Year: 1862

Limiting Cotton Production by Law.
From the Augusta Constitutionast


The cotton planter ought to be reused up to
the conviction that the independence or subju-
CATION of the South is maizly in his hands We
look upon it as inevitable that the southern
people will be conquered by starvation, unless
the cotton planters devote all their energies to the
production of food. The South cannot afford
literally cannot atfOrd-to allow her lands and


labor to be appropriated to the production of an
article already superabuudant, which cannot be
used as food or sold at points which will buy
food, while all kinds of provisions are rising to
famine prices The country needs and must
have all the available agricultural force and
all its arabic land appropriated to the production
OF food. The enemy Is cutting us of from the
great tOOd-pToducing States Of the West, and
our armies on the frontiers of the cotton States


must look to the cotton States for supplies If
the people are reduced by famine prices to
anxiety for means of subsistence, and actual


starvation stares them in the face, with what


heart can they resist the invader How long
could they keep up the war


Bat the planters may be two slow to realize


the danger, and each one may think it good ad-


vice for his neghborn not to plant cotton, but bad
advice for himself Hence the raising of cotton
to the neglect Of provisions, may go on as usual


This should not be permitted In plain terms,
] the government must interpOse its strong arm


and prevent, by law, the suicidal folly Of such


course. 1t must see to it that the precious en-
/ eTges and resources of the cotton States shall


not be wasted upon the product of an article


that will be useless for food or war purposes at
home, and will operate dsastrOusly abroad
Our political relations with foreign governments


must be determined by the cotton question.
If our people drop cotton, and 60 to work in
! earnest to fight the war out to the bitter end,
European governments viii see in this the de-
strUction Of great and vital interests with them
| in a protracted struggle here. If the South


weakens her abilities for resistance by directing
much of her labor to cotton making, Europe


will see in this suicidal course an early termns-
| ton of the war, and a super8bundauce of cotton


at Just what prices manufacturers choose to pay
| for it In fact, they viii see that the Yankees


will take the cotton to pay their war dept, and


leave the subiugated South to bankruptcy and
reputation.


This matter is so vital, so urgent, that no time
should be lost. Congress should act promptly


A law limiting the production Of cotton under
heavy penalties or by taxing heavily any acre,


over certain limit put by each planter in cot
ton, would avert the danger. What that limit
should be is a matter for some investigation
Presuming that 100000 hands are engaged in
raising cotton, half bale to the hand will be
eA0AAAlt1@AN


Those who have parted with last years crop
would thus have in their own hands sufficient
cotton to clothe their people and supply every
other domestic use for it.


What is urged here as to cotton, viii apply
with almost equal force to tobacco, which is an
other staple greatly needed abroad, aud essential
to the finances of the leading governments Of
Europe.


The policy Of government interference with


LII, - a
will be OdOus to many Ii viii be protested
against as oppressive and partial But that
should not deter Congress from any step it may
deem essential to the salvation of the country.


1t is possible We may exaggerate the danger,


or may attach undue importance to the remedy,
or NAV have overlooked remedies less harsh and
quite as effeetusL 1t does, however, seem very
plain that the South will need the services of


every field laborer in making provisions, quite as


much as she needs the services of her soldiers in
the field and fortress. The government does not


hesitate to order draft of her citizens, to make
soldiers of them Wherein is the tyranny more
/ partial and inequitable in drafting the black
/ laborers who have hitherto been employed in the
cotton culture, aud requiring their owners to SO


direct their labor as will best promote the public
safety and the general benefit LIZ would be no


more inequitable to prohibit or limit the prOduc-


ton of cotton il believed to be Injurious to the


common cause Lndu IS Lne StODpdge OF Ll6 us III
/ latien of whisky from corn and wheat


! Those who oppose the policy here suggested
cannot reasonably do so on any other theory


than that this is, some how or other, to be a
/ short war, and a triumphant one for the South
| that they can go on in the usual way of plant
/ ing, and that, in a few months, the blockade


VIII be raised, our ports will be opened, and
| peace and plenty be again smiling Oh the land.


This is a dangerous, but may prove fatel de-
! lusiOH. Far more safe and sensible would It be


to shape our business as if this great war is TO
/ last for years-at least as long as Lincoln is
| President The theory at Washington is that it
| is to be a short war, but short because they


calculate on the early subjugation of the South.
! But it is a fixed resolution of the North never


to end the contest but in the sUbjugaton OF the
South though this may take years. 1t Is equally


the fixed resolve of the South never to lay down
/ their arms short of independence, though 1t take
a generation to achieve it. But our sincerity in
this resolve can only be proved by preparing for
1 a long war ond AFf01s, ABILITY to feed our


armies on the field and avoid famine at home