Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-18

best grown, cannot be produced IN any
other quarter of the world excepting
along the region ofsthe Nile. Proof that /.
the Egyptian staple is held high may DO
found in the fact that the seeds commonly
selected for experimental cultivation IN
new and favorable localities are the
American and Egyptian, and the
value Of the. latter has been at
tested in Peru, where the plant grows
thrifty and yields in four months, white
the native plant only yields in eight
Whenthe Sultan encouraged cultivation IL
Morocco, in 1868, American and Egyptian
seeds were imported from England, which
Jointly produced an article claimed to be
equal to the American in quality. But
the actual cotton operations OF Egypt !
since 1861 are the best test Of her I'M
portance as a competitor, and the results
Of which she is capable in an emergency. |
And it must always be remembered that |
England is dissatisfied with her depend |
ence upon America for raw cotton, and |
will lend all possible aid to that country
which offers her the prospect Of indie
pendence Of us. Egypt furnished that
nation with the following amounts IN the
years named
...-.'.' 4lgJdV0o lbs
1866. 69-OOVUm Us
93 ,O0O 0O9 lbs
1861 Iz1 oO5S0 ~, ~,
l5IOOOOO IDS
These figures are Official, and may be
trusted. In 1864 England paid Egypt
over S64,O00000 for cotton. The year
befor the war she paid her less than ST.,
100000. There is lesson in these
figures. -..
How far the present crop Of that conn
try will interfere with our sales in Brit
ish markets will depend on circumstan-
ces but one thing is certain--that we
shall be importantly affected by it in
several ways IL ill-becomes us to affect
an indifference for competition that we
cannot afford, and it is in every respect
more sensible for the South to set about
recovering her lost cotton status in all
earnestness, and with n sincerity that
shows her appreciation of the true char>
acter of the situation, than for her to rely
upon past power for present protection.
Affairs have changed, and she has expe-
rienced crushing -discouragements. Her
labor system has been totally revolution
lied even worse, it has been destroyed,
and she has been forced to devise a new
one. In the midst Of her prostration,
Congress, il defiance Of all the principles
, of political economy, and with utter dis
regard for t,lG national good, levied tax
upon the staple that would have been a
dcath-blow to its cultivation had it been
much longer retained. These drawbacks
must be overcome. 1t can scarcely
be believed that this section is I'M
worthily yielding to them and yet that
would seem to be the fact from the re-
ports constantly received here that the
t cotton area is more and more being giver
over to wheat and corn. The South can
not reasonably expect to recover herself
at once. Restoration must necessarily bt
/ gradual and during its progress peri
= odIcal and temporary relapses must b.
looked for. The ultimate result cannO
be doubted. We are bound TO be master
of the cotton market # we use our ad
i vantage judiciousIy. To recover los
/ ground at q single stroke we must throw
G a full crop into the market; nothing less
will suffice. The planters Of the Soutl
y must bend all their energies to effect tins
I If thew exert themselves they will win
h If not they will lose The prize is Ger
1 taiEly worth the effort The losses on
q short crop one year will be compensate
by the gains on full crop the next one
d Above all, it should be remembered tina
i the reign of Radicalisin will not last for
5 ever, and that there is period comm.
. when we are to produce an annual crop 0
= 100000 bales, to manufacture IT for our
, selves, and then convey the fabrics to tn
& great markets Of the world by America
e means of transportation. England ma!
r set that down as a fixed fact. Let tn
, South keep her eyes upon it, and stead
lastly labor on in the fuliillment Of he
sure and prosperous destiny.