Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1862-12-10

~
Gle some weeks ago. in considering the peculiar
dangers to which the people of the South were
liable, we classed as amongst the chief Of them
the temptation to trade with the enemy. We
have been somewhat surprised, and as much
disheartentd rs we can ever allow ourselves to
DC Ia cause which We have abiding faith
must ultimately triumph, to observe the laxity
q morals which prevails amongst onr own
people on this subject. large number Of
them are willing 70 conniye at this trade, and
some Of them engage in it without shame or
hesitation.
II the eneuy can trade with US; if they can
get our cotton for gold, or produce, or medi-
cine; Il they can supply our wants and get our
staples. HE Northrest ,riH b. ,rlkiag 10 con-
t"ur ne 'car torersr. They alrca ly discus,
this thing amongst themselves They clamor
Tor the conquest Of Vicksburg, thinking that
the trade Of the South will follow the opening
OF the river. One papeS boldly assumes the
ground that trade with the South will open
IAN avenue Of corruption" Gt uses the very
Wo'ds,) by -hich the people of the Sonth viii,
he brought back to the Union The remark i.
not AZ all unpliilosophical. II is true. He
who trades with the enemy contributes to ,hi.
end This matter lately assumes alarming
aspects. At Memphis they are getting large
quantities OF cotton from Southern men. rbo
prefer the gold Of the enemy to the honor Of
Their country As they overrun the South this
winter, n they as-urcdly will 10 a greater NJ
less extent, mIre men will be found who will
also sell their country for gold To Sell them
cotton i equivalent To buy their ware. !,
equivalent. Each separate tran,ac ion or M.
sort encourages them to prosecute the war.
and every drop Of blood shed in such a pro-
lonscd contest rests upon the heads Of -orrIid
Southern men who trade with the cnemy- I
This should he stopped il every Legitimate ,
way. Congress sh"dld legislate upon it, It
is treason. : ,cioty should Vi Sit III scorn upou
all who connivs at il.
We cannct 10 justice to tho subject, but ", |
can do our readers service by presenting |
them with two articles, Que from tie vIcksburr
Wing snd the other from the Grenada Appeal. |
Ponder them we'll, aud prepare to defeat the
action Of any f'lsc son Of the South who would
y her y great an injury for private gain.
The prevailing opinion throughout the South
seems a. hc that one of the principal object.
VI the rn-m,'S winter campaign ia the South I
west j. e. obtain cotton. With the Mississippi
open 10 the Guif and The States vr Ni-Sis-irpi
~I'i slabamH eTrrrun. they expect a. ohtrii, .
sufficient quantity uf tAi- inii- p-nsahle st.pIs
to supply the wants of the Northern people.
Sume twenty millions Of people ia abolition
dom to lie supplied from a stick If cotton
and cotton goods which the Mes York journals
declare Will he entirely exhausted before the F.
first Of next January. A distress OF no ordi-
nary character threatens the North; the scot
ton famin." is discussed By the journals in a /
tone Of the most serious alarm, aud the fact Is
pointed on, that fifteen per cent Of the cotton
machinery ~ their country |. now running with
q stock Ola hand that will be consumed before
the year H. out. III We can then prevent them
from getting it-foil them in their despcrat.
attempt {" anpea~e the increasing clamor in
the North, We will yet realize that '.cotton Is |
king" anri tLu its power has not departed,
hut had net before been fairly tested. We
should therefore determine beforehand what
policy 70 pursue IN order to prevent {. enemy |,
from obtaining this article. The only cffectusl
way 70 pr vent il from falling into their hands
wherever they succeed in obtaining ioothud,
against the contraband and unpatriotic trade
that supplies the enemy through numerous
avariciUus Vaccinations. Some have advanced
the idea that hit to sell them cotton in
or Ter 20 get gold as IL would be taking mnch
fror- tho encmy-s d nj the same time enable
men 20 make grateful and loyal contributions
to the war. Such argument is iiusy and
hypocritical, for We can very well 10 without
gold. We have foreign trade in which to
use IL; Our business in among ourselves, and
therefore our currency answers every purpose.
We argue, then, that our cotton il of more real
value TO Us than the Yankee gold, AZ from and
after the first Of January next the Northern
mills viii he without single bale. unless 1t
can be procured b. their naval and land expe-
ditions against Mississippi aud Alabama this
winter.
This il no conjecture Of our own, but the
forced ackn wild enc the9NewYork Times,
and other prominent Abolition journals, not At
all likely to make humiiiating IN acknowl
sInicnt Loosely, at junctnre 50 critically af
fsctins the leading interests Of the North
The secret and checked channels Of the snug
cler must, then. 70 begin with, be stopped
entirely. The State and Confederate author
tiles must adopt every practicable measure 70
prorent cotton from getting into their posses
sion anI, il any man be caught bariering
away perhaps tie blood Of his own childcn,
let him be punished severely. for, il be be
willing to play into the Aboltionists hands Tor
the sake Of self aggrandizement, he j. traitor
and n, buster Of the most despicable type.
This is one of the methods that We woud
advise for destroying the cardinal purpose o.
the enemy. Next, the removal Of every bale
Of cotton from the Mississippi, Alabama TOM
| bigbec rivers and their tributaries, 80 far up
as is navigable for the highest draught boats.
before the danger comes. The next most
prudential course to be pursued whsre cotton
| cannot be removed beyond the enemys reach,
is 70 have everything prepared 80 that when
ever deemed necessary by vigilsnt. discreet
military commanders, it may be &C mmitted 70
| tho flames. Whenever the owners fail 20 take
such steps will prevent the cotton from
falling into Abolition hands, the government
should provide and adopt ssch plans rs will
leave no doubt Of is being done This Is
matter 90 closely linked with our future sue
cess, that il demands more than passing
thong II from our modern Solons. Now Is The
time when il is important for US to keep our