The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-20
The Great Cotton Question.

are who think of nothing else, specu-
late i'll nothing else, love nothing
else. They talk of the heecy fabric
when awake, dream of it when asleep,
turn it now into greenbacks, now
into gold, and now build with it all
sorts of castles in the air.
The cotton crop of 1860 was 6, 1885,
S97 bales, of which about one-fourth
was consumed in this country, leav-
ing the balance, worth at the old
aate-6elluns price, about $3.50, 900, 900,
to take the place of specie in our
foreign exchange. It is not wonder
ful, then, that cotton is regarded as
a product of great Importance, and
that in the future as in the past, it is
expected to occupy prominent po-
sition in our industrial and CONNER
cial statistics.
Much speculation exists as to the
probable crop of 1866. Some. look
for crop of 100000. of bales,
while others again are far more mode
rate in their estimate, placing the
prospective crop at j 100000 or
1,500,00 These differences Of opin-
ion arise from the different views en-
tertained tounching the productive
value of free and slave labor. Some
think that the freedman will be more
effective than the slave as an agricul-
tural producer, while others imagine
that he will be almost worthless.
On this subject, we have been fa-
vored with some calculations, made
by keen statistical friend of ours,
which we think are well worthy of
being seriously pondered. The data
cannot certainly be questioned, and
all of our readers are at liberty to
Judge for themselves of the conclu-
sions arrived at. If the figures and
deductions which we are about to
offer tend in any manner to harmon
ize commerce and check the wild
mania of hazardous speculation, our
aim will be accomplished. k.
Numerous correspondents, who ap-
pear to be interested in lowering the
price Of cotton now held by the pro-
ducers of the South, coolly state that
all the negroes have gone to work
with energy, and that consequently
the cotton crop of the present year
cannot be less than 100000 or
100000. Persons who make such
statements cannot have visited the
outskirts of this and other Southern
cities, where negroes by thousands
congregate, and are living in compa-
rative idleness and destitution. There
are in this city at present not less than
$4,000 negro men and women, who
have drifted hither from the rural
districts, in order to enjoy the ina
ginary ease and pleasure of city life.
A similar story may be told of every
city and town from the Potomac to
the Rio Grande, and the total num-
ber thus drawn away from agricul-
tural employments is indeed enor-
NOUS. --------
According to our friends statistical
table, there were about 1000,
slaves in the South at the commence
ment of the war. It was the custom
in ancient times to estimate one-tenth
of every nation or tribe as warriors,
or persons capable of bearing arms.
Taking this as basis of calculation,
there were, at the beginning of the
war, 400, 900 negro men between the
ages of eighteen and forty-fve years.
Of that number 1000 entered the
army of the United States, but the
sword and disease reduced their ranks
to 100000 Since the close of the
war, many of these have been dis
banded and gone to the North and
West. The remainder are in the army
still. OF the 200, 900 who did not en-
list, some perished in the Confederate
service, while engaged in erecting
forts and digging trenches; 100000
are now to be found in towns and vii
lagos throughout the South, employed
on board of steamboats,, in hotels, or
playing the part of independents freed
men. OF the balance, 25, 900 removed
into States where cotton is not pro-
duced, and 1000 remained at home,
on the old plantations, and most of
them may now be found in the field
at work.
Turning to the opposite sex, we
find 400, 900 between the ages of
eighteen and forty-fve years. And
how shall we account for them? Go,
ink-shedding Bohemian, to the coast
of Carolina and Georgia. Follow
the trail of Gen. Sherman's grand
march to the sea from Atlanta. Go
to Mobile, Nashville, Memphis,
Vicksburg, Savannah, Jackson, Baton
Rouge, Monroe, Shreveport, Alexan-
dria and this city. Visit the grave
yards In our towns and villages, and
ask who sleeps there. It will be easy