Washington telegraph., 1862-06-04

| MIR. MERRILL AND THE COTTON FACTORY
The "Ouachita Herald takes notice of our
article in commendation of the Pike county
factory, and adds the following:
"T our neighbor. of the Telegraph is not
wrongly informed, Mr.. Merrill is entitled not
/ only to the thanks of the people of South Ar
kansas, but to a more substantial remunera-
| ton. But may not our confrere have been i'm
posed upon to some extent. When the State
| Bonds were first placed in circulation, some
| merchants refused to take them, because, as
they said, they could not replenish their stocks
| with ITEM In other words the bonds would
not be received in payment in New Orleans
ana other places, where they made their pur-
chases. There is now, few days since.
cotton yarns from the Pike county Factory
| Tor sale in this place; but change ticke ts
| Treasury warrants, War Bonds, or Confederate
notes would not buy them, for the reason, as
we are informed, that gold and silver had been
paid for the goods and they must be sold for
gold and silver. This may not be considered
extortioning on tho part of Mr.. Merrill, or the
| Company for whom he is acting, but it looks
to US very nearly allied to it,
The original notice upon our part was
prompted by the fear, that portion of our
community, might do a hasty and injudicious
thing 1t is matter of popula- discussion now
| and of course secret. Many have become
incensed with Mr. Merrill, and there has been
much talk of taking forcible possession OF his
factcry, and running it for the benefit of the
immunity. We are not personally acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Merrill. We do not remember
| having ever met him, nor have we any bust
ness relations with any one connected with the
| fac tory. Still, a friend of the community,
desirous in these troubled times of making
the hest of things, and satisfied of the meal
culable advantage of this factory to our COM
mnnity, as now worked, we thought it our
duty to present that aspect of the case to our
readers What we said was not by w,v Of fa
vorifism. We are anxious that our estimable
housewives through the country may continue
to get at least a reasonable chance at spun
thread, and We are convinced that any at
tempts at violence upon tho property of the
company, would entirely stop its operation
We have no confidence that any man or body
of men would undertake the charge of running
the factory rs charity, and Keep ii mp. 1t is
notorious that what is every bady'> business
pcnscs Of so extensive business nothing
short of II master mind, prompted b, hope of
profit will sustain it. Ebuitions Of patriotism
although very magnificent at the time are no.
t"riously short lived amongst the best Of ia.
The hum-drum and everlasting recurring cares
of life wear it out mon-trously SO we thought
and said. and still assert that Mr.. Merrill j.
doing good. He serves the public. That is
no less true. even although hc mas cnri ch
himself thereby, rs is likely enough We had
better let him alone. Whether he be | al or
good man lies between him and his Maker
AMI Is no concern of ours. What we want is
spun thread.
So much, by way Of personal explrn ,tron
partly, but ~ the same time adlrrssc 20 the
more violent and still dissatisfied port On of
our community, for practical consideration
In response to our frieni oil the Herald. we
assure him that We have the most implicit con-
f'lencc ia our information II comes f.om un-
qnestionabl. sources, and is not denied here
10y amy OF those who asperse Mr.. Merrill most
bitterly lie has rlisel the price VI spun
thread to $3.50 bundle 1t would Ia We b, Ell
more charitable tu have kept it 1T the ul.
price, certainly. But it will be remarked that
no other c,a., Of the immunity has cxcs-i ell
that stretch of sltue, (cxccpt We poor devils
of the press. who pay five times as much for
paper and ink aud still run our machines for
the oil amrunt.l Our farmers have ioublrd
the price of bacon, because it was scarce. Our
siiOcmakcrs have more than doubled the pr;c,
of shoes. There are few cases of men pro. uc-
ing neccssaries of life who have not raised
upon it ennI mousy. Why taboo spun thread
There is Il very homcly maxim abroad which
fit the case, Sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander.'
We say then that 81. 80 ban lie for thread.
com i,lering the advance of all other neccssa-
ries of life. aud in view OF the prices charged
ut other factories east of the Mississ;op;-i,
view. moreover, of this t.at iIr Merrill aight
charge more i.ai get it: is reasonable under
the circumstances. Ii NJ. Merrill is willing
to go on AMI furnish the community at these
rates, making judicou5 distribution amongst
the people. he is acting useful part and Ie-
StENe- lHe cfetlt winch SlOul alW1SS attend
active enterprise, in preference to lazy indo-
lence.'
Mr.. Merrill receives Confederate money or
Treasury notes at these rates. We are iu-
formed that he commits the imprudence of
taking SI.50 in specie, in lieu of ) 2 80 Com
federate money, when offered. We must he
consistent and acknowledge that to be wrong
and indefensibIe. No man should directly or
indirectly discount the money of the Confc!e
racy, who does not intend sometime to leave
it. Still the fair prices arc payable in or or
dInary currency, and he is no more reprehcn-
sibie than the brpk r who buys Confederate
notes at a discount. We should be just in our
measure of ccnsure. We hope Mr.. Merrill
will quit such Invidious conduct, and if he
thinks the thread worth it charge $50 specie
or paper. No would complain of that,
and he would avoid the odium of teaching all
our farmers that specie was far boAter than our
Confederate money.
OATH OF ALLEaIASCE.-We sincerely hope
no Southern man will be induced by fear of
I fnt loss of his property. to take the oath of