Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-03-06
The President and tIsc Eussrumeutalitie e
OF War---EHosy he has Failed 90 be Equa
the 4 ria6r.

The President and tIsc FusgruIaeutaIiiies
OF War---EAosV he has Failed 20 be Eguai
10 thc Crisir.
From the Charleston Nercuryl
In the abstract of tine Presidents message TO
Congress given IN our columns Yesterday, we
find the following:
" At the formation Of the government we
were, to great extent destitute Of means for
the prosecution Of the war on so gigantic a
scale as that which it has attained. Workshops
and artisans are mainly found in the North, and
one of the first objects of the war was the es-
tablishmeut of necessary manufactures; and
meantime 20 purchase in Europe as far praCtl-
cable, whatever was required for the public de-
feuse. I'm April last, active military operations
IN Europe iuteposed many obstacles in the way
Of the p procuremeIt Of arms"
Here the President asserts, lst: That " one
OF the first objects of the war was the estab-
lishment Of necessary manufactures 5" and % /;
That in the meantime it was our policy " TO
purchase iu Europe, as far as practicable, what
ever was required for our defense"
We have obtained Information from a good
source, and propose to show somewhat how the
President has done, OF failed TO do on the above
points.
1. First: as to the establishment of necessary
manufactures of arms and munitions of war:
J. The Provisional Congress, at It's last ses-
sion, passed bin granting bOuuties to the setting
up and establishing manufactures Of arms, salt
peter and gUnpowder. a certain advance of
money was TO be made to the manufacture of
these articles when he had lvanced a certain
stage in putting up the factories, which was to
be returned IN the articles manufactured. The
President vetoed the bill, and it failed
2 The Harpsrs Ferry machinery, for the
manufacture of arms, was turned over by Nir-
giuia 20 the Confederate States, when Virginia
seeded from the Union. 1t was sent TO be put
into operation TO Fayetteville, North Caroliua q
month ago, not gun had been furnished to the
army. II had not yet got into operation.
3. Three manufactures OF arms were IN Ten
nessee Their prOpreto-s sought to make con-
tracts for the manufacture of arms, with the
CUHtedeTate government Not being able TO
succeed one or more Of them came 10 Rich
mond during the sitting of the late Congress
70 interest the members of Congress from Ten
uessee in their behalf The War Office declined
70 make contracts for the purchase of the AIMS
uauutac.lTsd by these factories, on the ground
that it had no money. On inquiry being made
into the cause why there was no money, it
turned out that the Treasury Department could
not have treasury notes signed fast enough.
Five and ten dollar treasury notes were az a
premium of three and four per cent at New Or
leans for cuTsncy. The contractors and credi-
tors. of course. demanded these notes. instead of
fifty and one hundred dollar notes and the treas
urv was most labor0usly trying TO meet their
demands although bound by no contract 90 do
SO. Hence the government could not meet It's
engagements, Or contracrto buy these arms. The
treasury was twelve millions in arrears TO the
War Department.
H. On the next point in the Presidents mes
sage, .'ths purchase of arms and munitions of
all %.
q few facts obtained
j. When the first Congress of the Confederate
States met at Montgomery, it was clear 20 every
one that war was not an improbable event. Pru-
deuce requires preparation. By the Constitution
Congress could make no appropriation of money,
but at the call of the Executive. Ii was urged
on ths government % call for several millions of
money, and 20 send it to Europe Immediately to
buy arms and munitions of war. The govern
meut would call for only money enough to puT-
chase some fifteen thousand small arms and
when the second Congress assembled, and war
was declared no agent had get gone to Europe to
purchase even these arms
, Private enterprise has imported a consid-
cradle quantity Of arms and munitions Of war :;
but what has the Confederate government dOnel
The only effort tnst we are aware of, to get
arms from Europe, is tust Of the Gladiator,
which Is now in Nassau The zfl.s lately
brought by tb|Fict0ris into New Orleans ere
sal to be part OF her cargo Even after war
was certain, there was ample time to have i'm
ported a large quantity of arms before The block
ado was established and since the blockade
was established, the successful efforts Of citizens
show that the government might have imported
large quantities of arms and munitions OF var.
g. So necessary were it for us TO haze al abun-
dance Of arms that several of our naval officers
proposed 10 the naval committee to put under
their control one uilli5l of dollars and that they
would go 90 Europe with lJ-huy an iron-clad
steamship, convert her INTO war vessel, fiji her
with arms and munitions ot war, and if neces-
sary 6ght their way across the Atlantic INTO a
ConssGeIsta port. Congress favored the gallant
proposal. ana passed bill to carry it into effect
The President pocketed *, and it failed.