The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-08
The Cotton Planters Association.
GRENADA, Mss, March 20, 1855.


n fundamental ideas. IS wel IS their
Is teachings, are inimieal to the best inter
ests Of the people amongst whom ne
s, live There IS no man more respectful
1t . a difference of opiniou on au sub
-e Iects than / am. but when these opinions
II are 50 stilted ~ tleir virtuous claims Of
> superior intelligence and superior use
& fumes, that thevare above the shafts OF
criticism, whether OF argument wit or
6 satire, they should pass at once from the
i domain Of public respect, and sink into
? then native 0hscRrity. Is matters not
/ how Tusignih eAnt the source from which
:. this opposition springs, provided, II Is
a not iBstigaled BIS mailces nor conducted
j. IA injustice. Junlus, wIth his trenchant
z pen, rutaed the peace Of many q British
i uobleman and threw London society
e into a furor Of excitement and yet, who
I Is Junius2 il an echo that has followed
/. the question largely over o half century
. / am no Janius. either in name or in
3 the activity cd his powerful pen 1 am
however citizen Of estate, ard have
, been long enough 70 make me q man IN
Z wears. IL not in vision, ard have ever
, been law-abiding. While / shan RESI- poet
great names, and great wealth and great
4 consequence, one nor the three combined.
shall intimidate me in my utter8uees Of
what | believe 20 be for the best inter
estS of our people
/ viii not undertake anything Ike Q
i detailed history Of the Cotton Planters
Association, nor is personnel, bat ii ~
am not greatly mistaken, since is or
sanIzation seven years ago, cotton has
had = constant ,to"pard tendency, and /
breadstutis for man and beast, have /
almost entirely dH1 ifa s9, except IN /
the eastern part OF the state. If these /
be facts, what l- their ultlmate end ;
Had it been their purpose to place the /
cost OF production above the selling. /
they could not have composed the end /
/ more completely. 10 has been declared .
time and again 10y the best educated and /
most experienced planters IN the South.
/ that we cannot make cotton for less than
/ ten cents per P37Hd.
But what Is the Use OF their annual
/ meetings, when they Else like some
/ grand but balelu. star, which, after scat
/ terlng It's disturbing glasses, sets again in
/ darkness aud silence. There Is not
/ child IN the land, who has not heard
around the ilresiase, 81 the absuI,1ity OF
/ carrying cOals 10 Sew Castle, where the
! great coal Ieids OF briIlsl luel crop out
Is there any sense or use IN Cotton
2
There Is not man so ignorant in all
this land, that does not know ~ a
farmer ne mist make it. Since the in F.,
vention OF the cotton gin, about sixty
years ago, the production, with he eN
ception OF a few isolated instances, has ex
ceeded the demand When the demand
Is not only enough to pay for the pro .
auctioh puV d handsome per cent upon y
s
las y reached elal iii" : ~ ID S14ce 1He
l,i.IoetSet,o1 ~ l''l
a. 'o'. u. .'o = 81
r. M. " 80 &c ,l,4os;.-,.; ,9'' ~ ~
sli'7 ia 80 - ~
I'm 81 &c, ~ 'o'i ,o'-'"
~ 'i'' pay '''0 VI 'l''l t'-'''
'i0 ~
nc rue 1ie.ly - 55'' . ols0 .I'll' a. q
vs. a = ''ii ''''''i'O a. P'oii''-0- "=ii
80 - ~ az ~, ~ '-'li
VI any "A ''O'e VI q Pol-' l'"l uel ~ s.
.'iiles 80 Z. 9li ~ oli7 81 .le
- e. nv a
III ,i'o 80 "a 3 - l1.'-
Iil'it 80 1ioll9 "4'''1 81
'loiate9 even I'd" "a pui'.leii oc'ilolllI Do
a1o eoiiiuIoli seuse ~ st'Sl'i" ss't.' q STATE
~ 4"e,9' Folie ~ lie7e ooi'eL'4"4'9 are y
atV"lio Us, loI j" Gta sip~ e9Ii J" iie.'t,
''lie q 's''iie. o.iill t.li. g.
We iilaA9 Ho-ill4la o11 O'So'. lIei''lu' d
'O' - gu 'l ~ 80 i,I %
$50 ~ - 80 - = 10 - ~ I &c
- ~ ~ ~ - = '---" ny
PO4 oIiU HT, ii>'Ai ~ io1''iiis po'"'oes
any s.'ls. I'ut NiiaI az vs. lee4tI, eA'
Up q ie" Vosll'5 S's''' WIN "'''0H 70
pant +" ne" crop
What are the results of such teachings
as we deduct them from the Cotton
Planters Association and Gotten Plan ?
tiers Convention and Cotton LAY in New 4
Orleans? Ii it is apotheosiHng one r,
gift of Providence at the expense Of all ia
the others, / cannot understand Ian OF
guage nor construe actions. What has .,
this constant, fretful display to the far u
mers on the subject Of cotton ended in II
Not only have we no visible accretions g,
OF wealth, but highland decay rest on
every thing, but one Large and fine
mansions all over the State are rottiRg
down, cabins originally good, are not B
tenantable, stables and barns have fall
len, fences ARE broken down. Ii this IS
wealth, the State is in the center Of the
dominion Of Crosus, and every man a r
millionaire VIII it be denied that the ID
Cotton Planters Association must be $
responsible largely Tor these results (,
For cotton has been the eloquent theme 4
of their Conventional speeches. Cotton J.
has been the leading topic of their Jour /,
nal. They have baptized their opera e
lions in the name OF cotton; they have +,
dubbed their journal with cotton They tl
talk cotton, speak cotton, sing cotton, and p
fear they pray cotton, If they pray at ri
ali
But this IS not all that can he charged f
to this Association OF Cotton Planters, q
whether t was Ihe result of absorption, :,
or radiation. leave with them to
settle But the astounding dogma, for j.
1t Is nothing else, ) proclaimed hat the sc
so0rld must have cotton. Who does not II
know, that the world must have iron !,
and coal, wheat, corn, rye aud every
other article that enters into the streams G
of international traffic as web as cotton; n
then why put special stress upon that. $
as though. the people of Mississippi
were under special Obligations to furnish d
the world that which 1t does not ada
quately pay for? Was there ever a s
more silly idea advanced? One taat s
overturns all facts Of reciprocal re-
lations and obligations OF eqnivalents2 4
Even our excellent Governor, could +
not Close q neat llt1ie speech ON Mis- d
sISsl pDI i}ay on the Iftn. IN AeN Or 3C