Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-10-21

The Supply of Salt.

The Legislature Of Virginia, at its recent session,
passed an act to prohibit in q certain contingency
the expectation of salt from that State, and Gov
Le.cher has published regulations on the su3jecsln
accordance with the act Among other regulations
! asto the salt manufactured in Smythe and Wash
ington, is the following: a,,fs.'
"If the supply of salt manufactured be not
enough to furnish the people of this Commonwealth
with sufficient quantity OF salt for home consump-
ton then as soon as such fact shall appear to the
! Governor, he will exercise the authority vested in
/ him, and disregard any contract made with the
separate States ofthe Confederate States until the
State Of Virginia is supplied"
Many of the people of this State have been OBJ
tanning supplies Of salt from the Virginia works;
and, under contract made by Gov. Clark with the
proprietors Of the works, the agent of this State
has been engaged for several weeks past in manu-
featuring salt at the rate Of about five hundred
bushels per day. Our people have. looked forward
to this supply with the deepest interest the great
e portion of seacoast is in the possession of the
enemy, and we can make but little there and as
our people and their stock must suffer unless we
can draw a considerable supply from Virginia. We
not advised that Gov. Letcher has actually pro-
hibited the expectation Of salt to this State but the
indications that he may do so, and that he may
even go so far as to break the contract made by
this State with the propretors of the Virginia salt
works. r..-
The Legislature of Virginia and Gov. Letcher are
in error in placing the article of salt on level with
corn, wheat feur, leather, and the like. These
articles are produced everywhere, and are general
in their character but salt is special blessing be-
slowed by Providence particular localities for
the general benefit of man and beast. 1t is an ar
ticle which is indispensable to animal life and
without it animal life would cease, no matter how
large might be the supply of meat and bread The
supply of salt which Gov. Letcher may consider
Sufficient" for the people of Virginia may be
abundant or meagre. He may retain large guam
tty for his own people, or he may retain small
or barely Sufficient" quantity and spare some
for the other States. He can do as he pleases. We
give him blood, but he may refuse us salt With
out salt our people must suffer, and some of them
may starve If Virginia is not disposed to share
this vital article in common with her sisters-if she
is not willing topermit our people to enjoy por-
ton of what Providence has bestowed upon her,
but insists monopolizng all of it for herself and
even threatens to nullify contracts which States
have made with her citizens, she may as we'll $50
late herself in all other respects and her
sovereignty and separate existence. 1t is natural
and proper that Gov. Letcher should first provide
for his own State He would have rendered him
self amenable to censure if he had done otherwise;
but even this cannot justify his State in multiplying
| contracts, or in adopting course which, while it
abundantly supplies his own people with this indis-
pensable article, deprives the people of her sister
coterminous States of all participation in benefit
| intended by Providence to be as generally difused
as possible.