Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-11-13
specnIators combining.

u
War is desolating scourge under any circuui-
stances, but it is made doubly so, when we have to
contend with enemies both in front and in the
rear,-enenies without and enemies Wit1in. There
are many ways to give laid and comfort y. to the
enemy besides speaking in derogatory terms of the
Southern Confederacy, as we have heard of some
doing-besides discouragng and hampering all
proper measures to carry on the war,-besides act
ing as spies for the enemy designedly in any way
aiding and abettng him. Whoever contributes in
any way to impoverish the masses of our people
to weaken and hamper them in obtaining livel-
hood-to grind the poor and needy, or whoever aids
or aeets by extorton, 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 to be found men In
every county in the South, who doing this very
thing. The press and the public are crying out
loudly against it. and yet these unreasonable skin
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,
$500
joice that we live in land where, in the main at
least, the laws are respected We deprecate and
condemn any resort to brute force to cure 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
Giles 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
ticles of food, except corn and wheat and every
species of cotton and wooen goods. Who they
we do not know, but the centre OF this ruinous
scheme is at Richmond, Va, we believe from
whence it is carried into almost every neighbor-
hood of the South. Something must lie 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 Ubiquitous and runouS scheme.
The parties engaged in it, have done and are doing
nothing to promote the success of the arms of the
South, but are crippling every effort the masses
making 10 drive out the Yankees.
Salt is 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 alarmingly scarce. And yet this article
seems now to have gotten entirely into the hands of
the spectators, and the evidence is positive that
they have given it simultaneous LIT throughout
the country.
The Raleigh Register of last week says:
"Some days since salt sold in this place at 81
per sack. One individual, we 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
SIS 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 we exceedingly
greet tina: We have occasion TO make it. but there is
no use in corcealing the fact"
The Lynchburg Tirginian says
1--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. few days agoit was selling for ten dollars
sack later it went up to twelve fifty; yesterday
fifteen asked, and House, that had large
amount in store, notified from Richmond not to
sell any at preSent-the same 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? If
present prices maintained-to say nothing of
higher tendency-there must be a great waste of
provisions for lack of salt Or, if the farmers
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