January 24, 1861, The New York Herald
An opinion prevails among the republicans that in the event of the Southern States seceding and forming a separate confederacy, they would be unable to command influence or credit abroad. This is a mistake. A Southern confederacy would enjoy as much credit as might be required either in London, Paris or New York. The mere fact of its being the only great cotton producing country in the world, and so having the world dependent upon it, would insure this; and however great the repugnance of the English to the institution of slavery, it will be a long time before they leave off wearing shirts, because those useful articles happen to be manufactured from slave grown cotton. In order to enable the confederacy to raise an ample revenue it would be only necessary to impose an export duty of a cent per pound upon the staple product. Cotton consumers would have no alternative but to submit, and there is no doubt they would do so willingly. Moreover, the southern States are possessed of more mineral treasures than may be generally supposed. The mountains of the northern slave States abound in coal and iron more than the British islands ever did; and yet coal and iron made England what she is. Missouri is particularly rich in this respect. So is Georgia. Gold is found in sufficient quantities, here and there over the entire territory, to yield a large profit beyond the expenses of mining, and there are many other natural advantages which might be enumerated as belonging to this section of our country.
There is now gaining strength in Canada, and indeed throughout the whole of British North America, a strong revolutionary feeling in favor of a confederation of all the colonies; and should there really be an irrevocable split in the United States, there will be no slight probability of one or more of these forsaking the protection of England and joining the Northern confederacy. There is no natural boundary between Canada and Maine, and very little difference of opinion.