The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-07-10
Cotton Cultme---Its Inducements
and Present Prospects. NJ

Cotton Culture---Its Inducements
and Present Prospects. #
NO. ".
i, FLOR THE LOUISIANA DEMOCRAT.
The courteous consideration hitherto
accorded the author Of these articles by
the Democrat, admonishes him to cease,
lest he encroach unduly on its space. He
would, however, beg permission to present
this additional one as q synopsis to its
predecessors.
Heis we'll aware that all the arguments
that can be aduced to sustain the position
assumed in the outset, should be as much
condensed as possible, it could not be ef:
fected in single number hence, the only
alternative has been adopted. If the sub
ject discussed has been fortunate enough
to claim attention from any, there are
doubtless some who consider the views
and propositions Of Planter" as some.
what paradoxical, or at least not suscepti'
BILE Of being practically carried out The
author admits the objection, only in Ger
tain contingencies, the most prominent Of
which would be want Of unity Of action,
proper consert by the planters themselves
That to effect an entire reformation in
the system Of cotton culture, by which the
happiest results to all might be anticipa.
ted, unity and consert Of action by those
engaged therein, are most essential reqni.
sites, is freely admitted-for without it no
good con result.
1t is very rarely, i erer, any great rev.
olution on any subject, moral, political
or scientific. (and why not agricultural y
was suddenly brought about or consum-
mated, while circumstances by which we
are now surrounded may render the at
tainment Of the object now under discus
sion very difficult Of attainment, still those
same circumstances, in the estimation Of
the writer, renders the necessity still more
imperious. All things must have a be.
ginning, starting point-and if it may
have become our good fortune to attract
attention to the matter under considera.
tion-our, in the estimation Of the writer,
SO momentous as to be the very pivot on
which our general, as well as individual
interest turns, our most sangiine hopes
will be fully realized. "In unity there !.
strength-come then let usreason together y
If oil things be considered, the innumer-
able, almost endless array Of difficulties by
which the cultivation of cotton is now
trammeld by reason Of political and other
causes, above all if the experience Of those
engaged in it for the last two years be 10
received as q criterion, where, let Us ask,
are the "inducements" to continue it, or
even attempt it's continuance, forto pursue
it long, as now attempted, we hold to be
utterly impracticabk. The onerous and
ubiquitous government tax that has been
laid on cotton, Is known to all. The other
immense accumulation Of expenses attend.
ing it's cultivation, aud all it, preoariosssess
are familiar to all engaged therein. A
very large section Of our parish was entire.
" overfowed last year and no crops Of any
kind made on plantations thus situated,
but let us make out q balance sheet with
those planters who ,oere not oeerJ loved; was
there one in twenty who paid expenses
from proceeds Of their cotton cropq we
know there were not. But let us put the
case in a stronger light-was there one
planter in ten. last year, who did not abso'
lutely lose from hundreds to thousands
Of dollars, in proportion to the extent Of
his effort to raise cotton cropi such We
know to be the lamentable fact, and such
we believe viii ever be the case, while the
method is continued, now in such general
use. It may be urged by some, that last
year was an exception, we had just emery
ed from q most trying and desolating civil
struggle, by which the accumulation o.
grass, Of toiland enterprise had been swept
away. True, alas, too trse. but in the 90
cond year Of our political psssalage are w
any better Off have our prospects in one
iota brightenedf and way noti the answer
is patent, we are still madly pursuing the
same ehimera, which may be sptly desig
mated as the "baseless fabric of a dream,
or that desperation with which the drown
ing grasp at straws. Cotton on til,
brain" is still the fever, that is wasting
our energies, consuming our borrowed sub
stance. We say borrowed substance, fo1
everything necessary to bodily consump
ton, sastiaeaee. the cultivator Of til,
soil does not raise himself, 10 borrowed
we have borrowed money to buy breai
and meat, and failed in the effort to rails
cotton to return it. Such was the histor!
last year with comparatively few excep
lions, it has been repeated this-how lonl
can such state Of things continued tn
sequel is beyond our ken, but most certain
! it is, the present prospects" are mos
gloomy-from indications, tho most start
ling, we may safely infer that game j
well nigh played out, most fearful we ~
prehend will be the reckoning up to many
With practical emancipation" our &c
called system Of labor, which is no system
at all, or none that can be relied upor
with the other long array Of difdcultie
and hinderances, both political and natu
raj, attending the cotton culture, with nj
we believe, if persisted in, as now practil
ed, will involve the whole South in rui
land restitution. As before expressed, "
consider the only remedy is to abaados th
culture Of cotton temporarily, or make
of secondary Importance. Let us fit
raise supplies Of all kinds, in abundance