Wilmington journal., 1867-09-27
The Tax on COttorl.

The following judicious remarks on the
cotton crop and the cotton tax are from the
pen of G. W. Griffin, late editor-in-chief of
the Industrial and Commercial Gazette
There is every indication that the cotton
crop for 1867 will be very small, even small
ler than that of last year. Although
number OF our cotemporaries express con-
trary opinion, our own advices from Ala
bama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana,
are anything else but encouraging. In.these
States the worm and the overflow have de-
stl oyed nearly two thirds Of the entire crop,
while III other parts of the country, where
the seasons have been more favorable, the
planters have, in many instances, been
wholly unable to procure help. The freed
men, II they work at all, do not care TO
work III any other way than on shares, and
usually demand one-half of the crop for
their services This doluded class of hu-
man beings 1iatter themselves with the be-
lief that Il day of luxurious ease is near at
hand that the landed property of the
South will be contscated for their especial
benefit, and that they will soon become the
sole possessors of untold wealth. Their.
lmaginations are filled with visions of
splendor, and dreams of debasing servitude
| for their former masters. No wonder that
they are sullen and insolent, when asked to
labor. But these are not the only difficult
ties with which the Southern planter has
! to contend. His taxes are becoming daily
more and more burdensome.
| Almost every article of human consump-
tion is taxed. He is obliged not only to
pay an Indirect tax on everything neces-
sary for growing his crop, but for the cloth
ing he wears, the light he burns, and the
books and papers he reads and last, and
meancst of all, has to pay tax of 2! cents
on every pound of cotton he raises. I'm
der these circumstances, it is not at all
strange that cotton is no longer King; that
instead of sending millions of bales abroad
we find the supply scarcely equal to the
demand at home, and that other countries
and nations are cultivating it as we'll as our
own, and meeting with success undream-
ed OF before. England, our greatest COM
mercial rival, hasno been idle. Her states
men and political economists have ex-
erted themselves beyond all prece-
| dent to force the culture of this
Indispensable article in her domin-
ion. They have succeeded in uniting
their country to the Indian Empire, as it
were, "by bridge Of gold" They have
silenced the grumbling of the Sepoys, and
queled every disposition of mutiny and
war. They have widened and deepened
canals, and constructed new ones. They
chasms and mighty rivers. They have i'm
proved navigation, thrown up highways,
and repaired common roads, and taught
! the ignorant Inhabitants industry and So
briefly. The great Peninsular and East In
dian railroads, through which cotton is
made marketable, were projected and built
IN spirit of enterprise unsurpassed by any
nation of modern times. During the COM
ing year, the former will pass from BOms
bay to Calcutta, q distance Of fifteen hun
dred miles, while the latter has the longest
unbroken line, under the management of
one company, in the world
In times gone by, We were able to boast
that we monopohzed the cotton market of
England. Now, she is independent of us,
with the exception that our cotton is of q
better quality and better suited for manu-
featuring purposes. Shall we remain long
er inactive, and make no effort to recover
the supremacy from our aspiring rival 1t
would seem that there is no other way to
awaken the American people to 4 sense of
duty than by reminding them that we are
losing otlr greatness as a nation. We have
spoken unpleasant truths, but we have
been compelled to give utterance to them.
The tax on our greatest staple should at
once be repealed, for it is not only unjust
but disgrac ,ful. Our Legislative authorities
should go to work in earnest, and by sys-
tenn of wise and judicious legislation, en-
courage the developments of our agricul-
tural resources, and afford every protec-
ton to our commercial interests, so that
we can again wrest the sceptre from Eng
land, who, with grasping tyranny, has
extended her sway over weaker empires,
and, with an aI-absorbing avarice, is aim
ing at the conquest Of every cline where
wealth is found.