The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-02-05

structed hoe handle, the work o
the slave in the days Of slavery, te
the cotton gin and cotton press
I The cost of production must there
fore be double, if not more, thar
that Of the period when 6 cents
E'per pound would not pay expen
ses: In the days Of slavery the
owner raised his own hog anc
hominy, at least, many did. She
paid out. no money to the laborer
and if the season was untavorable
and the crops fell short, or the
price Of cotton became exceeding.
ly low, he would shape his ex,
penses and curtml~ his allowances
to bis slaves to suit the eXigencies
of the times: But he cannot do
this now, favorable or unfavora-
bic, he will have to pay as he con-
tracts. Money has now to be paid
cut. Taking everything into con-
sideration, we think we can safely
say that cotton cannot be raised
by the Southern planter at less
than IL cents per pound, without
loss. We cannot say that it will
not go less in England than it has
been. Whatever advantage we
may have once possessedin in the
cost Of growing the article, we
have lost forever. We have no
advantage now over our rivals in
the worlds markets.
We. are disposed to think and
argue, that, though we made & de-
eided failure. in the attempt, that,
however it will turn out yet, an
economic and industrial revolution,
King Cotton has been dethrened,.
apd must take his rank hereafter
as ne,ef the miscellanies of: agri-
culture: His Kingship. is. gone,
and we would not be surprisedzat
some future day, if It should not
encounter a foreign product at
home. The revolution that has
passed, has not only: politically,
socially, and morally revolution
lied the country, but it has COM
mereially, financially and agricul-
turally also produced a correspond
ing change, throughout the entire
land. During the days of slavery,
none can dispute, but that the
Southern States did so far confne
themselves exclusively to cultiva-
ton Of raw products for exporta-
ton, and were 50 entirely depen-
dant upon the n. and W. States for
their surplus of other commodities,
in almost every department, that
they afforded them a market
many times greater in amount
than all the world together. But
a change. a mighty change, has
come over the spirit of their
dream. They will and must here
after diversity their products. The
consequence will be, they will be-
come so far self-sustaining and self:
supplying, that those States must
also change their system OF pro-
duction, and hunt up other con-
for their commodities. AL
ready the Northern, Eastern and
Western States are beginning
sensibly to feel the effects Of this
change. The Western and North
western States which once fur
nished the South with horses,
mules, hogs, cattle, corn and -four,
have experienced it more heavily
than the other sections. The
Southern States, though slow to
appreciate the condition Of affairs,
have had light thrown upon the
subject, by the experience of the
asst year, particularly, and are now
commencing to wake up, and to
understand, that it will not do to
rely upon cotton, but that they
must diversity their products to
he extent of rendering themselves
Independent, They will now learn
20 raise their own wheat, corn, po-
atoes, beef, pork, horses, &C., and
10 matter what opposers may say
,r think, they will be forced to
ook out for a market for the sur
olus of those products, for which,
while slavery existed they depend
ID upon the Western and North