Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-17
Times Reyenges.


one hundred years ago slavery was not
peculiar to the Southern colonies, but
human chattels were held in nearly all OF
them. Later. slaves became unprohtaDle
in Northern States bat remarkably
profitable among the Southern cOmmunl-
ties. Bv and bv what was styled the "lrre-
pressible conflict" between the slaVehold-
ING and non-slavehslding commemorative
arose. the result Of which is familiar.
singular as il was. the chief industry OF
New England became the manufacture OF
cotton. the cultivation Of which was the
most profitable employment Of Southern
labor. According TO the Federal census OF
1850. Just completed, the total cost of the
cotton consumed in the manufactures Of
the whole country. and the total value Of
the manufactured products. were:
Cost OF raw material So, 45, -
Value manufactured .-.-. --------- Isz-Vss, llu
OF this latter value the six New Eng
land States turned out S143, 363. 030, or
three-fourths Of the whole, leaving only
SIS, I35. 40, or One-fourth, to all the other
States. Now comes the new irrepressible
conflict between New England and the
content to grow the cotton. They propose
not only to do manufacturing also, but to
do all the manufacturing, and thus take
away from New England her chief in
dustry. Eighteen years Of freedom at
the South, following the war, have not
come and gone for nothing. Cotton
manufactures are springlng up in all
directions. Northern capitalists-New
England capitalists-see the almighty
dollar in the advantage Of manufacture
l-On the ground where the raw material is
produced. and the labor Of our colOred fel-
low citizens freed from slavery can be had
at rates Of ruinOus competition with that
Of Northern whites, and they are moving
South to worship it. There are now in
/ operation or course Of erection in the
Southern States 191 cotton manufactures.
This number is p greater than that
/ Of the cotton manufactures of all the New
/ England States aside from Massachusetts,.
| and 16 greater than the number in Massa-
/ chusetts, which has IL more tian the rest
/ Of New England. How this progress Of
| the South in cotton manufactures is view
| ed by the cotton manufacturing interests
at the seat Of their hitherto ruling power,
/ Boston, may be inferred from these Obser-
vations Of the Boston Trdreller:
Though. however, cotton manufacture
ing in the South is as yet in its infancy,
| it is nevertheless becoming rapidly appa-
rent that New England must not be too
| sure OF retaining a monopoly Of this
| branch Of manufacture. 4 sharp eOmpe-
titiOn already exists, not only for the
trade in sheetings in the cotton States,
but Southern cOttOns are now entering
the markets of the Southwestern
States, and the New Highlander finds
| himself confronted in all the leading mar
kets of the Mississippi valley with sheet
| ings and shirtings in no way inferior in
quality to those manufactured by himself,
and which are offered at less price than
| he, to make his customary profit, can pcs
| sibly afford. Instead of a possible COM
petition twenty-five years hence, the dans
! ger which threatens the New England
manufacturer is already imminent"
1t is highly probable that if the New
| England philanthrOpists could have fore
seen the formidable competition that has
I arisen i'm this branch Of industry, they
| might have moderated their zeal. As it
is, the whirligig of time is likely to bring
! in its revenges, and the only hope for the
| cotton spinners OF New England is to
/ move to the cotton fields.