The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-08
"KING COTTON"
GREAT CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE
DEPOsED MONARCH.
HOW TO PLACE HIM ON HIS THRONE
AGAIN.
Speech Of Radical Mississippi Senator
and Planter.
As STARTLING POSE.

and PIanteT.
sTARTLING EXPOSE.
While the Southern Commercial Convention
was in session at Memphis, General j. L. al.
corn, United States senator elect from Misss-
sippi, delivered before committee Of cotton
growers speech, which contains statements
in regard to the cultivation Of cotton in the
South, which are as startling as they are
strange. Senator Alcorn gives in detail the
facts and figures from which he draws his
conclusions, and his views are 80 important,
whatever their intrinsic soundness, that ne
present to our readers a comprehensive sum-
mary OF the principal points made in his elab-
crate speech.
After speaking Of the financial Importance
of the production Of raw cotton and its power
before the war as peace maker, he describes
the unialtering struggle of ENGLAND against
our cotton supremacy, one Of whose results
was the formation OF the Manchester Cotton
Supply Association, which wield5 enormous
wealth, is directed by high practical intelli-
gence, and ls backed by all the influence Of the
British Government. In 1862 this association
Was already convinced that America could not
for many years to come, If ever, regain the
position she had lost, and that OF the f40, 000-
600 sterling, up TO that time the pr.ze Of the
American planters, other countries should
strive to obtain at least f2O OOO 600. This was
the basis OF what Senator Alcorn called "the
conspiracy against King Cotton, which pro-
ceeds on the assumpnoa that the emanoipa-
tion OF the negroes, the exhaustion OF the war,
the Withholding from us Of Northern conf
dence and capital will have 30 reduced our
powers OF production, that giving what is
called "a start to competition on the part Of
thirty-Rve other countries, this America OF
ours, if not driven wholly from the market,
Will be, al all events, degraded from her su-
premacy to the condition Of q tributary source
Of supply"
DETAILS AND PROGRESS OF The CONSPIRACY.
The combination against American cotton
industry reveals ils workings over wide field.
The British Government has lett nothing un-
done to stimulate the culture OF cotton
throughout it's b,undless domain. Companies
ave been set gong for the purpose in Aus
trala in Jamaica aud IN Natal. 1u that en-
pire, on which the sun neve. sets whether IN
India In Africa. or IN her island. OF the oceans.
English policy is working with the unity, point
and force of a principle to break down forever
the Calling monopoly that has been forced
that should warm every American cheek with
flush of pride.
England has also been not less active in
Turkey, in Venezuela, aud in other foreign
countries in urging tho authorities to t'ke
steps for fixing cotton culture among its peo-
ty offered by the difficulties of these United
States.
France is also in the field. and in Algeria
cotton ls exempt from taxation. its quality is
made subject Of State prizes, and free gifts
of land are offered to associations WHOM will
enter upon its cultivation. Greece has reduced
her tax on cotton one-half. Brazil ls distribute
ing imported seeds. Austria aud Morocco
have also fallen into line. Egypt has doubled
her production. Portugal has abolished the
import duties on cotton for ten years, has
offered premiums for its production, and
makes free gifts to the planters Of seeds and
Implements. Italy has run raioads iDto her
cotton districts, and invites foreign and do
nestle capital by most liberal offers.
or the increased foreign production Senator
Alcorn says "Hayti had, between 1860 and
1852 increased her exports nj cotton three
fold. Malta produced in 1869 four times as
much as she had in 1861. Smyrna, which had
reappeared in the cotton market IN 1861 to the
extent of 10 600 bales, contributed to 1t In 1862
ofsupply furnished contributions OF raw mate
rial to the mills Of Manchester in 1850. but In
1854 the number has increased to thiIty-nlne,
and the thirteen new sources are not all un-
worthy OF serious attention. Among them We
find Japan to the extent OF 81 600 bales Tur-
key to the number OF 98 600 bales Hong Kong
to the extent OF n, 900 bales; China to the num-
Ger Of 140 600 bales-a startling result OF the
labors Of this conspiracy tor but three short
years. Nor IS this all many Of the sources OF
supply in 1860 bad contributed to the Engllsh
depland OF 1854 IN volumes enormously in
creased. The Egyptian contribution to the
British markets mad expanded from ss 000 in
Brazilian importatioDs OF cotton into England
had increased between 1860 and 1884 from 49,
600 bales to IS 900 bales. The Iudian fbres
entered at British ports in 1860 reached 455,-
600 bales but in 1854 they had gone up to
970, 900 bales"
SUPERIORITY OF FIBRE.
Senator Alcorn then explodes the old theory
Of fibre monopoly, by which ID ne,nt the
ability, through climate. OF producing supe-
nor fibre to that OF other countries. he shows
that Hayti, Morocco and Algeria produce quite
as good staple, aud that in other countries
the development of greater skill and the appli-
cation Of manures are steadily producing bet
ter staples.
He says: "No fewer than thirty-ive coun-
tries sent specimens OF cotton to the London
Exhibition of 1862. An English cotton broker.
q man moreover Of decided ability. was select
Ell to decide that point in exact detail. As q
basis of classification, he assumed good mid
ding New Orleans at thirteen pen:e per pound.
Thirteen pence was the average Of his valua-
tloDs of sevsn specimens sent from the Bahia
mas. Fourteen pence was the average OF the
price he set on three samples from the Bermu-
das. From eleven pence to three shlllings was
the range OF values which he attaches to thir-
ty-four different cottons produced in Guade-
loupe, an island in the French West Indies.
The Jamaican samples, in all twenty-five, he
atol lon.r OF oil hnkuroor,