Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-03-05
The Charleston Mercury on the War.

The Charleston Mercury of the 9th February,
complains in strong terms Of the inefciency of the
Confederate government in this crisis and calls on
the States to come forward TO sustain the war. It
says: .-s =. ~. 49, (. .s....z
''For the want of judgment in the conduct Of the
war; and of foresight and energy in preparation on
the part of our government and because our people
have not been put in the field in sufficient numbers,
we have accomplished little, and are now outnum- ]
bered and inferior in equipments wherever we have
met the enemy. Arms equipments and munitions
might easily have been plentiful at the South to-
day, with proper and timely efforts. We might :
have had numbers Of gunboats and cannon. We
might have had Navy aaoat, by purchase, suft-
cient to destroy Northern shipping and cripple
Northern commerce Twenty Sumters could have
done it We might readily have had coo, 900 men
in the field. The outlay of money in these ways
would have saved the country hundreds Of millions
of property and great cost of life. "A stitch in
time saves nine" is homely adage. Its principle
applies to great affairs no less than small. TOO
late" is the dread sentence of myriads of souls
Leaning on the Central Government of the Confed-
crate States We have found it amentably short
sighted and feeble, and unequal to the task OF d.
recting skilfully our affairs. A great people, with
great and righteous cause, supported in unexam-
Piled unanlmity and spirit, having trusted and wait
ed and suffered by their rulers until danger of ruin
gares and look to themselves, and to other instru-
mentalities to attain success and security"
In another article OF the same date the Mercury
refers to the following passage in the Presidents
message:
AT the formation Of the government We were,
to great extent destitute Of means for the prose-
cution of the war on so gigantic a scale as that
which it has attained. Workshops and artisans are
mainly found in the North, apd one of the first
objects of the war was the establishment of neces-
sary manufactures; and meantime to purchase in
Europe as far as practicable whatever was required
for the public defence. In April last, active mill
tary operations in Europe interposed many obstacles
in the way of the procurement of arms"
The Mercury comments on the above as follows:
Here the President asserts, lst: That " one of
the first objects of the was the establishment
Of necessary manufactures :" and Cd That in the
meantime it was our policy to purchase in Europe,
as far practicable whatever was required for the
public defence"
We have obtained information from good source,
and propose to show somewhat how the President
has done, failed to d. ON the above points; and
first as to the establishment of necessary manufac
tories of arms and munitions of war:
l. The Provisional Congress, at its last session,
passed bill granting bountes to the setting up and
establishing Of manufactures of arms saltpetre and
gunpowder. certain advance Of MONEY was TO be
made to the manufacturer of these articles when he
had advanced certain stage in putting up the fac
tories, which to be returned IN the articles
manufactured. The President vetoed the BILL and
it failed.
2. The Harper's Ferry machinery, for the manu-
facture of arms turned over by Virginia to the
Confederate States, when Virginia seeded from the
Union. 1t was sent to be put into operation to
Fayetteville, NorthC arolina; month ago. and not
gun had yet been furnished to the army. 1t had
not yet got into operation
8. Three manufactures of arms were in Tennes-
see Their proprletors sought to make contracts for
the manufacture of arms with tie Confederate Gov
eminent. Not being able to succeed, one or more
ofthem came to Richmond, during the sitting of the
late Congress- to interest the members of Congress
| from Tennessee their behalf The War Office
declined to make contracts for the purchase OF the
manufactured by these factories on the ground
that it had no money On enquiry being made into
| the cause, why there money, it turned out
| that the Treasury Department could not have Trea-
sury Notes signed fast enough Five and ten dollar
| Treasury Notes at premium of three and
four per cent, at New Orleans, for currency. The
contractors and creditors of course, demanded these
notes, instead of fifty hundred dollar notes,
| and the Treasury most laboriously trying to
meet their demands, although bound by no contract
| to do so. Hence the Government could not meet
I its engagements, or contract to buy these arms
! u
| War Department.
{ ii. On the next point in the Presidents Message,
| "the purchase Of arms and munitions of war in
Europe" We PROPOSE also, to submit few facts OBJ
tanned:
l. When the first Congress of the Confederate
States met at Montgomery 1t was clear to every one
that was not an improbable event. Prudence
required preparation. By the Constitution G -ngress
could make no appropriation of money. but at the
| call of the Executive 1t was urged on the Govern
ment to call for several millions of money! and to
send it to Europe Immediately to buy arms and
munitions of war. The Government would call for
only money enough to purchase some fifteen thou
| sand small arms; and when the second Congress
assembled and war was declared, no agent had yet
gone to Europe to purchase even these arms
2. Private enterprise has imported considerable
quantity of arms and munitions of war; but what
| has the Confederate Government done? The only
effort, that we are aware of, to get arms from Eu-
rope. is that of the Gladiator, which is now in
Nassau. The arms lately brought BY the Victoria
into New Orleans SAID to be part Of her cargo.
| Even after certain, there ample time
to have imported large quantity Of arms, before
the blockade was established; ana since the block
ade establish, the successful efforts of private
! citizens show that the Government might have i'm
! ported large quantities of arms and munitions of
war;
8. So necessary was it for to have an abundance
OF arms, that several OF our naval OIncerS proposed
| to the Naval Committee to put under their control
one million of dollars, and that they would 20 to
Europe with it-buy iron-clad steamship, con-
vert her into war vessel, fill her with arms and
munitions of war; and if necessary, fight their way
across the Atlantic into Confederate port Con-
gress favored the gallant proposal, and passed the
bill to carry it into effect. The President pocketed
| it, ana it failed.
We will mention one other fact amongst many
others, going to show the military energy of the
President. new swift steamer lay at Wilmington,
North Carola. One half Of it belonged to North
ern citizens Certain citizens of Wilmington desir-
cd to convert this steamer into prlvateer and in
order that good titles might be got for this purpose
they petitioned Congress to have the steamer sold
and the half of the proceeds Of the sale belonging to
the Yankees should be paid into the Confederate
Treasury. Congress promptly passed bill to &C.
complish this object. But the President pocketed
it, and the bill failed
We have no doubt that the above statement Of