Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-29


occupied in military hu,inrss, and that had
been oue great reason why the supply oi
produce TO jhG market was reduced.
A. NJ. Foutc, Esq, said be entirely objected to
the interference of government with the regular
operations Of trade. He ~fervently hoped the
time had not come, and that il never would
come when in this country the military power
should order the people to buy and sell where
it was pleased TO allow them. Where there
was business and competition there would be
speeulation-it was human and no law could be
made to prevent ii; but the market that was
OMEN TO the Spectator was open to the commits
sary-and he believed that there was not a
planter, who when he knew that q purchase was
made for the army, would not sell at a lower
rate than he would to a Spectator His opinion
vas that the system that had been pursued
struck directly at the rights of the people, and
he would not give a fig for a government Con-
federate OF Federal, that would come to him and
say-you shall buy and sell only as l please.
The whole people pay taxes, and ifa man make
/ q hunUEEu IuOll,dAiQ 0uAlaiAN ~ SPND'
paws taxes on a hundred thousand dollars
Whether the restrictions were removed or not ne
had no doubt the people would get all the food
they wanted; but that was not the point-it
went against the American heart to say, ''yoU
shall sell to me and yolshall not sell elsewhere
The American people had not been accustomed
to be 50 treated, and he hoped they never
would.
A. Hatchett, Esq, mentioned facts to show
that the Columbus blockade had not only aE
fected prices in the Memphis market, but had
raised them elsewhere.
S. NJ. Gates, Esq, said that as soon as it be-
came known that the embargo was in operation
in Memphis, speculation was stimulated prices
rose in Nashville and elsewhere, and the longer
the embargo continued the more speculation
there would be.
Henry G.. Smith, Esq, could not conceive
that President Davis, and other well informed
official gentlemen in Richmond, would for a
moment, after their attention was called to the
matter, give their support 10 orders such as
those which had been issued in Columbus,
The cry of " military necessity" was
a modern phrase, and the proceedings founded
on it were incorrect in principle, illegal in Prac-
tee. and altogether unconstitutional. He had a
horror of any rule other than that of regular law,
and under that law be was sure the counuy's
entire business could be conducted in war as
well as in peace; there was no occasion to usuTP
mowers beyond those ofthe law. In no instance
y -A.- - -.,b ~, o-1.r oe /
that which had recently emsnsted from Column
bus. In the war Of 1912 there was bat one such
proceeding. that was By Gen. jackson, but that
great man never put in practice such measures
as are in action at this moment. He was in favor
of sending some ono TO Richmond to bavethe or
ders issued from Columbus abrogated. In what
he had said he put the consideration Of
eheapness or DEAFNESS out Of the auctions +;
he did not ask OF want TO know what influence
the military prohibition had on prices; his OBJ
lection was to military interference with the
rights Of the citizen. If what Gen. Polk had
undertaken to do could be carried out, then by
the same rule Of proceeding he could order a
man, any one in that meeting, not TO leave his
own house. or to stir from his chair. He doubt
ed not that il in extraordinary circumstances a
military general seized 8 farmers grain and ap-
propriated it to the use of the army the country
would Justify him, but it must be an actual and
an immediate necessity, not a mere desire to get
provisions at lower prices, or to purchase them
in the neighborhood of the camp. Such
q business as General Polk had taken inI
hand was never undertaken before on the
American continent, and no officer of the Eng
lish army would dare the enterprise of putting
such a scheme in operation. 1t was a dangerous
proceeding, and subiugating us TO the same
military rule as thai we consider objectionable
in some other parts Of the country. He wished
the law of the land to govern the military as
well as the civil authorities. In the case of or
dering that cotton should not be brought to the
city, he considered that the law was violated as
much as by the orders at Columbus.
Col Titus said for himself be was not in favor
Of interfering with any mans rights, but he did
not see the patriotism of buying hay at 81 and
selling it at $40. There was much of that sort
of patriotism in Memphis. The Chamber Of
Commerce, the farmers and the newspapers, by
their elamor, made matters worse than they 9TH
erwise would be. The railways being ~necessa-
rily used for military purposes prevented the
order being fairly tested.
DR.. Leitwick said he had just been travelling
on horseback outside the prohibited boundaries
he had wheat and -four out of those boundaries,
and he had conyersed much with those who also
had their produce out of reach Of the operation
Of the order. For them the order was a good
thing; it raised the price of everything they
held. Yet, still, he and they did not like the
order; they objected to any interference with
their privilege to buy and sell whenever they
please; they could not consent to have their
liberty interlercd with, whatever might be the
profit to them.
The preamble and resolutions were again sub
mitted 10 the meeting, and were again adopted,
Col. Titus alone voting against them.
Mr.. Foute then suggested that a committee
should be appointed to wait upon Council re-
specting the construction of a larger platform.
DR.. Merrill stated that that body would do
anything that would further the commerce and
prosperity Of the city.
On motion, Messrs. Titus, Foute, Gates, STRAIT
ton and Patrick were appointed the committee,
aud the meeting adjourned.