Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-08
Production and Consumption, North
and south.

The sudden change from peace to war can not
fail to take considerable number of men from
the productive classes, and place them among the
consumers so long as hostities shall continue
The effect of war, in country like ours, where
the standing army is small, and soldiers drawn
from the classes usually employed in peaceful
avocations is to diminish production, and increase
the consumption of the necessaries of life
Whether this will go to the extent of causing any
considerable advance in the price of provisions.
must depend upon several causes not yet fully
developed; not the least important of which will
be the duration of war. A prolonged struggle,
which should make repeated and continued drains
upon the productive labor of the country would
in the end result in a material diminution of the
crops upon which we must rely, for feeding the
millions in this country and Europe dependent
upon us for their supplies.
The first call to arms will not draw very large
y upon the agricultural laborers of either
ton of the country. Not that the farmers are
less patriotic or less ready to serve their country
when their services are required, but there is
very large floating population in the cities and
large towns, more exctabe, more accessible, and
at the present time more generally unemploy d.
ready to rush to arms and fill up the present re-
QUESTIONS. Patriotism with many of these men
is the controlling principle, and they 90 to the
service of their country from a sense of duty
done. But there is large element, especially in
the regiments recruited in the pOpulous cities,
with whom food and clothing is at the present
moment question of the first Importance, and
who will be better provided for with the pay of n
private in the army and found, than in any other
employment now open to them. The enlistment
of such soldiers will not detract much from the
productive wealth of the country, but will in
crease the consumption to the extent that they
are better fed by the Government than while
boarding themselves"
In the Southern States, where the agricultural
labor is performed chiefly by slaves the diversion
will be still less apparent; and the productive
branches will be but slightly interfered with A
considerable change must undoubtedly be made
in the character of their crops, since, with eli
mate and soil adapted, in many of the States, to
the production of grain and meats, those branch
es of farming have been neglected for the more
tempting cotton crop, which always finds a ready
market. The necessities of their present condi-
ton will compel the Southern planters. during the
war, to bend their energies to the raising of sup
plies for their own people. Probably they are
acting upon this plan the present season; for the
preparations for the war have been far more gen
eral there than here, and the existing troubles
more completely anticipated Accounts received
from the Southern States during the early spring
their planting season-warrant the beliefthat they
have planted less cotton and vastly more corn
than usual
The idea so frequently expressed at the North.
that the South will be starved into submissions is
based upon very superficial acquaintance with
their productive resources. Virginia Tennessee,
Kentucky, Texas, with parts of Georgia, Ala
bama Louisiana, the Carolinss and Florida, are
well adapted to corn and wheat especially the
former. while Kentucky and Texas have only 10
turn their droves of excellent beef cattle and
sheep toward the South Atlantic States, to feed
all that region with the meats now consumed in
New York, New England and in European coun-
tries. Rice, too, and sugar, both largely produced
in the Confederate States, are useful articles of
foOd-so that, taking into the account all their
crops, we see lao reason whatever for supposing
there will be a famine in the South, even should
the war be long protracted.
In the North our supplies of food are unlim-
tied; and even upon the supposition that the war
shall be as long that of the Revolution, no
scarcity possibly exist, without failure OF
the earth to produce its accustomed yield.
long war will in some measure withdraw laborers
from the field. but on the other hand. the pros
poets of reyusiOn in nearly every other branch
Of business, will divert many to the productive
interest. while the general introduction of ma
chinery enables the farmer to perform, with a
few laborers, what under the old system required
/ twice many. Should the struggle be long con
tnued and disastrous in the loss OF life by sick
ness and battle, and the large cities become
drained of their surplus population. heavy draft
upon the farmers may be made to fill the ranks
OF the army; and in such event, there is a posi-
bility that our supplies of food may become in
adequate. But for the present we look not only
for abundance for home consumption, but a gen.
erous surplus to send abroad, if the foreign de-
mand shall continue.
Those who are filed with sympathy or appre-
| henson for the South, lest their people shall
starve for want of our breadstuffs will do well to
/ look little into the statistics of trade between
the two sections. They viii thus perhaps dis
cover that in ordinary seasons (the last was nm
exceptions, ON account of the drought in the
South-west) take as much food from the
South as they purchase from us. If we supply
them with some of their articles of necessity we
take from them large quantities of -four and
wheat. of beef, rice, sugar, &c, to say nothing oil
the many Injuries in the way Of sweet potatoes
peas, strawberries and other articles, which tbs
palates of epcures even miss from that
region of country. We may as well make uT
our minds to wait for these articles this year un
I I'll they mature on Northern soil