Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-12-27
THE COTTON PLANTERS AssOCIA-

MEMPHIS, December %, 1861.
EDITORS APPEAL; Arriving at home on Sat
urday quite i'll from a violent attack of cold,
to-day, for the first ime, read a communication
to you from my colleague, b. NJ Estes, indorsel
by eight Representatives from West Tennessee
myself among the number, explanatory Of th,
bill Incorporating the Cotton Planters Assooia
ton. 1t may seem singular that / would sigr
such a document without reading it, yet it was
presented to me by Hal, of Haywood, when
was very busy in the House. l saw it was il
Mr.. Estes handwriting, and he remarked 1t was
simply explanatory of the objects of the assecia
ton, and having no objection to explanation, ]
signed it. Upon a reading of the document, ]
find the opinions of bank presidents and the
recommendations of bank committees are used
as arguments to enforce the idea of the practical
workings of the association. To these opinions
l cannot subscribe.
1t may not be embarrassing to speak of the
early history of this bill. At the time the cleo
toral college convened at Nashville, a distin-
guished citizen of Fayette mentioned the subject
to me. After discussing it for some time, / pro-
nOunced it an impracticability. Subsequently,
| was invited to attend a committee of members
from the west on the subject. An intelligent
cotton planter from Madison, who, as l under
stand, is the author Of the pr0l6ct, was present
on that occasion. An attempt was made TO frame
a bill in accordance with his views. We got
along pretty well with the details, until we
reached the point Of getting the notes of the as
sociation in sHch a shape as to insure their circu-
lation. / was asked for my views. Thought
twelve months post notes, bearing s per cent.
49,, ~.~hA h, E,r.aa int, mao N - . Iaryy nsr
c~ulation. This idea was at once rejected as de-
feating the very objects of the author Of the plan,
bis purpose being TO consolidate his liabilities
and avoid the interest. With these views, l,
with others, Mr.. Estes among the number if /
recollect, pronounced the whole scheme an i'm
practicability. The meeting broke up, and l
supposed the scheme abandoned until the intro
duetion of the bin in the House by Mr.. Estes.
Even with my views of its impracticability,
if the bill could be so guarded as to do no harm,
for the sake of affording the semblance of relief
to the cotton planters, who, in my judgment,
need relief more than any other class in the
Southern Confederacy, | was willing the bill
should pass, and the experiment be made, trusting
my Judgment might be at fault as to the practical
workings or, at least, if no good resulted, no
harm could come of it. One feature in the bill
l objected TO, and intend to offer an amendment,
/ e, requiring q man to be worth fifty thousand
dollars before he could be eligible as a director.
One other amendment is, not to interfere in any
way between the cotton planter and commission
merchant, leaving the association to take the or
binary risk on the competency and integrity of
the merchants.
The truth is, no part of the State of Tennessee,
except the cotton counties, need any relief from
taxation, executions, or debts of any kind. In
East Tennessee, the Confederate States govern
ment has paid out for beef, hogs, hay, corn,
wagons, and ether army supplies, over $4,000,
coo. This / know to be rather under than over
the true amount. In Middle, and the northern
tier of counties in West Tennessee, not less than
$6,000,0G0 moreover SI0,000,O00 now in the
pockets of the people. They cannot send it
away; there is an embargo on it. There never
was half the amount of money in circulation in
II nnessee at any previous pc. iOd in her history.
But | am answered that | am the Representative
of a cotton county. This is true, and | confess
to more than ordinary sympathy for my constit-
uency, who have wealth piled away in cotton
bags utterly useless yet my judgment must
override my sympSthles, and the judgment and
patriotism of the cotton planters will sustain my
course when they understand my objects and the
reasons that influence my action. The truth is,
our government must be sustained. at every
hazard and to the last extremity. We are in a
great war for existence. It is a struggle for life
and that Representative who would, for popular
favor, pursue a policy that would tend to hazard
the issue of the contest, would be unworthy of
his position.
Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,
JOHN ART