Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-03-05
The Charleston Mercury ON the War.


says: a.. e.f-'-
"For the want of judgment in the conduct Of the
war, and of foresight and energy in preparation on
the part of our government and because our people
have not been put in the field in sufficient numbers
we have accomplished little, and now outnum-
bered and inferior in equipments wherever we have
met the enemy. Arms, equipments and munitions
might easily have been plentiful at the South to-
day, with proper and timely efforts. We might
have had numbers of gunboats and cannon. We
might have had Navy afoat, by purchase, suffl-
cent to destroy Northern shipping and cripple
Northern commerce. Twenty Sumters could have
done it. We might readily have had GOO, 600 men
in the field. The outlay of money in these ways
would have saved the country hundreds Of millions
Of property and great cost of life "A stitch in
time saves nine," is a homely adage Its principle
applies to great affairs no less than small. 100
late" is the dread sentence of myriads of souls.
Leaning on the Central Government of the Confed-
crate States, we have found it lamentably short
sighted, and feeble and unequal to the task Of d.
recting skllfully affairs. great people, with
a great and righteous cause, supported in unexam-
pied unanimity and spirit having trusted and wait
ed and suffered by their rulers until danger OF ruin
stareS them in the face must rouse from their va
carries and look to themselves and to other instru-
mentalities to attain success and security.
In another article OF the same date the Mercury
refers to the following passage in the Presidents
message: ~
AT the formation of the government we were,
to great extent destitute of means for the prose-
cution of the 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 the establishment of neceS-
sary manufactures; and meantime to purchase IN
Europe, as far practicable, whatever was required
for the public defence. In April last, active mill
tary operations in Europe nterposed many obstacles
in the Way of the procurement of arms"
The Mercury comments on the above as follows:
/" Here the President asserts LIST That 4" one Of
the first objects of the was the establishment
of necessary manufactures )" and ID: That in the
meantime it policy 4" to purchase in Europe,
far as practicable, whatever required for the
public defence"
We have obtained information from good source,
and propose to show somewhat how the President
has done, or failed to do, on the above points; and,
first, to the establishment of necessary manufac
tories of arms and munitions of war:
l. The Provisional Congress, at its last session,
passed bill granting bounties to the setting up and
establishing of manufactures of arms saltpetre and
gunpowder. certain advance Of money was to be
made to the manufacturer of these articles when he
had advanced a certain stage in putting up the fac
tories which to be returned in the articles
manufactured. The President vetoed the bill, and
it failed
q The Harper's Ferry machinery, for the manu-
facture of arms, was turned over by Virginia to the
Confederate States when Virginia seeded from the
Union 1t was sent to be put into operation to
| Fayetteville North Carolina month ago, and not
| gun had yet been furnished to the army. 1t had
/ not yet got into operation.
3. Three manufactures of arms were in Tennes-
see. Their propretors sought to make contracts for
| the manufacture of arms with the Confederate Gov
eminent. Not being able to succeed one or more
ofthem came to Richmond during the sitting of the
late Congress- to interest the members of Congress
! from Tennessee IN their behalf The War Office
declined to make contracts for the purchase OF the
arms manufactured by these factories on the ground
that it had no money. On enquiry being made into
| the cause why there was no money, 1t turned out
that the Treasury Department could not have Trea-
sury Notes signed fast enough. Five and ten dollar
| Treasury Notes were at premium of three and
four per cent, at New Orleans, for currency. The
contractors and creditors course demanded these
notes instead of fifty one hundred dollar notes,
and the Treasury was most laboriously trying to
meet their demands although bound by no contract
| to do so. Hence the Government could not meet
| its engagements or contract to buy these arms
| The Treasury twelve millions in arrears to the
| War Department
H. On the next point in the Presidents Message,
"the purchase OF arms and munitions Of war in
Europe" VIC propose, also, to submit few facts OBJ
| tanned: r
l. When the first Congress of the Confederate
States met at Montgomery, 1t clear to every one
required preparation. BY the Constitution .ngress
could make no appropriation of money, but at the
call of the Executive. It was urged on the Govern
ment to call for several millions of money, and to
send it to Europe Immediately to buy arms and
munitions of war. The Government would call for
r. only money enough to purchase some fifteen thou
sand small arms; and when the second Congress
assembled and war was declared, agent had ye,
gone to Europeto purchase even these arms.
2. Private enterprise has imported considerable
quantity of arms and munitions of war; but what
has the Confederate Government done? The only
effort that we are aware of to get arms from En-
rope, is that Of the Gladiator, which is now IN
Nassau. The arms lately brought by the Victoria
into New Orleans said to be part OF her cargo
Even after certain, there was ample tune
to have imported large quantity of arms, before
the blockade was established; ana since the block
ade establish, the successful efforts Of private
citizens show that the Government might have i'm
ported large quantities of arms and munitions o.
war.
g. So necessary was it for us to have an abundance
of arms that several of naval officers proposed
to the Naval Committee to put under their contro
one million of dollars, and that they would go tc
Europe with it-buy an iron. clad steamship, con
vert her into war vessel, fill her with arms ant
munitions of war; and if necessary, fight their way
across the Atlantic into Confederate port. Con
gress favored the gallant proposal, and passed the
bill to carry it into effect The President pocketed
| it, ana it failed
We will mention one other fact amongst many
others, going to show the military energy of tht
President. new swift steamer lay at Wilmington
| North CarOLa. e-haif Of it belonged to North
ern citizens Certain citizens Of Wilmington desr
cd to convert this steamer into privateer and il
order that good titles might be got for this purpose
they petitioned Congress to havs the steamer sold
and the half of the proceeds of the sale belonging t.
the Yankees should be paid into the Confederate
Treasury. Congress promptly passed bill to &C
complish this object But the President pocketeC
it. and the bill failed.
We have no doubt that the above statement o
facts will be exceedingly dsagreebe to some of oul
readers but it is useless to attempt to conceal oul
true condition ana resources from ourselves The
only way to success in any enterprise, is to under
stand the true character of our agencies and re