Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-10-17
SUBSTANCE OF THE REMARKS OF MIR. HOPKINS,

liuNc hUCll GlHtI DuNuts'S tp uU, ilc " "oo'" &c
brief. Without preface OF Spoogy, therefore,
he would proceed directly 10 his subject. Is
extortinn d crime: Ii is at war with the
Bible-it Is at war With the spirit and pre-
cepts Of the Christian rrlisl'u-t II at war
with the moral scnsca, aud the conaclenceS of
just ard eniighlrn2d men. throughout the
world-it is ~ war with patriotism, with
Justice, with reason aud morality. ttis moth
ing more or lrss than the unhrided lust Of
ararice, extracting lis unhnly qualification:
| from the necessities, the drtrcsscs, and, If
need be, the ruin Of others. Surely, then,
| W hen this evil passion becomes So absorbing
and overpowering, rs to spnrn all the re-
straints Of religion, morality, patriotism and
| right reason, It is 4 crime that needs the
Strong hit and curb nf the la9 To check it
| Does it eXist AMONG lri Unfortunately hs
presence and its progress are as manifest ns
vile comet, that braulishes ITS cAlystal trsSSeS
| in the aAles.'' 1t is the shhorred subject Of
rebuke ut every tre'ride, whrlc unanphlsti-
] Gated, angelic woman talks. H. !? denounced
fr0m the hnstiugs and the pulpit-in legisIa-
tive halls and i'll relLiuns conferences, aisr:l-
ations, synnIs and .sSemhlics--in Court
greens aId III cIuicl.- y arus-and nn Mhcrc
more nnict9*uHq and bitterly than in that
gallant and victorious nlmy OF 6His, eyer
which. ii it proceeds, !, must nitnalhi;
spread he sable pail If famine and death
Can IL be arrested IL has always tctn
the boast of Bitis.t lawyers and statesmen
that there il 10 wrorg within their rIoin,,
private or public, without all adequate reissedy.
| Are We unlike them. iHIttd IT, Ultre!.S and
endure great and CALLING vice, that not only
threatens To sap the very foundations ol pub
| lie virtue and prralr morals, and to cnguph
our State aud cur iuamt rrpuhl,1 in the vor-
tex Of universal bankruptcy. hut I" carry i'll
tolerahle ii:lru::S ulni firrr,r into ''lr nr"Y,
on whose valnr et.-nd right, h',r liberty
our property anu nnr ltcs: iie did not, he
would not, he could not telisve il. He snid
mems Opinions were mare generally the crsa-
lures Of circumstances than OF reason. and
far Ufiener n. r.hcx Of inclinHtinn than Of
| Judgment Even um this suhi.ct, It Is 10 the
| observant u,.ltc lna;ii, >, that men S opinions
are insensibly shaped according TO The various
stand-ponLs from ~h;Gu they view It, Tho
pauper in tie pnor -hurls,, Is probably Qmto
Indifferent whether cXtorti2n prevails or no.
In any event he obtains h's subsistence iroE
public charity, and t."lhS but little Of the
morrow " wants, or the measure oi III" bounty
on which he il to feed. The nan who makes
more TO sell than to bny, Is tnr lcIIing the rx-
tortioner alone. In his Judgment dtntaId and
supply are the pnnarca al "tl orr iliS-"tef
trade atone :" at rN Regulate dSrtf-and
while he hescan,3 so earnestly on tl" subject
he seems to think, thaL thSse he addresses
have altoreIh-r f,ile.i IL perceive that self-
interest lis 1t The bottom OF his ths'"y- Then
look to the Ran of large rossessions-the lord
of little territory OF '6osa'y ucrcs''-a ne
views his fertile ticidn arl waving crops, and
stands secure against lii: Teach oi future
wants. The immortal Shakespeare probably
furnishes tho picture OF his agreeable cGl.Ien-
platlons:--
! "Of Parti.'s 9 increase. ,':d lam plcoty,
Rarns sud "a .ners never ehpti
Tinss win clus' erng bupchrs srGwng,
And tl,n;a with goodly turjr bogias.
He. too, is for letting trade regulate its.if.--
But he who bugs about rs much as he sells,
and who represents, in this illustration, per-
haps three-nrlnS Of our people, takes a more
impartial and philosophical view Of the sub
iect. He remembers that his infant country
is contending against a powerful enemy for
our independence and lihsrtie:i--that that en-
envy has blncksdsd MI our ports, and excluded
US from interconr3. and commerce with the
other uatiapS 0t tn. wurld--th that ta armies
swarm over uir LAM, aud its naval fleets how
er aronnd our scacuGSts-that we are in the
midst Of The c0nvusire thrOcs rf a mighty rev.
olution, and have a fair, Il glorious prospect
of ultimate lriImph, il the insatiatr cXtor-
TONERS will only ahate their greedy a1arice
for w hile, and enable ia tO feed and clCthe
our brave defenders, az in such cause, aud
such war, they ought TO be. els cnntrnll-
ed by considerations Of morality and patriot
isul, and, Of course. against extortion, in every
form and guiSe lie left out of view that 9TH
vr large class who buY more than they sell,
because their condemnation OF eytortiou
might also be ascriped to motives Of interest.
Nor did he mean by these clslsticutionS to
imply That all rnen base their opiuious upon
self-interest The history OF the world dis
plays too many bright and glorious examples
of patriotism and self-sacritice, not to make
him acknowledge their merits and admire
their greatness. He trusted the spirits OF
such noble blood, Of patriotic devotion, might
vet linger in the hearts Of our people, and
rouse them all, while the war lasts. to full
adoption Of the maxim, scerythtag for Me
cause e-nothing for self" He then proceeded
to explain the bill. BY the first section a
maximum oil 100 per cent. on the prices In the
different counties, cities and towns for each
article OF commodity grown in this State as OF
the lst day OF May, 1861, is prescribed. And to
encourage nanufactures,to supply the wants OF
our people and our army, the same section
provides that on all art'clea Of prime neceHsl-
ty, manufactured in Virginia, Of materials
wholly grnwn or made therein, a maximum
| ofl50 per cent. on the Sam: pricss OF the
same period NAV ne charged. And the prices
of all these various articles OF prime ne
cessitv in the different localities Of the SLate
on the lst day OF May, 1861. are to DO as
certained by thu ccnnIy and lustiDgs courts,
and with the 100 per cent. added are to be
posted at their respective courthouse doors
for public inspection. The producer to have
the markets Of all the State to sell where the
price il the gva1tsat, or wheresoever he
Dleasrs to sell within the State. 1t was mani
lest, he sai thai no price or clax!,Gnm could
be prescribed on imported goods, for the
reason that If they sold in other StGtes ut a
price beyond our maximum. they would
never come here. Sugar and cotice, FOR instance,
might thus he excluded from our markels.-
S.,, hy the Second sfciinn. Importers are only
limited in their. profits upou the actual costs
of their rnuhs to 80 per cent. on wholesale,
or 50 per cent on retail silea. And on every
Other aae of the same goods ly those who
have purchased them from the importer, or
others into W hose hands thev have passed, q
Limitation to 30 per cent is prescribed. ana
as it nigrt happen That he materials, lnl-
ported from abroad for nnr manufactures IN
tni; Siats rosl more than the per cent, al
ln:snd by tic tir,t section, that contingency IL
| i.l l.f f;r Keen