The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-23
Cotton-A Word to Planters.

To the Editor of dte Daily Nesns:
The writer is no scribe-would that he had tn
power of JUN1Us' pen to WELD against those hoart
less enemies OF ssthe land we love- the nyeterat
cotton planters. God knows that most Of our peo
pie have worshipped cotton for years, and that w
felt that cotton could fight our battles without His
assistance. What was the result2 He has seen q
to scourge us terribly, and yet our people, though
the ayengng hand of the Almighty has hardly
been lifted from them, are already hastening bacl
to their idol-cotton. Thousands of our farmers
are counting how many hands they can get to
plant cotton, how many dollars will that cotton
bring, and how many acres of land they can plant
next year in cotton. Their slaughtered sons are
forgotten;: their outraged wives, daughters and
sisters are forgotten; they ride over the ashes OF
their desolato homes in haste to worship King
Cotton, not remembering that tho very chains
that now bind our country were forged by cotton.
Cotton built up tho East, then the Southwest,
which, in time, builtup the Northwest-whic in
time: riyetted our shackles-for if ne had had to
contend only with the Middle and Eastern States
lin our struggle for freedom, we would have had no
war. We made cotton to buy Yankee trash; 70
buy Western corn, meat and mules, heedlessly
destroying our homosteads by q most barbarous
system of agriculture and while all around us who
have been buying our cotton are comparatively
rich, ands their lands improving in quality and
price, our cotton fields are hideous and barren
wastes-monuments of q peoples folly,
For raising everything calculated to; add to the
comfort and luxury Of people, we are satisfied
that the States Of North Carolins,. South Carolina
and Georgia will compare fayorably with any part
of the world and IN point Of health and salubry
ne have no hesitation in saying that it is unequall
ed, being subjected to no extremes Of heat or cold
The couGtry on the seaboard from Georgetown. s.
c., to the ST. Johns River Florida we feel satisfe1
in time will be justly doomed tho garden spot Of
been fully convinced TINT cotton planting has done
more to ruin the States of Virginia, North and
South Carolina and Georgia. than any calamity that
could, in the ordinary course Of events, have be-
fallen them. Cotton planting was the cause Of
populated of it's negro labor to supply the voraci-
GUS cotton planters of the West. Look at the es-
tates the princely parks, grounds and ruins that
are to be found in the wilderness from here to Sa-'
vannah, along on the main land, and ask candiG1y
try is sickly; by others, tho rich cotton fields Of
the West could pay higher price for the labor
than the proprietors of these estntes could, and
they had to go.5zAs for the health, we contend
that when people have taken the trouble to inform
that there is no healthier and better climate in the
world than con bo found along our: seaboard, and
that people live as long, and raise as large families
here, as they do anywhere in the world.
Whether the tearing up the fields Of the West,
and destroying fine country that would have
gradually been peopled up the surplus population
Of the South, in growing cotton (which cotton on
IL went to enrich our enemiasE WINS good policy,
we leave to the Intelligent and candid to answer.
These few lines have been written only to Try
and get you to lend your assistance, rs well as to
get the press generally to exhort our planters gem
orally to turn from cotton and go after such things
as will make us independent Of the North, and
unless we make moro provisions our laboring popu-
lation will be enticed off. If some one Of our able
and scientific men would write o description of the
seaboard Of Solth Carolina, giving description Of
it's availability for growing grasses, cereals, fruit
spectacle foreigners, who are desirous Of making
their homes among us. Information OF q relinblo
and scientific nature as we'll as subscription q Of
The climate and mnnner OF life among our people,
would do more to promote emigrnion here than
anything else. POCOTALIGO.