Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-15

| zen, Wilmot, Wilson, OF Msssachusetts-29.
EArs-Messrs B.y.rd, Garlic Davis Henderson,
KsnIsdy, Lith,m, McDougall. Hssuitb, Powell, Ssus'
bury, Stark, Wiley, Wilson, Of Missouri, Wnght-l+.
There attenp: to applaud in the galleries, but
II was followed with hsses.
srrcuLIrons-TEE LAW or surrEr ASs DrNAxD.-
We ocndsnse the following from lengthy article in the
Atlanta Confsdraey:
Much has been said and written Of late 10 dsnuscis
ton of GLASS Of citizens called spseSatsvs. Thst
We have soma hsartlsss monopslsts and sxtoroners
among u.s. is true and much ~ bs regretted They are
foul plague spot upon the escuto5eon OF our country.
Bat are fully persuaded that the number Of pdivdu
als against whom the charge Of uppatrolio speculation
aud eYlortion upon the necessities Of life ca be truth
fully made, 10 much fewer than those who make the
charge suppose. l. 10 sutj:ct upon which, unfortu
natey, large number Of people seem 10 form an opln
ion quite hastily, without f.cting upon lie reasonable
or enabiy; hence many persons are very uoJusuy
condemned.
Trade is nsosssary We can't do without t. Through
lie agency alone able TO supply ourselves with
thousand Of lfes necessities II t ssro net necessary
IL could not sIist-for il would not be supported. No
would engage in Il he could not make living at
and the people would not suppo him In the business
ii it not profitable to them as 10 him. Nobody
bat fool buys anything merely because merchant has
il to eel. People who are capable Of takiog care of
themselves, buy only tuch articles they need Alse
more but fool would sell article merchant which
he needed himself simply because the merchant would
b, Wiling to buy It, When people Of shse sell articles
which they need themselves 10 u from everrulirg
necessity.
IL 10 the business Of tho merchant to bring to
doors from distance such articles as No need ard do
produce at home, that can supply ourselves
purohsse aud also 70 purchase from the surplus Of
products and send them where they needed.
This 10 tie merchants 6gsinas--the same raising
corn, wheat pork, is the brsnsss Of the farmer
is equally respectable, and necessary to COM
fort and convenience the farmers occupation s 70 the
maintenance Of life. Toe en-, as much entitled to the
protect, oil the laws, aud to make living get rich
BY hii occupation, as the other. Tie farmer supplies
himself with ntcessaries keeps up and improves bis
p ntation, or gets rch by selling his produce for
then costs him to make III Ana the merchant makes bis
living or &c rich by selling his goods for than
they cost him. Neither Of them can thrive whcu. these
pr. ifs Such profS honest. All men, whatever
may be their calling, are entitled to them and
should be complain Of for selling hs goods produce
At fair tn prof upon his Investment and incidental
penditures.
Jealousy that often eIiss betwssn rmers aud merchants.
The oharsos which each makes upon the other Of eI
tortoD, being unpatrioc, aud untrue 70 and
country in this crisis, all wrong.
Tncre few men eng Tei in trade who w when op-
p)rturty Cf.rs, either singy by combining buy up
the bulk o. ana thus monopolz, any article of ntces
~ for thu purpose Of creating scarcity and eIsctlng
hi prices from nsedy purchasers such fore
staiisrs aHd trt rtioaers" Such trade Ia egtnat
honest /! deserves the ,ium Of the community ard
10 punishment Of law. But such merchants deserves
mere odium and greater punishment thsn plan
to- with large surplus yield Of his farm who refuses
II corr, wheat or pork TO biz poor regboors who are
needy-perhsp the poor families OF 90 rs-hoding
OK fer greater scarcity vkea be get higher price.
SIch q is slso forestaller and eIortonsr. He q
a. much an enemy 10 country and has lnr eau ,s
lit1s AZ heart the merchant who Ia guilty Of nuar
conduct.
The principles which regulate trade snd hI the price
Of articles are beyond human control and human
ments regulate them. They reguAi themselves
heat and cold control the Wind and other things
in nature controlled by their imu utabe laws
They bsyond human ken or power 10 csntro reg
uae. Tho prie, Of any article, the world over 10,
always has been, and always will be, regulated BY
the supply and demand. When art cle Is scspce and
ID, d.mard great tie price rises to high figure aud
VII il il abundant aad but little dem and for H. goes
down low.
When merchant buys salt BY the hundred saS,s q
s26 and sels Il out by tho sack at yo6 or $27 hs
.Isortoner Il may be speculation, but II Legitimate
ADD honest lfhe buy bacon at 80 cents and sell IL at
S. he is not an eItortioner aud isves no cep,ura-
he has bought IL ss low he can and sold itat
sopable living pre6 II the fsrrnenI Of the couatry will
sell cora to the merchants ut 30 cents, will pledge
ITEM 10 81; &c at go by retail II the farmers viii cell
their bacon at l2i cents, we pledge that they viii retail
tNl5
MICA complaint Is made account Of the high prices
Of sugn and molassss While they very low IL
Ne" 0hsans-when everybody ought to know that tie
fhcuy Of procuring transportation from that point
and the unhesrl OF expenses and lose that attach to
what little be got throug lie the sole Of the
hi h price here, and the low price there. We very
that tbs merchants always prefer low prices with
small pr fits and large sales 10 large pss6u with sn,
sales s greatly against their inerei fer those ar
Giles to command high price. and IL merchants could
have their way groceries would awys be abundant and
low enough for everybody TO purchase largely. This
would gr' atty enhance their prois But they o.nno.
afford 10 se goods for ess than s and no ought
to expect IL.
These remarks general and OF course do not apply
to iuvidual OaIes. We roget the exceptions which
i,', but do not how remedy tham. We nay do
harm than good in the attempt II undertake
n root OF the res, may destroy ito wheat sl,o-
We way bu, for both grow together ill harves,
when tho tares - be separated from the wheat bound
ia bunelrs and burned by the rsApess.
As to the regulation Of prices b.; sny other standard
then the agreement betwo-n buyer nad seller II 10 anti
republican, contrary The theory Of Government
aud IN, tuons and uprcotng Of the principles upon
whcl they based With. such policy inlr gursted,
ard having tho sanction of our puope, liberty at an
md