The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-05-09
Bread and Meat.
[From the Richmond Examiner.l

coming leading one OF the war. WINE
the Yankee armies of invasion are deriy-
ing all their supplies from the fruitful
granaries of the lower Valley and North
Piedmont, which our own commissariat
failed to exhaust; the question: where
shall we get enough FOOD is seriously oc.
cupying those parts of the State whlcb
were exhausted to feed our army on the
Potomac.
Though this scarcity is merely local
and not very pinching at present, ,rtlre
time may soon come when our own - !
ton OF the Confederaoy may be in great
Jeopardy for the want Of provisions. A
very large proportion of the labour in
grain-growing Virginia is white and in
nearly the whole of the region thus de.
pendent upon white labour for its crops
the militia have been called out at the
seeding season. The supplies ofthe coun.
try must, therefore, be very short by the
end of the summer, when the old grain
shall have given out.
From this cause vast extent of coun-
try that has always held large surplus
for sale over and above its own wants
will not have sufficient supply for its
own necessities, ond will have to purchase
grain instead Of selling. The expedient
of calling out the body Of the militia at
seeding time, in grain-growing country,
is the most unwise that could be resort
ed to; fully as unwise as calling them,
from home at the period of harvest
The evil, however, has been done; and
the next question is, of course, where
shall Virginia procure her deficiency of
bread and meat. A correspondent writes
as follows. of one portion of grain growing
Virginia having comparatively few slaves;
and what he says of his district is true of
many others: "The condition of this
country is deplorable. The militia are
all called away from home, which, in this
region, puts a short and complete stop to
all agriculture. There will be dearth
amounting almost to absolute famine in
this whole region before this time next
year." What with the thoughtless call
of the militia at seeding time; the action
of the commssariat in leaving the coun-
try about to be occupied by the enemy
full of grain, and exhausting the supplies
of that not in danger Of occupation; and
the ravages of the energy where they
have taken possession, dcpriving families
of their personal supplies-the condition
of Virginia during the next twelve months
will be far from enviable.
The only means of averting the troubles
which threaten this section of the Con.
federacy from the scarcity of food thus
brought about are our railroads. The
planters of the cotton county are raising
corn and oats instead of cotton and the
production of these grains in that quar-
ter will be prodigous-full sufficient for
the supply of the whole Confederacy and
for laying by large surplus besides
Thus our railroad system becoming of
greater importance than ever to the
country. Upon holding them, and ope-
rating them to the best advantage, may
depend the question of famine or no fam
inc with considerable portion of our
population. 1t is not agreeable to speak
with SO much plainness ON such q topic;
but plain speech is necessary to bring our
authorities to a proper appreciation Of
the exigencies of this vital question.
The railroads ought to be protected
from falling into the hands of the enemy
at all hazards. Their protection beinl
secured, their transportation should no
be arbitrarily monopolized by govern
ment. A portion of their services SHOULD
be devoted to the business of the people
Some system should be introduced il
this behalf; and as martial law is so pro
fusely brought into requistion on mino
subjects, measures should be taken t.
prevent the transportation of these roads
such as may be devoted to the public
from being monopolized by spectators.
The necessity of distributing the sup
plies of the country, so as to make up ~
deficiency of one region from the redun
dance of another, is absolute. As it i
the government which, by the operation
of the commissariat and by its calls TO
the militia, has produced the deficienc,
in various regions; SO the government
is under obligation to take measures o
remedying the evil with its own hands,
The moral obligation resting upon it, o
seeing to proper distribution 'of the sup
plies for the benefit of the people at large
is no less absolute than that of providing
for its armies in the field.
When we recollect that one man EN-
ployed in agriculture usually raises enough
food for the subsistence of ten persons
and that of the population engaged di
rectly or indirectly in the war at leas
half are agriculturists, the falling off il
the production of food is seen to be yer,
heavy. Atleast Ave hundred thonsano
men are engaged in the war either al
soldiers in the army or in various EN-
pigments ministering to or connected
with it. Of these, half are agriculturists
If estimate only hundred and fifty
thousand. however, as the number taken
from the business of raising food, pro
duction sufficient to supply ten times q.
many, or million and half Of people
is lost to the provision supplies Of the
oouptru Tiki losu e.. = -.,.v..:.-i u