Year: 1861

portions were significant that we place
them once more before our readers The


Times is commenting upon great meeting Of
operatives, i'll Lancashire, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the alarming con9i-
ton OF the manufacturing districts, owneto the
failure of the usual supply Of cotton from the
Southern States. 1t speaks hopelessly of any
adjustment between the beliigcrent parties.
and proceeds as follows:


with all these contingencies looming dark
ly around us, IL lie al least sa abstraction 10 OBJ
serve, both that the condition OF the cotton
manu- ufacture ts favorable To cur present ef-
1orts, ana mat the operatives OF LanC2nsbire
aIe looking Al the subject like sensible men


The first resource in such straits as the pre-
sent Is evidently to limit the rate Of pTodpC-
ductIon, and this, we are told, can be done u OF
only without much disafyan IA ge-to the trade


out with positive gain. 1t is said that pro-
ductIon has recently been carried TOO far, and
tlat tne stocks of manufactured goods are
every y"here IN excess of the demand In this
case 1t can certaiuly do no harm TO slacken
our pace and allow oar products to recover
thel value. Short time in fact would be
rather desirable even if OHr supplies OF mate
rlal We're III no jeopardy at all.


I'm the mean time, the operatives have re-
cOBnlZed the eNigencies of the crisis by unani-


nous resolutions. They demur, indeed, to the.
alleged necessity for the reduction of wages


but at a large meeting of delegates at Man
chester 1t was freely admitted that the present
scarcity OF cotton 'aft rded a well grounded
reason. Tor running the mills short time, aud
tnuS diminishing the rate of cOnSuInution -
Such IL view of the case speaks we'll for The
&ood sense and sagacity Of the men. W must
tace the impending trial as well a we can
he long expected dearth has now oyertateu
US. 1t Is Il serious matter but not quite so
bad rs feared. We have two rnsourcrs-C me-.
III economy OF consumption, the other in the
discovery of new SUPPLE. Both, we trust,
Will stand us III good stead, while we feel our
way 10 SnCh p position as will exempt us from
any future return Of the liability"


We have constantly maintained tha, a crisis,
springing ont of the blockade of the Confede-
rate ports, and the consequent failure Of the
English manufacturers to receive their usual
supply Of cotton, was close at hand 1t was
nearer than we had supposed itself to be. The
question has already walked down from the
parlor and walked into the kitchen lis dis
eus8ion is no longer confined to the upper re-
gions of the highest commercial and manu-
featuring classes : it has been taken up by
the operatives themselves


At the very beginning of the difficulty. the
Jfmes brings forward its last resource 1t
can hit upon TO eXpedient, bat those of redu-
eng the amount Of consumption. and opening
new sources of supply. Ii thinks it would be
beneficial TO commerce, under any circunstan-
cea, to try the experiment of short work since
there is already surplus of manufactured ar
ticles on hand Doubtless it wonld suit the
manufacturers very well TO get rid OF old
stocks before creating more; but how would it
suit the operatives2 Short work signifies
sl,,, L
Iowanee of the necessaries Of life. The wages
OF the English operative, working full time,
can hardly keep him alive. How could he live
on half what he now receives? The view
Of the Times is aone-sided view, and fails to
take IN the party most deeply interested, and
likely to play the most important part. Yet
this ls all the Times can propose as i remedy
for the approaching distress. except the alter
native of opening new sources Of supply. We
have frequently had occasion to notice the
folly with which English journals, English
statesmen, English merchants, and English
manufacturers cling TO this notion; as if four
five millions of bales of cotton could be
brought into existence by the mere fiat Of the
Cotton Association, or string Of energetic
ASF'A'tSiNiiH okiIo bN d LIN eli pOOl bG Adn-
chester meeting II was not thus that the i'll
habitants of the Southern States reached, their
present rate of production. They found ready
made to fheir hand, soil and climate, the best
III the world for the culture of cotton. They
constituted one of the most active one of the
most enterprising, and one of the most
intelligent bodies upon the face of the
earth. They had an abundance of


black slave labor always at command-
Being such q race, and possessing such ad-
vantages by the labor and enterprise Of fifty
years, they brought the cotton culture up to
four millions and a half Of bales. We un-
dertake To say that 10 country which does not
answer all these conditions-which has not
proper soil and climate, an energetic white
population, and plenty of black slave labor
can ever become a great cotton growing coun-
try. 1t must have them all One or even
two will not do without the rest The proper
soil and climate and the proper white popula-
ulation, The proper white population and the
proper black population will not do without
the proper soil and climate The proper soil
and climate and the proper black population
will not do without the proper white popua-
ton. La d word, they must all he blended IN
the utmost harmony before the culture OF cot
ton on the scale Of the Southern States can be
expected to succeed, and in no country upon
earth can such an Eniou be found save in the
Southern States themselves. After all, the
result can only be reached BY the Glow and
painful progress Of fifty years Can England
afford TO wait so long! Can she wait one
year Can she wait six months from this
day If she could have accomplished this
result. would she not have done il long AFRO


1t is curious that while in England, the op.
eratiyes are discussing the necessity Of re-
ducing the consumption of cotton, in the
Southern States the planters are discussing the
policy of emitting to plant any cotton at all
next year, if the blockade continues. 4 d
rect issue seems thus to be made up between
the producers aud the consumers, and we think
there can lie little apprehension about the re-
suit. The Southern people propose to omtthe
regular planting next year, in order to prevent
the accumulation of two crops, which would
bring down the price below its proper miai
"4"". They will cultivate the land thus left
vacant iii cereals, or will turn it into pasture,
and viii employ themselves in raising stock,
sheep, or cattle, or all three These will not
Afford 80 much ready money as cotton; but
there is TINS comfort, that there is no travelling
for pleasure nowadays, and that few iuxuries
can be bought at any price, so there is less
need than usual of ready money But in the
the planters and his slaves will live
in the greatest abundance The sum total of