Year: 1861

upon us in it, and to see our responsibility
to meet its this The North sold us
some two hundred and fifty millions annu-
ally This was their riches; hence came
their wealth hence grew their cities. Their
wealth was but the accumulation deposited
from our commerce, just as the delta of the
Nile was enriched above the lands Of any
other portion Of Egypt, by the deposit Of the
rich alluvial soil brought down from the
mountains and deposited in it, The riches.
money and power Of the North came in tho
same way. Our cotton was the source Of it.
and how Mr. Lincoln is to get his four hun
dred millions, do not know. That is
matter for him to determine, though may
say more about it before I get through, but
at present it is sufficient to say that Lincoln
has damned up the water that turns the
mill of Northern prosperity. How long the
mill will run time alone will determine
But it is not SO with us. We grow bread
stufs enough to supply all our wants. We
live in heaven favored land, for all the
cereals grow here equally as we'll as in any
other portion of the world-wheat rye, oats
and corn, in great abundance. We could
compete with the world in the production of
these. We grow also the tobacco plant and
rice. We live in the land Of the fig tree,
the pomegranate and the vine. Hardly
anything used as food but is grown in the
Southern Confederacy and we could. if need
be, grow an abundance of everything except
coffee. We, therefore, have the means,
under the blessing of Heaven, to support
ourselves and keep upon the field every va
| riet7 of cattle, suitable for food or draft
We, therefore, can SOW bread enough to
support our people and keep from one hun
dred and fifty to two hundred thousand men
in the field Let the blockade last let the
Northern people be cut off from trade with
US within the eleven Southern States, we
could for years carry on the war, support
ourselves and our armies, and, rather than
to be subjugated and become vassals Of
Lincoln's power, fight it out beleaguered by
blockade all around y 4
I meet many asking about the blockade.
I cannot, to-day. tell you how the blockade
is to be raised. But there is one thing GER
tain-in some way or other it will be obliged
to be raised, or there will be revolution in
Europe-there will be starvation there
Our cotton is the element that will do it.
Steam is powerful, but steam is far short i'll
its power to the tremendous power Of fcotton.


If you look out upon the ocean to-day and
iraxa.a;re tl. Of
you will find that it is cotton that drives it,
and the spindles and looms, from those in
your own State to the rcmotest quarter of
the world-it is this element of cotton that
drives them, and it is this great staple which
is the tremendous lever by which we can
work out our destiny, under Providence, /
trust, against four hundred thousand, or
against four times four hundred thousand
(Applause.) Upon a reasonable and ordi-
nary estimate we grow four millions of bales
of cotton. [ am here to-day to discuss be-
fore you the fifty million loan, but am
frank to tell you it may be one hundred
millions, and [ think it probably will be.
The proposition that the Government makes
is not to tax the people. The object of
wise and good government is to make the
burndens fall as light upon the people as
possible to. meet every emergency. The
proposition the Government makes, there
fore, is to take the loan in produce. In the
grain growing sections the members of Con-
grcss solicit tile loan in grain, army subsis-
tence, meat, corn wheat and flour. We are
not grain growing country. Our supply
is cotton. I address you, therefore, solely
on the subject of cotton.


4 i X


[ will now read to you, just at this part
of my address, the proposition upon which
[ shall make some comments, for I wish
every gentleman to understand it. It is not
asking donation, the government simply
wishes to control the proceeds of your cot
ton. The government proposes to give you
a bond bearing eight per cent, interest, pay
ing the interest semi-annually. It is not
gift or donation, but simply your surplus
cotton, as much as you can spare This is
the proposition 1--WE, the subscribers.
agree to contribute to the defence of the
Confederate States that portion of our crop
set down to our respective names the same
to be placed in warehouse or in the hands
of our factors, and sold on or before the -
next" Fix the day of sale as soon as you
please, the first Of January, the first of Feb
ruary, or the first Of March, if you please,
though am aware the government wishes
you to sell it as soon as convenient but let
each planter consult his interest, and in the
meanwhile consult the market. But to pro-
ceed And the net proceeds of sale we
direct to be paid over to the Treasurer of
the Confederate States for bonds for the same
amount bearing eight per cent interest
There is the whole Of it. The cotton plan
ter directs his cotton to be sent into the
hands of his factor or his commission mer-
chant. He only tells the government in
the subscription the portion he can lend :
He directs it to be sold and the proceeds is
to be invested in Confederate bonds | un-
derstand that committee will be appointed
before this meeting adjourns to canvas this
county Every planter, therefore, of Rich
mond county, will be waited upon and af-
forded an opportunity to subscribe. Iwisb.
therefore, to say to that committee and