Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-03-29
The NEXT Cation CrOp.

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to become matters of much interest to those who
have already purchased and now hold Cotton, and
those who are engaged in its cultivation
A correspondent of tt Atlanta hteNigencer sub
mits some very sensible remarks upont subject,
from which we compile few facts
Tt was estimated by a committee appointed by
the Confederate Congress- that the number of bales
of Cotton east of the Mississippi at the date of the
report. was S75 900 bales. This committee had
every facility to enable them to form correct
opinion, and was composed of intelligent gentle
men.
| The report was made previous to Sherman's ad-
vance through Georgia and the Carolinas, when
all crops that escaped destruction by Confederate
forces to prevent their falling into the hands OF
the Federal troops given to the flames by
the order of that officer and his subordinates, by
means of regular details for the purpose, and by
camp followers and struggling incendiaries hover
ing on the TANKS of his army. AS the theatre OF
war shifted Northward the Cotton States were
left to the mercy of the Federal forces, and Or
ganized and unorganzed cavalry raiders permea-
ted every nook and corner of the country many
of which being composed of men emboldened by,
and whose vindictiveness was increased with, the
waning fortunes of the Confederacy, delighted in
the destruction of property.
1t would be moderate estimate to state the
number of bales destroyed by Sherman's army and
their cavalry raids at 100000 leaving hand
1875 900 bales at the time of the surrender of the
Confederate forces. OF this 100000 bales will
cover the number now in the South, that will be
thrown upon the market under any circumstances,
nearly the entire amount on hand being the ware
houses of our principal cities.
WIota tba a
the present year? Precious to the war, 1000, 600
bales were considered good yield, and this num-
Der would be fair basis upon which to make an
estimate.
First. BY a recent report made by Gen. Howard,
Chief of the Freedmen's Bureau, it is estimated
that l, 100000 able bodied negroes died during
and since the
Second Nine out of every ten negroes, hereto
fore engaged in the cultivation of cotton, will not
work in the cotton fields this year. Thousands of
them are s. enforcing their freedom !" by living in
idleness and crime in cities and villages through
out the South
Third. The South lost 100000 able bodied white
men by disease and the casualties of war.
Fourth Thousands of miles of fencing have
been destroyed, and much is yet not replaced
gins and presses have been burned; horses, mules
and oxen have been stolen, impressed, conscrip-
ted, and claimed by ''horse- details" sent out by
military authority, that many find it difficult to
cultivate enough soil to supply the demand for
bread.
It will be admitted that nine out of every ten
bales, made prior to the war, was produced by
slave labor, which would leave 400, 600 as the pro-
duct of white labor, taking 100000 bales as the
basis.
If the first and second propositions be true then
we have 400, 900 bales as the maximum number that
can be grown under any combination of circum-
stances by negro labor. This would give us SO0,O
bales as the total product of white and black Ia
bor which must be further reduced by the num-
Der of bales which would have been made by the
100000 able-bodied white men who died during
the war. 1t would be a low estimate to fix this at
Is, 900, which would leave 725OOO as remain
der.
Many who are acquainted with the negro-his
natural disposition to idleness his repugnance to
hoeing cotton, and the uncertainty of this class
of labor under the present system, would regard
it safe to reduce this estimate still more as the
result of any given number of them will not reach
within g respectable approximation" to what it
would have been under the old regime.
If these figures approximate i'll any degree to
the result, it may be well asked, what causes the
present decline in Cotton? Onefact only accounts
for it. The people of the North,- yes, of the
world, cannot appreciate the exhausted and i'm
poverished condition of the South after her long,
heroic and disastrous struggle, nor estimate pro-
perly the worthlessness of negro labor under pre-
sent circumstances, yet the political uncertain
ty and danger which beset us.
We should advise those who are fortunate to
Cotton, not to become alarmed and hurry
what they have upon the market at this time
We need all the money in the country we can get
and cannot afford to let slip the only thing in
our possession that can command it. There is
bound to be ground swell" in the old ''Kings"
dominions between this and October