Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-10-26
z Ias STANDARD.
s,r e standard.
THE cHJEs LEGISLATION NECESSARY

tive to the propriety al purchasing the present O'
ton and tobaee+ cy~rs by the Ceft,aersee govern
nsnt Snca Legislation nAter existing citchrhstan-
ces Is psramonnt u every other Consideration
Aware that theories stlfiettneS appear beautiful,
lint are t4lt En- their pISct{4 operation would
suggest the following plan by which the scheme can
he carried out free froR complication anu IMPOSE
rth':
As to ccttoh, let the government propose to pay
teh cents Der pohnd for the short staple or green
Seed kiit6e of average quality, with dScretoc to-
the SCENTS to advance the price for superlar lots,
and the long staple or seassnd cotton, and to re-
Once the price on inferior lots. Let al sCert nav
ing power appoint aids, If necessary, &c apPnnt-
ed in every county where the article is rade whose
duty it shall be to examine, purchase weigh and
nav for lots not less than hunlrcd bales which
shahe properly stored and secured from the wealth
err Let each bale he numbered, Add the planters
or sellers hathe, together with the weight be lcgi-
Gty Dit 'tefeos Let the parties designate the
Mace and the seller be obliged to deliver his cotton
when required to do so, atsbme convenient railroad
station, or at some landing navIgable water
course whence the article can be transported oy
public conveyance to some port town. The re-
ccpt of It's delivery from Railroad agent, warehouse
keeper or other person authorized to receive freight
shall release the seller from such obligation. Its
accidental destruction by fire. before delivery, shall
also releaSe him. I would suggest that the agents
hc pale twenty cents for each bale purchased, as
~snton to its delivery if such attention shall be
deemed necessary.
In the main, the above remarks will apply to to-
bacco as well as cotton shall omit to suggest any
price for that article leaving it for those to do so
who are better acquainted with what is remunera-
tive. speak only of the Propriety of purchasing
these two great staples, because as they are the
most valuable and abundant and when put up in
good orer the least pershable nothing else should
bc bought Let the government issue two hundred
millions OF dollars in Treasury notes, bearing no in
terest of the denomination of fifty dollars, and up
wards, or So mich as may be necessary to purchase
the present crop. Let these notes be distributed,
and placed in Gel tain banks in the different States
and the purchasing agents be permitted to draw on
them. As much responsibility will rest or these
agents of course they ought to be bound with sure
ty and required to make such returns as would give
ample guaranty for the faithful discharge of their
d tiles
The propriety Of purchasing in large lots, instead
Of small ones when no Inconvenience to small farm
rrs can result as several oC them can club together
as well as the policy of storing in the country H.
stead of seaport towns is manifest. Reasons for
other propositions in the plan will so readily slg-
gest themselves that will drop the feasibility of
the scheme, and leaving the intelligent reader to re-
fleet on its freedom from ntricacy, and will proceed to
discuss the necessity of the measure. admit that
ordinarily the least interference is best on the part
of government in the great laws of trade which reg
ulatc supply and demand, and even in obligations
existing between debtors and creditors But deS-
pcrate diseases require desperate remedies; healthy
men require no medicine-Sick ones do. The great
body polite in healthful condition, requires moth
ing to wfkch il is not accustomed. BY powerful
enemy, every healthfn channel through which pros
perity flowed to people, has been Obstructed
and being Frustrated we need extraordinary means
to produce relief 1t is true, that we live In excl
ting times. Scenes in the great political drama
which is now being wrought, are changing almost
as rapidly they do at each turn Of the Kalelde-
scope. We cannot tell what day nor an hour may
bring forth. What is necessary to be done to-day,
may not be proper tomorrow. Consequently
can only look at the circumstances by which
now surrounded, and act accordingly. In view of
Them Congress soon as it convenes, should au-
thorize the government to purchase the present
crops cotton and tobacco aud thereby relieve the
people. Would such legislation produce relief? |
think 80. | take it for granted that the people
would sch at fair prices take it for granted that
the Treasury notes would pass current As
cut off from the balance of the world there would
be no foreign standard by which to note their de-
precation-there would be no extrinsc influences
operate against their apparent value If We have
faith in our gOyernment-faith in our ability to
achieve and maintain our ndependence-aboye all,
if believe that Cotton is King" then We know
that the government has Quid pro quo, and will
be able 10 discharge any liability incurred by the
purchase of that great staple. How planters to
pay their heavy taxeS-their store accounts-their
hack-smths bills-their medical bills? How are
they to school their children, or even pay Editors
for their papers With blockade staring them in
the face and apparent disposition OH the part of
foreign powers to respect that blockade at least for
the present, again ask how are planters who have
no money, to get any, unless the government gives
it to them for their produce? Let the government
buy it Let this war be made popular. Let the
people have cause to complain and they will
never murnur as the lsraelites did after they
delivered from bondage. Let the government thus
relieve the people, and they will never ask why
they were taken from bondage and placed in this
wilderness to perish. Every hand will then be en-
gagged, and every heart enlisted in this war; None
will then be found who cannot say to the South in
the language of the greatest Latin bard, "tecun
cipere GBeHG tecHm obsaHa libens''-" with thee
will love to live, with thee will willingly de-" If
the planter is relieved, so will be the mechanic and
manufacturer, for these are supported by him.
sincerely believe that with little fostering care on
the part OF the government just now, the South will
soon pass its crisis-let Lincoln do his worst
Through the dark cloud that orerhangs our political
horizon, see ray of light II the people are not
parayzed in their infant struggle for independence
this war will make the South selfreant and soon
independent Of the world Factories, mills and
shops will spring up all the country and pro-
duee every neeifnl article. Every planter through
out the South is now straning every nerve TO raise
his own meat for which millions of dollars hereto
fore have annually been paid to the North For
another year, meat must be scarce. Government
cannot furnish it. Nobody asks il to do So 1t can
however, initiate the government of Pharaoh in the
days of Joseph and buy the surplus produce of the
country, and thereby provide for the wants of the
people to some extent. Then, let the cotton and
tobacco be controlled and stored by the government
all over the country. Let all temptation be taken
away from the people to run off these articles by
hook or by crook. Let the world be distinctly told
that these articles cannot be gotten out by STEALTH
through some port here or there which the yam
KEGS may designate. Let the blockade be fairly
ndsquarely raised, or the world go naked.
But ! may be told that the government need.
relief also--needs money to carry on the war.
may be told that the government gets no money b,
6heProposed operation, but is really making itsei
liable for two hundred millions Of dollars when i