Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-11-13
Spectators Combining.

ar 'sa desolating scourge under any circum- !
stances, but it is made doubly so, when we have to
contend, with enemies both in front and in the (
rear,-enemies without and enemies within. There
are many ways to give laid and comfort" to the
enemy besides speaking in derogatory terms Of the
Southern Confederacy. as we have heard Of some
doing,-besides discouraging and hampering all
proper measures to carry on the wal, besides act
ing as spies for the enemy or desgnedy in any way
aiding and abetting him. Whoever contributes in
any way to impoverish the masses of our people
TO weaken and hamper them in obtaining veli-
hood-to grind the poor and needy, or whoever aids
or abes by extortion speculation or fraud upon the
government, to cripple its finances at time like
this, is an enemy to the South and friend to Lin
coin. These are plain words. 1t grieves us to be
forced to believe that there are to be found men IN
every county in the South who are doing this yery
thing. The press and the public are crying out
onoly against it. and yet these unreasonable skim
Hints glory in their shame, or glory in the thou
sands of dollars they are making, to the injury and
oppression OF the people and the government If
such conduct were to be practiced at the North,
mobs would soon take matters into their own hands,
and their retribution would be terrible But we re-
)olce that we live in a land where, in the main at
least the laws are respected. We deprecate and
condemn any resort to brute force to cure an evil
even OF such magnitude. The remedy is always
worse than the disease. Yet it is plain from the
temper manifested by the people at the extortion
which is now carried on by the spectators in arti
cles OF prime necessity, that the tether has been
stretched to kicking point They had better relax
their hold before the crash comes
Salt bacon, sugar, coffee, &c, are articles which
the people must have Clothing they cannot do
without; yet it is plain that there is systematic
scheme of public plumber going on in the country
by sharp Spectators in regard to all necessary ar
tlcles OF food except corn and wheat, and every
| species of cotton and woollen goods. Who they
are we Go not know, but the centre OF this ruinous
| scheme is at Richmond, Va, we believe, from
whence it is carried out into almost every neighbour
! hood of the South. Something must be done quick.
| ly to arrest it. Our Conventions and Legislatures
must bring the strong arm of the law in some form
to bear upon this iniquitous and ruinous scheme.
The parties engaged in it, have done and arc doing
nothing to promote the success of the arms of the
South but are crippling every effort the masses
! making to drive out the Yankees.
Salt is an article which in few weeks must be
greatly in demand. The packing season for pork
and oeef is at hand The supply of these articles is
small enough in all conscience, but if the people
cannot get salt at living price, these articles must
become alarmngly scarce. And yet this article
to have gotten entirely into the hands of
III 81. ~.
they have given it simultaneous lift throughout
the country.
The Raleigh Register of last week says:
"Some days since salt sold in this place at 81
per sack. One individual, hear, bought it all,
and held it at $40 per sack until he sold at that
price to another person, who, We learn holds it at
$l5 per sack"
The Petersburg Express of the Sth inst says:
1--WE understand that this article has reached the
price of fifteen dollars per sack in this city This
| is gloomy announcement and exceedingly re-
greet that we have occasion to make it. but there is
no use in conceang the fact
The Lynchburg Tirgiaian says:
"We have good reason to believe that there is
.some concert amongst SPECTATORS in salt A great
deal of this article is stored in this city and in Rich
mOnd. a few days ago it was selling for ten dollars
a sack later it went up to twelve fifty; yesterday
fifteen asked, and one House, that had large
amount in store, was notified from Richmond not to
sell any at present-the parties predicting that
it will be twenty dollars before the end of the week
Now, what is to be the effect of this salt panic! II
present prices are maintained-to say nothing of a
higher tendency-there must be a great waste Of
provisions for lack of salt Or, if the farmers Can
pay such prices for this article the cost of salt pro-
visions of every kind will be greatly augmented"
What better evidence can be required than the
above furnishes that the spectators have combined
to enrich themselves, at the risk of running the peo
pie and destroying Southern independence?
Expedition to Hatteras.