Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-08

are you 10 prevent lHdl. III SOu
war with nature and the Almighty
against the use of the faculties and
energies of the human race, within
the innocent limits of fair rivalry and
competition? VIII you forbid by law
| some to raise cotton and permit Others,
and grow rich by Partially and de-
privation of liberty? That is the
very thing that cannot be done
What it is most profitable TO produce
will be most produced. If we could
enforce the imperial edict against
king cotton in this country, it would
only make its home in another. We
are not all the world, anddo not make
all the cotton of the world. The re-
duced production Of this country,
caused by the late war, has been sup
plemented by increased production in
other countries. In 1857 we made
nearly s~even-eighths of ali the cotton
consumed in the world. Why should
we not do it again? And in 1860 we
were making about three-fOurths OF it.
The table of imports for 1S67-S shows
that of 3,66O,127 bales imported into
Liverpool only 1 ,267 900 We're exported
from the United States. And the cot
ton supply for that great mart alone
is 1888, 067 in excess of the importa-
tons from the United States. Our
finer eOttons go to France, and near a
million bales of our low middlings
and ordinary cottons are consumed at
home. We have not the means of ar
irving at the exact present figures. But
we are warranted in saying, that, in
stead of making three-fourths of the
cotton consumed by the manufactures
of the world, as we were doing in1S60,
with production on the rapid increase
and consumption keeping ample pace
with it, we are now making little if
any more than one-third of that cot
ton. The rest is made in Brazil and
other parts of South America, Egypt,
West India Islands, Algeria, Asia
Minor, British India, and the valleys
of the Nile and the Ganges, with all
the parts of the world furnishing cot
ton either for home consumption or
as a surplus for export. As we make
the best cotton, and as our lands are
most productive, with labor at the
low rates of other countries, we have
it in our power to draw to us the chief
cotton production, and with proper
measures for that purpose, should
come as neal securing a monopoly of
the culture as is desirable. The
chances are that the increase of pro-
duction here will either diminish that
abroad or only keep pace with the in
creased consumption. When we
made five million bales, and other
countries three, consumption was
equal to the production. Now it is no
J more so because Of the substitution of
other staples. And the use of these
by manufacturers will increase with
the rise i'm price of cotton. If you
make it necessary to pay thirty cents,
the manufacturer viii find other sta
piles.
If we made all the cotton Of the
world, the reduction of our crop one
half might increase prices one-haf or
more. But, as wemake but one-third
of the cotton, the reduction of our
crop one-half gives but one-sixth re-
duction, which is not so potent a mat
ter after all as our correspondent con
lectures. We shall not keep cotton at
thirty cents by that process, On the
contrary, thirty cents is such a pre-
MUM as will induce large increase of
production in other countries, only
compelling the short staples and infe-
rior cottons to shut out your own. 1t
may serve an individual turn to-day.
But we believe thirty cents will prove
positively disastrous to our country,
whether cotton raising is considered
or other interests. In the one case it
will build up production abroad, and
in the other it viii reduce production
of the indispensable cereals at home.
We wish our friends may thrive. But
in their interest, and looking to the
whole future, we protest against thirty
cents altogether.
Our correspondent thinks we are not
suffering for the want of nor labor.
Our fields lie idle, u vast for
ests are not feIled, and we are prOdu-
cling but half the cotton and half the
grain and stock of former years, while
our plantations are not being inn
proved, but bushes and briars are
year by year encroaching more and
more. We see no way to answer
him, except as we wouldth the old lady
when she kissed the eow-that there
is no disputing about tastes. Does he
expect to retain thirty cents, and have
his boys always going hoeing, blowing
and singing, by preventing the in
crease of production in his own coun-
try? Is he not aware that the bale
made In Brazil, India or elsewhere
viii add to the crop of the world as
much, and as much affect prices as if
made in his own country? He con-
graduates us that the freedmen's la
Dor is improving and increasing.
How does that agree with his theory
against increasing the cotton supply9
And how, too, about that great crowd
he expects will come from the North
west, "enough of them for all salubri-
Gus purposes?p If all the Northwest
and all Germany should come, too,
would it not rather interfere with that
thirty cents and the happy chanting
and melodies of his fourteen year old
boys? VIII not that which he 50 eX- !.
uits in be an overflow of human
muscle" which he deplores? Let /,
well enough alone is a good maxim.
Let nature take its Own way, and hui :
nature acting ~inReeently man to
man, work and wag IS It win. IT IS
for the greatest good of the greatest
number of mankind that population
should be equalized over the earth.
Neither arguments nor s~elishnesS can
prevent the flow of the human tide, I
the accomplishment of this greatest 4
event of the century. a :