The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-12


Memphis correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Press:
1.-THE abuses growing out Of the whole
sale traffic in cotton are enormous. In
the first place the South is supplied with
gold and treasury notes, an evil which
there is no calculating, provided the
thing is allowed to 60 on. Then the Off
GERS of our army neglect their duties TO
buy cotton, and use the transportation Of
their divisions and regiments 20 haul it,
They bully secessionilts into selling for
little or nothing, and encourage the ne
groes TO steal the cotton. There are hun
drens Of Jews, those jackAls Of commerce,
following the army 10 buy cotton, and
they will give any thing TO get transpor-
tation. They can buy IL for ten cents
pound, and IL is thirty here, and forty in
New York, which leaves quite q respect
able margin. But nothing has stirred
my bile quite so much as TO hear of two
men from Indiana, rank and undisguised
sccessionists, coming here and spOuting
their treason, and making great show Of
their sympathies with the southern cause,
all for the purpose of ingratiating them
selves with secessiOnists and obtaining
the privilege Of buying their cotton at
lower price, or in preference to any
others. These men took down TO Helena
$4,000 or 100000 in gold. A part of it
they lost, but most of il they invested in
cotton at ten cents a pound, and thus
made two hundred per cent on their mo-
ney in week or two.
"The Confederate authorities now see
the folly of burning their cotton. They
bought il 10 keep it out of the hands Of
the Government, which was very sensi-
BILE, as our venerable Uncle Sam would
have taken it, giving in return, if he
gave anything, his promise to pay after
the war. S. Q. would have got no good
from it. Vague receipts and promises to
pay would hardly be available in Lead
entail Street, and gold is But what do
our authorities do? They afford every
facility for persons of every description
tG carry untold amounts of gold adams
Express brought million Of dollars in one
iOeeh) beyond our lines; simply contenting
themselves with issuing an order that
none shall be bought of sScessionists, but
only Of Union men. What ridiculous in
fatuated imbecility Tho Confederate
authorities have very properly stopped
the cotton burning system, and adopted
a system of partnership with such men
as these wretches from Indiana, by which
the Confeds point out the cotton, and the
wretch makes the profit"
The flow Of gold into the pockets OF
rebel cotton planters has been consider
ably checked by recent military orders,
but the trade as it now exists is not only
supplying the rebels with friends, but is
in many instances debasing and demon
alizing our own people who are engaged
in the traffic. Why should any cotton be
suffered to be sold for the benefit of men
who are bitterly hostile TO the Govern
ment? Is it wise, is it constitutional for
our citizens to accompany our army, and
break the blockade, by bringing rebel
planters q market for their great staple
TO their very doors? We are not only
bringing them a market, but are paying
them prices two and three hundred per
cent. greater than they ever obtained be-
fore. Why pretend to keep up the block
AIDE, and violate il in this case? The
planter not only sells his crop for an
enormous price, but in many instances
has helped to burn it after he has put
the proceeds in his pocket There is
another matter which is an alarming pos
@JiRy connected with this trade, and
that is that an aYaricious and selfish
military ollicer--and such men may be
in the Federal army; instances are re-
corded in history, and even in American
history, in which commanders locked
more 10 their emOluments and profits
than to the success Of their arms-may
neglect the interests of the army and the
good Of the nation to speculate in cotton.
There is a great temptation in this trade
to weak human nature, and especially to
amilitary officer who has means Of pro-
tecting his purchases rot enjoyed by or
binary buyers. An investment Of a few
thousand dollars will bring back hand
some little fortune in few weeks, and if
repeated, will make the speculator a rich
man. Thus we see how great temptation
there is to make the interests Of the nation
and the movements OF the army subordi-
nate to those of personal profit. Every man
of intelligence can see that we are not
making improbable suppositions by any
means. There are wealthy men whose
God is money, who would do anything
for a good military position in the cotton
region solely Tor the purpose of specula-
ton. We distinctly say, that we mean
no personal illusions in what we have
said on this point We have no grounds
for charging any officer with the avari-
oious policy spoken of we only point out
the great peril we are in of being corrupt
ed by this anomalous and extraordinary
traffic. We believe that our officers
should seize every bale belonging to rebel
owners, and hold it for the use of the
Federal Government Coniscation APP
plies to this species of rebel property, as
much as any other. 1t isYery desirable
that our army should cease to be a sort
Of rendezvous Tor caravan Of cotton
buyers Of all sorts, shapes, hucs, and
sizes. We have heard shrewd Northern
traders boast that they had gulled rebels
into the belief that they were good
Southern men, and thus succeeded in
,-,-i.,, a sood bargain. We cannot tbinl,