Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-06-27
The War Il question of Resources.

The South has boasted of its riches
long enough: now We will test their ex-
tent and value. War is a trial of mo-
mentary and material resources as much
as of valor in arms. IF the south can
get no bacon, nor -four, nor corn, it
cannot long maintain fifty thousand men
in the field. If it has no leather, its
troopers must use very inferior trappings
for their steeds. If it has no cloth. the
soldiers will be put to desperate shifts to
clothe themselves. The nero want of
paper has caused the death of twenty
secession Journals already; and as paper
cannot be manufactured without superior
machinery. which the confederacy can
not make, the ultimate consequence will
be that sensation talschoods must be YER
bal in the confederate States. If there
are no chemicals. also, the Illuminating
powder required for their pyrotechny in
arms will soon run short. Indeed, it is
said that already there are desperate de-
liciencics on hundred of these painful
ly practical points; and that the bacon
question alone presses heavily on the
supreme authorities as well as on the
men in detail.
The truth is that the south has for a
long time chosen to lean upon others for
nearly every Jthing except the two or three
staples with which the public eye has
been filled Every northern man culti-
Yates whole circle of resources, and
draws his supplies through a dozen
channels; while at the south every man
prdes himself on his special devotion to
cotton. or to sugar. Enormous quanti-
ties of supplies of other necessaries go
southwark in the Mississippi valley an
nually, supplies which form the bread
and meat Of entire cities and entire
States. These supplies do not fom
their nature accumulate in permanent
stocks, and when the road is closed for
even month, the planting States and
cities are as suddenly in distress as we
should be in Philadelphia if the market
supplies of the Neck and the adjacent
counties were to be cut off. The entire
provision supply of points within reach
of the rivers and railroads commuLica-
ting with the States OH the Ohio and
northward is as regularly drawn from
the north as are our vegetables and local
market supplies from our near vicinity.
The closing of the Mississippi leaves the
Cincinnati merchant with more pork
and bacon than he needs, but his south
ern customer is absolutely starving. The
one may sulIenly sit by his over-stuffed
lrrders, and gorge himself with provis-
ions in revenge for being short of money;
but the other has neither money nor
provisions. Money comes to the south
only as cotton goes out, and the door
being closed to the exit of this staple,
the power of the belligerent in that re-
gion is sadly restricted when tried for
any considerable time on his own re-
sources.
The haste with which it is desirable
on many grounds to prosecute the recov-
cry of the Union may, for overruling
reasons of humanity, be made second i'll
importance. The war should not be
protracted; but if to wait one or two
months longer before going to Memphis
or to Charleston will enable us to 90 as
bearers of provisions as well as peace to
suffering people, we shall get more
thanks than we should get now. The
people of the south are generally in a
frenzy of mistaken zeal, from which
hunger will be almost the very best a
gcncy to rescue them. When the hotIl-
la descending the Mississippi shall be
known to bring with it twenty boats la
den with bacon and -four in the rear of
the first twenty armed with riaed can
non, it will be far easier to take the bat
terios OF the river side. ID New Or
leans the market reports now give prices
more than twice as great for provision
staples as those prevailing before the
bombardmcnt of Fort Sumter, and in
another month these prices may double
again.
On all sides the south is cut of from
its customary supplies as no nation ever
going to war before was cut off. In the
very nature of the case there can be no
relief from within, and whether relief
comes from without is a question depen-
ding on the decision of Gen. Scott more
than any other man. We refer the pco.
pie of the distressed States to him fol
relief.-Philadelphia North american.