 One thing appsars Ger.
sain- at least all our FORMER experience
points in this Direction 1.-The cotton of the
United States win always, in the main, be
preferred to every ether quality il it can he
supplied to us In ample quantity and at a
safiiciently low Price, This bbihhyfhe case,
ywe shall only purchase that FURNISHED to us
by lndis and Egypt, either as stbpiemsn.
fafy, G IN case they ean tempt us either by,
Sfiee cF qGhlity;' t6r there are cssfiEaiki sha
Aeteriatics In Which the Egyutias etss,ta II