The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-02
CHI A r L Es TON.
TUESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 2, 1869.
The Future of the Sea Islands and
Sea-coast.

Sea-coast.
The peculiar value of the long staple cot
ton raised on the sea islands and sea-coast
of South Carolina; the fact that staple of
equal fineness, length and strength has not
been obtained in any quantity in any other
part of the whole cotton region; and, in the
State, natural sympathy with q refined
and high-spirited people have, together,
caused the vicissitudes of.the planters OF
long cotton to be watched with constant
and painful interest. 1t needs not now to
repeat the sad story of The last three years
We oil know that the sea- coast planters
have struggled couragecusly against in
clement seasons and the sweeping change
in their labor system brought about by the
war. It is equally well known thai the
caterpillar hos, eeason after season, de-
stroycd the most promising crops and de-
voured in a night the promised fruits of
months of anxiety and toll; the result of
the whole being that at the close OF 1868
the sea- coast planters were, at the best,
penniless and without credit, dependent, in
many cases, on the forbearance of the Fed
eral Government for their ability to avoid
public bankruptcy. This, in few words, is
the record of the past; and we should not
review it now but for the fact that there is
GOOD ground to believe that the long cotton
planters will be able to retrieve their losses
and, in time, restore to the most fertile re-
gion of the South something of its old pros
perity.
The articles which we have published
upon the subject of the cultur, of long
cotton, mus. have disabused the minds OF
those who read THIN Of many erroneous
ideas in regard &c the sea- coast planting
We think that it was shown conclusively
that fortunes were made by the culture of
Ion e. cotton, and that the planters would
have been able, even with free labor, to
make some little profit, but for the increas-
ed cost of articles Of necessity, the expense
of living, the purchase of implements and
stock, and, above all, the low price at which
the staple sold And in reg-rd to the cat
erpillsr, the letters to which we refer have
shown that the insect was made dangerous
by seasons, lie like of which had not been
known for more than half O. century, and
that even in the face of unfavorablc sea-
sore, q fair crop may DC obtained it The
cotton is thoroughly cultivated and made
to mature early by the liber9l use of fer
tilizers. These being the facts, we may
fairly hope that the seasons this year will
not be as abnol NAL as those Of 1866, 1867
and 1865 We may calculate, also, that the
negroes will work moro steadily than they
have been won't to do, that The outlay for
tools and implements and f"T subsistence.
will be less than before, ald that the price
of the silky staple will be many cents IL
pound higher than it was in 1866 and 1867.
We are not over s;:nguias; but VIC have con-
idence in the energy, perseverance and
economy Of the sea it.'nI planters. and be-
lieve that this year W.. b. the most profit
able that the Sea coast a,.. known since the
coming Of emancipation.
This belief is shared by many Of our pee
ple; but mere faith is not sufficient. The
whole of the trade of the long cotton dis
tricts is ,ntrolled by Charleston. 1t be-
longs to thi market aud cannot be divert.
from it, and every dollar produced by the
long cotton planters is direct benefit 10
our shippers, factors, merchants aud shop
keepers There is, then, no doubt that
it is to our interest to encourage to the ut
most the sea. coast planters in their efforts
to improve their condition. They are not
extreme in their views, they do not ask for
much, and our business men should go ss
far as they can to help them. Charleston
capital should this season be lent with lib
erslity to the sea island planters, for NO
: advances will be more safe or produce 3
better result. Then, again, the dealers in
fertilizers will find it to their interest to be
+ liberal In their terms, and SO also with re-
gard to provision merchants snd others.
Charleston will reap q rich harvest of profit
from good crop Of sea island cotton, and
we must decide now whether the planters
shall have the necessary means, Or whether
they shall be refused all succor at the very
, moment: that a helping hand can be safely
: extend I'd to them. There is an abundance
: o. capital in the city, tae profits on upland
i omiou have boen large, aud we feel that
tho-c planters who have proved their in
d,srry and integrity may fairly claim from
our merchants reasonable degree of assis-
tance. Sympathy and generosity are not
business principles; but even according to