admitted, however reluctantly by those desirous it should be
otherwise, that the African, as has been justly said by a Manchester
merchant, has in all ages, in all parts of the world, been sought to
raise cotton wherever it has been produced.

Serious Contingencies and Uncertainty in American Cotton Supply

In America there are several serious contingencies which must always
render a supply of cotton from that quarter problematical and doubtful,
and always expensive and subject to sudden, unexpected and unjust
advances in prices. In the first place, the land is purchased at large
prices; secondly, the people to work it; thirdly, the expense of
supporting the people, with the contingencies of sickness and death;
fourthly, the uncertainty of climate and contingencies of frost, and a
backward season and consequent late or unmatured crop; fifthly,
insubordination on the part of the slaves, which is not improbable at
any time; sixthly, suspension of friendly relations between the United
States and Great Britain; and lastly, a rupture between the American
States themselves, which I think no one will be disposed now to consider
impossible. All, or any of these circumstances combined, render it
impossible for America to compete with Africa in the growth and sale of
cotton, for the following reasons:

Superior Advantages of Africa over All Other Countries in the Production
of Cotton

Firstly, landed tenure in Africa is free, the occupant selecting as much
as he can cultivate, holding it so long as he uses it, but cannot convey
it to another; secondly, the people all being free, can be hired at a
price less than the _interest_ of the capital invested in land and
people to work it--they finding their own food, which is the custom of
the country; thirdly, there are no contingencies of frost or irregular
weather to mar or blight the crop; and fourthly, we have two regular
crops a year, or rather one continuous crop, as while the trees are full
of pods of ripe cotton, they are at the same time blooming with fresh
flowers. And African cotton is planted only every seven years, whilst
the American is replanted every season. Lastly, the average product per
acre on the best Mississippi and Louisiana cotton plantations in
America, is three hundred and fifty pounds; the average per acre in
Africa, a hundred per cent more, or seven hundred pounds. As the African
soil produces two crops a year to one in America, then we in Africa
prod