The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-09-22
The Rebellion Before the War.
NUMBER" R"THREE.
am, yours, etc.,
A. NJ. GooDNouGn


NUMBER ~THREE.
The United States were divided, by
the Southern statesmen, as we have be,
fore mentioned, into Conservative and
Radical sections. They also divided
them IN Slave states and Hlreling states.
This division became general throughout
the slaveholding sections, and the ''white
hlrelins' of the North was, in the estima
ton of the slave ocrasy, far below, in the
scale of humanity, the black slave Of the
South. We notice these distinctions to
convey more clearly the political division
which would limit the .Confedcracy
Having once. fixed upon the political
borders OF the new State, it next became
necessary to provide for its support, as
before inIimated, The new state would
have the control of the Lower Mississippi
River, which is tho commercial outlet of
the entire Northwestern States, including
OHIO, Indiana and Illinois, except what
passes norlhward through the great lakes,
reaching tho ocean by tho St. Lawrence
Rivcl, which is inconsidcrablc Having
this commercial advantage. it was esti-
mated 10y DeBow that one. half of the
national revenue would be. drawn from
these Western States of the North by a
heavy transit duty on all articles of cons
merce thus, passing through the territories
OF the Ccsiederacy to the Ocean. This
estimate was based upon 'statisiics which
had, Tor the most part, been collected at
the expense of the United States, through
the influence Of the leaders of this secession
movement. Through the sane influence
and means it was ascertained that the
United States raiscl and exported more
cotton than all the other countries 'togcth.
or on tho globe. Al the same time il WA.
determined that this one article of com,
merce excolled, in commercial value, all
other articles of the worlds trade These
facts gave greater relative commercial inn
porance to tho Southern States, where all
the cotton was produced DeBow had
laid it down as a political maxim, and
taken 1t as the motto of his Review,
That Commerce is King" and when he
found from actual data that cotton was
the greatest article of commerce, it was
only one advance step fer him to promu.,
gate, as be did, THAT Cotton is King"
Ii was these results. SO fiallerIns to the
pride and projects of the Confederacy.
that caused it to say, through its condted
organ in September, 1855, ''The position
which the Southern United States (the
Confectionery hold to the commercial and
industrial world, is one of the most re.
markable Phenomena Of modern times"
The foregoing statements will be mure
than sustained by reference to few facts
and data:
In 1857, DeBow says: Three years
ago We drew ouI for the Commissioner Of
Patents the outline for full report on
cotton, foreign and domestic, but the
Commissioner not acIing upon it, Con-
gress took up the matter at the instance
OF MIR. Bayler, and circular was issued
from the Patent Office, directed TO all our
diplomatic and consular agents, asking in
formation upon the production, commerce
and manufacture of cotton in the several
countries to which they were accredited"
In addition to this Mr. Claiborne of Louis.
lana was sent TO Europe by the Govern,
meat, enlarged with special commission
in the matter
The result was that returns were re-
ceived from all the cotton growing coun,
tries in the world, being seven in number,
including the entire East Indies, which,
though large cotton growing country,
sends very little of its cotton to the Euro
pean markets. From these returns, il
was demonstrated that the Confederacy
raised and exported more cotton TO the
manufacturing countries of Europe and
the Northern States than all the other
countries of the globe. In view of the
facts thus obtained, DsBow, quoting the
Southern, says, "We produce tha; which
makes the commerce of the world, let
us not longer be servants, but masters"
"For years we have occupied
the position of vassalsge 10 the North.
In commerce, in finance, as well as in lit
eraturs, ne have become men -hswers of
wood and drawers of water for them,
while they fstten on our prosperity, re.
Joice in our misfortunes and this, while
ne control the great staple which is not
amissly called king" Producing an
article that furnishes the basis of the
worlds trade, an article that rules and
governs the commerce of the civilized
globe, and who are really independent
and who can dictate terms to all the
world"