The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-17

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She has lost the Rtfu revealing glow
That traced each thought to it's innermost fount;
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And you think she has lost the holier Fart T?
Nay, nay, dear-only heart.
+. OUR GREAT STAPLE.
Cotton i'm the FutuEe-.Its Production
and Consumption
The following letter, which we copy from the
Memphis Avalanche, contains views in regard
to the position and prospects of the South as
affected by the cotton crop, which will be found
full of hope and encouragement for our people,
and eminently worthy't the attention of every
thoughtful reader:
MEMPHIS, March 40, 1869.
The chief wants of man are food and cloth
ing, and that country is most favored which
and and % At the least cost. St T judging by this rule,
the Southern or Cotton States OF the Union
possess advantages equalled in no other part
Of the world. Besides being able to produce
duce that staple which clothes more people
than any other fabric. So univer sal has be-
come its use that it is the leading article Of
the worlds commerce, and it builds and
erects mora factories than any other product
Of the earth. Nothing is so intimately inter-
woven with the prosperity and progress of our
production has been wonderful, growing from
about 100 COO bales in 1900, to 5,387 900 in $780,
But there was demand for this rapidly
growing production ; for, in 1857, two-thirds Of
the vast commerce OF Great Britain were based
upon the growth Of American cotton and in
1860, the Southern States furnshed her with
eighty per cent. of all the cotton she manufac-
she places on our cotton, when it is known that,
during the war, the prices in Liverpool ran up
to 81 83 per pound.
But five look at the demand for it in the
"Cotton is still King" In 1900, the factories
OF this country consumed % 600 bales OF 400
pounds each ; in 1860, 1,O94. 600 bales.
Inc ca2,ta invested IN manqfactures an in,
is now estimated at $3.50, ,OOO, 900. During that
period, the consumption Of the raw material in
creased ftty-fve per cent. These facts all pl owe
the constantly growing demand for Southern
cotton, and hence it's production has been
highly stimulated during the past thirty years.
Its consumption seems to have no limits, for
all tend to introduce it into still more general
use. But its production has a limit, and that
is measured by the number of hands engaged
in it's culture. Before the war, nineteen
slaves of the South, and the crop of 1860 was
the largest ever raised. Until the war the
grown OF our slave population was nearly as
rapid as that of the whites; the latter being
of the former about three per cent per annum;
and under the old system of trained labor the
increased production could be safely estimated.
In few years more the South would have
grown ten million bales, while the North would
have monopolized the cotton commerce Of the
world. .~"'
AN this has been changed. 1t was proclaim
ed that the labor OF the free negro would bring
the price Of cotton down to three cents per
pound. 1t has gone up to twenty-five and
thirty cents; and fou, millions of contented
ty Of idlers, vagrants, politicians and paupers.
Summer, Greeley and Phillips, in attempting to
play the role of Washington, Jefferson, Web
ster and Clay, have mistaken tanaticism for
craftsmanship.
The day will never come again when five mil
lion bales of cotton will be raised by the ne
groes OF the Southern Staten. though the de-
mand is not likely to abate. The vast sums in.
looms and spnners shall still ran. Where shall
the cotton be found? In India and Egypt the
production is falling off. though greatly stimu-
lated during tn war. I'm the former the popu-
whenever too much labor is diverted from the
production OF food. The manufacturing world,
old and news thus anxiously looks to the South
for the supply Of cotton. New England states-
manship he's reduced this supply one-half and
trebled the price. Let us look at some facts,
and see to what conclusions they will lead.
In 1890 (see abstract census, p. 1917 there
were 5 $4,000 slaves in the Southern States;
1850 900 being in Maryland, Virginia. North
Caroline, Kentucky. and Missouri. This left
2,8o0,O in the cotton States. One-half Of
these, or 1.4oO 900, were between the ages Of
10 and 60; and no planter will say that he ever
had more than halt his negroes in the cotton
field. From this 400, 900 must be deducted,
mouse servants, mechanics, and negroes in
cities, towns &C., not engaged in producing
cotton. 1t is not probable, therefore, that we
ever had 10000 slaves thus employed. If
they averaged four bales to the hand men and
Dtl aud ~
be about as much as the large crop Of 1860.
This was under system of labor thoroughly
trained and under the most industrious and
energetic MANAGEMENT. Then there were few
more than half the 1 300, 600 former slaves can
now be found in the field, Thousands have
sought the haunts of cities and towns; and the
females seldom work.
than 800, 600 negroes can be counted, to-day,
as fold hands, and the general estimate does
no; exceed two and a half bales to the hand.
bales. Add 200 600 for the production e4 Of Write
labor, and we have crop OF 2e 600. Can it
exceed 5000, 900 bales I confess it does not
seem that the present labor system Of the
5000 900 bales may be reached if we neglect
rood /; but would not that be paying rather
dearly for the extra million bales Year by
There are thousands here who remember when
they could buy corn at twenty to thirty cents
and wheat at fifty cents per bushc!, ard
pork at four or five cents per pound or
twelve dollars per barrel. What are the
we've years ago. There is powerful
agency producing this. From 1870 to 1850.
the increase of our country population was
! wards OF eighty per cent. In 1900, our cIty
population was one in eleven OF the whole DO.
puiation. In 1860 it was one in nearly every
Ave. In other words, our food producers are
rapidly becoming less numerous as compared
with the whole population, and hence the opin-
ion that food will not fall' much in prices.
Great Britain slaughtered one million Less hogs
last winter than the winter Def0fS; and the
corn crop was sixty millions OF bushels less
than the crop Of 1860. eight years ago. Re.
member, too, that every. year. We are re-
!, ceiving about v250 600 souls from Europe,
who. seldom produce food the year they ar