The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-06-26
From the Philadelphia press.l
The Confiscation of the Cotton

tina; notorious individual recommended
that the cotton planters should give
their crops to the Government of JET"
! ferson Davis, aud receive in payment
it's bonds, In order that specie might
be obtained for the support Of the
"braye boys in Virginia" This re-
markable plan is now before the peo-
/ pie, and the Secession leaders are en-
deavoring to have it adopted by them.
/ Our necessarily limited adyices from
the South lead us to believe that the
cotton planters are not very eager to
exchange their valuable staple for
worthless paper. Patriotism is an
excellent virtue--the Montgomery
Congress is a wise assembly, and it is
good thing to have q well-behaved
and ganteel Government i; bnt when
it comes to taking the whole OF d
planters cotton crop, it is quite diff
/ ferent affair. It is natural that there
should be murmurs and rebellion; and
we find in occasional newspaper, which
strays fither from some oil the cotton
communities, many evidences Of deep
discomfort. The conspirators do got,
It seems, intend to endure any trifling.
They have an army--that army must
be paid cotton may pay it, and if
cotton is not given, they will take it.
Mr.. BarkeS'lale's Mssissippian, dated
June II, has several articles on this
subject. '.,rhe great planting popua-
/ ton OF the South" it says must come
forward and contribnte-no. we will
not say contribute, but loan theit cot,
/ ton bales J" and then, rs if to impress
upon the minds Of the planters the
necessity of Ioaning' their cotton
bales, we have the following remark
able admission, which shows the des-
perate condition of the traitors fnan-
ces The Government needs fifty
millions Of dollars noW, and the
planters who own the largest share of
the capital of the South, must, and
we doubt not, will provide it."
The arguments which are used to
pursuade the planters into this exhibit
ton of self denial are curious If
we yin this fight, the investment will
prove a good one; il the fight is not
won, their capital will dissolve into
air, and their bright visions of pros
per;ty will turn like Dead Sea fruit to
a: hes on their lips" This a very
pretty piece of rhetoric, although we
cannot exactly see how " bright Wis
ions " can possibly be converted into
"ashes." The reasoning is perfect,
however; nor is it easy to conceive
how the people Of the South can avoid
the conclusions but yet, we grieye
to say there are those among them
who do not "take an enlightened and
patriotic view of the matter" and
still hold on to their haryests. Many
are playing laggard," mourns the
Mississipp5a1l, "and clutcbing their
money-bags with harder grip as the
necessities of the country press upon
them We are surprised to hear of
these things from the South. Accord
ing to their orators and authors, we
have beea led to think that such @
thing as "clatching money bags" was
purely Northern weakness, and that
heretofore among the chivalrous and
heightened people Of that region, there
was NC such spirit of morbid selfish
ness"
The Southern traitors have no trou-
bic in providing remedy" for any
such exhibitions of ayarice. They
have little faith in reason when there
is any fear OF its not proving effective.
A highwayman might stop q traveller
at midnight, and argue the beauties of
charity till morning, without produc-
ing particle Of the effect of the snap
ping Of pistol, and if the travellers
Pulse changed hands, the pistol, and
not the speech would be the Incentive.
This simple expedient the M5ssissip- |
pia,3 suggests as remedy" If no |
consideration Of patriotism or neceS-
sity "will prompt men to do their dn-
ty, it will devolye upon the law max |
ing power to apply a corrective. p
Our experience of the Southern trail
tors lead us to believe that they will
be as good as their word, and that the
minions of JEFF. Davis will have no |
hesitancy in cor fScating every bale of
cotton which the necessities of their
desperate enterprise may lead them to
covet.
This simple fact amply illustrates the
vast disproportion there exists between
the rebels Of the South and the Gov
eminent they seek to destroy On
one side we see an overlooking trea-
sury, united people, great caHse,
and Government deeply seated in
the confidence of the people. On the
other, caaseless rebellion, a disafec-
tod armv drained resources. an empty |