1810.]__ 
poverty can inflict. The foreigner suf- 
fers no loss, for the quantity makes a 
larger return than compensates for the 
depreciated price. Besides this, the 
cultivation of tobacco in Virginia and 
Maryland, has of late been less an object 
of attention; and the gangs of negroes 
formerly engaged in it, have been sent 
into the southern states, where the 
American cotton planter, thus rein- 
forced, is enabled to commence his ope- 
rations with increasing vigour. 
3. The encouragement  unifurmly 
shewn to the manufacturer, at the ex- ° 
pence of the planter, is another cause of 
the misfortunes of the latter. All appli- 
cations made for relief by the latter to 
the Board of Trade have been rejected, 
because the objects sought, were consi- 
dered by the former as injurious to his 
interests. How far this opinion is well 
founded, will be ‘best enquired into 
when discussing the most expedient 
means of relieving the cotton planter. 
4, The imposition of duties on the 
raw material, is the last of these prin- 
cipal causes; the fact is notorious, and 
the examination of its correctness will 
best take place when the remedy is 
proposed. 
Means of Relief. —A short sketch of 
the condition of the cotton planter, and 
of some of the most prominent causes of 
that condition, having been given, it 
becomes necessary to suggest some 
means of alleviation, lest it should be 
supposed that the foregoing statement 
has been made merely for the sake of 
complaint, without the nveans, or even 
the possibility, of remedy. The Briush 
cotton grower is not one of those que- 
rulous beings, that feel satisfaction in con- 
stantly conjuring up schemes of misery 
for himself, or in detailing evils from 
which escape is impossible. So far 
from cherishing a disposition of this 
kind, he has uniformly anticipated more 
favourable events; and now that hope is 
almost banished from his horizon, it can- 
not surely be improper either for him, 
or those interested in his success, to de- 
tail his misfortunes, and to point those 
means which seem most conducive of 
general advantage. That there are 
means by which this end may he at- 
tained, the author of these pages under- 
takes to prove. How far he may suc- 
ceed in his attempts, depénds ultimately 
on the decision of the Public, to whose 
judgment he submits, in the just confi- 
dence that no unfair bias will eccur 
against his subject. 
‘Monvuty Mac, No, 204, 
On the present State of the Cotton Colonies. 
233 
The object to which the attention ts 
now to be directed then, is the means of | 
relief which may, and ought to be, af 
forded to the cotton planters. 
The great and crying cause of the pre- 
sent distress under which he labours, is 
the encouragement, or rather preference, 
shewn to foreigners, as has been fully 
proved in the former parts of these cbs 
servations. Itis impossible to reflect on 
this circumstance without the greatest 
surprise, whether the colonies aré consi- 
dered integral parts of, or mere depen- 
dencies on, the empire. If the former 
Opinion be admitted, (as I think it must) 
such conduct is inconsistent with every © 
principle of common sense, and common 
justice: the mere obligations of society 
require, that the subjects of every state 
have the first claims on its protection and 
encouragement. No man would dream 
of supporting his neighbour’s offspring, 
while his own are perishing for want. 
The obligations of nations ought to be 
as binding as those of individuals. 
Even those who contend that colenies 
are to he considered mere dependencies, 
will readily admit that they certainly 
are more nearly allied to the parent, 
state, than any foreigners can possibly 
be. And by a parity of reasoning, they 
are entitled to more unqualified support 
and aid. if 
That they receive neither in the proper 
degree, is an unquestionable fact. The 
proofs are to be found in the preceding 
pages. Ae 
It has been of late too much the fashie 
on witha certain class of politicians, ¢o 
consider the quantity of cotton produced 
by the British plantations so insignifie 
cant as to be unworthy of attention in 
great political determinations. 
forget that this quantity amounts to a 
third of the whole quantity consumed ; 
they forget that it is always within our 
power; and above ail, they forget their 
owngreat public, as wellas private, stake, 
which they expose to certain loss. To 
have so large a proportion as a third of 
any staple article in our own territories, 
is certainly better than having none; for 
suppose (as in ail likelihood will be the 
case in future times) that the vast conti- 
nent of America should direct its atten- 
tion to manulacturing objects; policy, 
and a fair attention to their native inter- 
ests, will lead them to.monopolize the 
purchase of their produce for their own 
manufacturers, In the mean time, the 
British colonies have been involved in 
ruin by the cruel neglect of the mother 
au , country 
/ 
They 
\ 
