The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-08
The Prospect for American Cotton
From Senator sprague's spesch.l

The cause which has operated to dethrone
cotton, the cause which has operated to de-
stroy it as o monopoly, is what2 An
over production Of cotton m this country
No, sir. I am humiliated il being obliged
to admit the fact that with this poor, de-
spised, short-stapled, husky India cotton,
q fabric is to-day produced BY the skill and
labor OF Englishmen equal to the best fabric
that American machinery has yet been able to
produce. This is the cause oi the present de-
preston of the cotton manufacture in this coun.
try and throughout the world. Sir, the question
before YOU is not whether you ihall tax an ex-
listing interest, but it is whether cotton is an
existing interest. II the people Of the South
those whose means are to be invested in this
crop-knew the exact circumstances, my Life
for it they would not invest single dollar in it.
II has been my privilege to plant cotton, COM
mencing in 1862 and following it up to the pre-
sent time. know something OF the necessa-
ries REQUIRED to grow that crop. AS you have
been told, in the month Of January the furrow
is made; in the month Of February the seed
is planted; and then the hoeing commences
soon after. II You postpone this measure you
postpone the cultivation OF this crop. What
man will place seed in the ground with this
tax weighing upon him, certain to destroy
him? Who will commence the planting OF
cotton under such circumstances Sir, in my
Judgment, YOU have not this interest in your
hands. ! am afraid that you have lost it for
ever. But it may not be. If you are wise you
will look upon it in this light; you will endeavor
to 90 back upon your. past legislation, to
mend, to repair, to heal, to cure, If you can:
NV Judgment is that it will be the hardest
task that ever was in the hands or minds OF
statesmen. I fear for the existence Of the
manufactures OF my own State in consequence
Of this alarming condition Of things. I fear
that the fabrics produced from the cheap cot
ton which is now grown in India will, In spite
of all tariffs, find their way into this country
and be consumed by the American people, and
then, let me ask, what will be our position In
New England There is one other point on
which I think it is important that the Sem
ate should be informed, and that Ia in re-
gard to the different qualities OF cot
ton. We boast of the Sea Island cotton
as being unequalled by any. and We feel sure
that we have q monopoly in that from which
nothing can oust us. And yet, sir, in my
Judgment. n 1T two years will have passed over
us when, instead OF its being cultivated as ~
has been in years past, it will be known only
what once has been, and it will be merely a
plant of ornament. The Egyptian cotton il TO-
day being introduced into seven.sighths OF the
finer Qualities OF goods that the Sea Island cot
ton was heretofore used for. hope Ihave made
myself understood. I wish could create In the
mind Of every Senator the alarm that feel. we
have been told that we OF the North are rich; the
Senator from Massachusetts MIR. WILSON, tells
us we are seven times richer than we we're be-
fore the war. wish could believe it. What
have we to show for these alleged riohes2 We
have spent $1,000. .OOO, 900; we raised $500 0O0,-
600. We had the South before the war. Have
we it any more now than We had beforeP LIS it
any more prosperous than it was before the
WARP Is it worth as much? Why, sir, know
the fact that many Of the principal plantations
of the South are not worth one-tWentieth part
as much as they were then.
MIR. NYE-Why2
Mr.. SpaAauE-WhyP Because it will not
pay to cultivate them and to hold them, as
know,