useful cottons nevertheless. Those from
Satwaree, Singapore, and Shahabad, are the produce
of Egyptian seed, and maintain the character of
Egyptian staple; while those from Hazareebagh,
Bamcorah, Poonah, Mysore, Arracan, and some
other places, have lost the length of Egyptian
staple, but are fully equal in that respect to
middling Orleans, and are remarkably white.
Mr. Wanklyn considers them good proof of the
suitability of Egyptian seed for the production
in India of the quality of which we require the
largest supply. The specimens from Satwaree,
Monghyr, Hazareebagh, Shahabad, Arrah, Piplee,
Cattack, Singapore, Penang, Madras, Bangalore,
and Mysore, are samples of New Orleans and
Uplands, which have maintained their original
character, while those from Hazareebagh,
Cattack, Chota, Nagpore, and Singbhoom, which
are the produce of American seed, show that it
has degenerated in length of staple, but, though
shorter than New Orleans, that it is superior to
the bulk of indigenous cotton. There is an
excellent sample of the Bourbon variety, from
Madras; there are also samples of good
Pernambuco, from Singapore.
The pretensions of the other contributing
countries may be soon summed up. Jamaica
grows but a small quantity, and is not likely to
grow much more, the great obstacle being a
want of energy in the people. Liberia sends a
few samples, not well prepared. Malta does
better, but the natives do not like the American
seed, because it occupies the land longer than
their own. Labour, however, is cheap and
plentiful, and there is a great disposition on the
part of Malta to do its little well. New South
Wales makes some excellent contributions, but
at present there are not more than five acres of
cotton land under cultivation. Natal sends
some favourable samples; but the Europeans, it
seems, make more money out of other crops;
and the Kaffirs do not take to the cultivation,
as it does not suit their irregular habits. From
Peru has come the oldest specimen of cotton
in the world. It was found in an ancient tomb,
and in quality and preparation is ample
evidence that the former inhabitants of the country
not only knew how to grow cotton, but how
to handle it. Portugal sends about twenty
samples from her colonies—useful, but roughly
prepared. Queensland is evidently in earnest,
and gives good samples of the Sea Island variety,
which is admirably adapted to the Australian
colonies generally. There might be a large
supply from this part of the world, but the
great difficulty is labour. At present cotton
does not pay the cost of labour and land. Spain
and her colonies send some excellent samples,
and the prospect is encouraging from those parts.
Turkey is in a better present position. Her
contributions are distinguished by cleanness and
whiteness, and, under the influence of present prices,
she will probably send a hundred or a hundred
and fifty thousand bales this year. The price on
the spot is rather under fivepence a pound.
It appears clear from the above summary that
there are almost unlimited cotton-fields to be
found, in different parts of the world, from
which a supply might be obtained, equal, not
only to the present necessities of Manchester,
but to any increased necessities that may arise.
With ordinary energy, therefore, exerted at
the present crisis, there need be no need for
ever more relying upon America. Indeed, this
part of the question is fast settling itself, for
political events have already deprived our
manufacturers of all chance of gaining their ends by
so foolish a policy. The most sanguine among
them must by this time have abandoned the idea
of waiting for peace to set free the old source
of supply. It is plain that so long as the war
lasts, the supply cannot be renewed. But, were
there peace to-morrow, there would still be no
hope. It appears from a letter of Earl
Russell's to Mr. G. R. Heywood, that at the
commencement of the civil war in America, the
amount of cotton in the South was about
4,200,000 bales; about 1,000,000 bales are
supposed to have been destroyed, and that
another million have been irreparably injured
from not having been properly stored; were the
ports opened immediately, the supply of cotton
would not exceed 2,000,000 bales.
The crop of 1862 is not estimated at more than
1,000,000 bales, and this will be much reduced by
the difficulty of obtaining labour for preparation.
Thus the utmost amount available on the cessation
of the war would not quite reach one year's
crop. Considering the immense demand for the
raw material wherever the cotton manufacture
is carried on, and the exhausted stocks which
have to be replaced, it is not likely that prices
would fall below their nominal rates, even if
the American reserve was suddenly thrown
upon the market. The fears upon this head,
which have unsettled the minds of speculators,
are therefore unfounded. For the rest, whatever
be the issue of the contest, there is no
chance of the cotton cultivation of the Southern
States being ever restored under its former
conditions. Whether the North or the South be
the victor, this is clear—that slavery is doomed.
Supposing the North to win, the time has passed
when any compromise with the " domestic
institution" would have been possible, and abolition
must be forced upon the government
whether they like it or not. Supposing the South
to win, abolition will then only be a matter of
time. The Fugitive Slave Law is already
repealed, and any slave making his way into
Northern territory is declared to be free, instead
of being restored to his master as before the
war. The independence of the South
established, this law would most certainly not be
revived. It may be taken for granted that the
Northerns will do everything in their power to
harass and impoverish their former brethren;
and, as far as slavery is concerned, they will
succeed. The repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law,
alone, will be felt, when peace is once restored,
as a severe blow, against which the system can
scarcely stand. It will cause an immediate
depreciation in the value of slave property, will
render the slave a burden instead of a profit
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