Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-10-10
The Resources of Arkansas.

The Fort Smith Argus, Camden Herald, and various other papers in the State, have publish ed excellent articles concerning the war bonds issued by the State. They appeal to the patrl- otism of merchants and dealers to take these bonds at their par value, and truly say that they are secured so as to save the holders from loss. The amount of these bonds to be issued IS re- stricted to two millions of dollars. Up to this date not exceeding million of dollars has been issued. If our Military Board, when requ'si- ton is made upon the State for troops, would issue it's call and let the men be mustered in by Confederate officers, without appointing recruit ing officers, with the rank and pay of colonels and assuming all the cost and expense of fitting up regiments, very few more bonds need be is sued. Let the companies be formed, marched to Gen'ls Hardee or McCuloch, be formed into regiments and go at once into the service of the Confederacy. As it is, in order to secure the election of certain persons to office, time and money are spent in forming regimentsand trans porting large bodies of men from remote points. Time is lost, for companies are kept at the place of rendezvous waiting for other companies They get tired, disband, go off and often, after large outlay, the regiment is broken up. The better and more expeditions plan is for the com panies, or bigades to join the Confederate army at once. Both Hardee and McCulloch call for troops for one year. This course would have saved the State half million of dollars and the Confederate generals modification and disap. pointment.
 To return to our State resource-assume that the whole two millions will be issued and that the war will last long enough to require the issuance of a million of dollars of treasury warrants. At the time the State seeded, she obtained sixteen millions of acres of land, and owned, besides these, at least two millions of acres of swamp and other lands. At an aver. age of seventy-Gve cents an acre, this will give $l3,500,OOO. The State revenue, two-thirds of which may be paid in bonds, will amount to $420,0OO year. In five years this will give s2, 100, ,OOO of which sl, 100000 will be receiv- able in bonds. In eight or ten years the whole amount of bonds and warrants issued could be redeemed by the revenue officers alone.
 During the past five years, the amount an nually paid to the late U. s. government for lands in this State was $3OO,OOO. At that rate, the lands alone would redeem these bonds, and all interest in ten years. Of course, during the war, there will be less disposition to enlarge farms, or open new ones and fewer sales made. On the other hand, farmers who have bonds will enter lands with them. for the means wherewith to do thing often leads to its being done.
 During the quarter ending with the 3Oth ult., the different receivers and land agents sold large quantities of lands and received bonds in pay ment therefor. The redemption of them is and will be constant and ought to keep their value up at par Should the war close soon, Arkan- sas will have more lands and cheaper than any State in the Confederacy. A rush will be made here from all the border States. Planters will occupy our bottoms and farmers our uplands. The hills and uplands are valuable for sheep pastures where they cannot be sown with grain; orchards thrive we'll on the sides of our highest hills, and there is very little land, apart from some irreclamable swamps, that may not be rendered productive. These lands will all be in demand, and bonds will be equal to gold and silver for the purpose of entering them.
 There is no safer investment for those who de- sire to loan money, and as the interest, at eight per cent, is payable semi-annually, in specie, it will be profitable one. There is no reason why these bonds should not be worth as much as any bank paper that ever was issued.