Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-20
FRIDAY MORNING, NOV. 20, 1868.
CONSRESS.

wait upon the leisure Of honorable sentIe
men; but hurry on ut such pace, that
now, when. honorable gentlemen meet
again they will have quite new Sta'c
of affairs to lcok in the face, and to
deal with. Not to speak of other intervening
changes. the currency Of the country has been
deprecated since the ADJOURNMENT, by tao
hundred per cent. If Congress had been
called together three months ago, they might
possibly have taken measures to arrest this
downward tendency with less difficulty than
they will now find in their way. However,
as they come together now, with all the expo
rience derived from their former laboTs, ard
the working of their measures IN the mean
time; and, we hope, with an earnest and man
full desire to do resolutely and in good fai:b
what may be done-all may yet be rcmedief.
There is little use in blaming the o1ni'>
SONS and shortcomings Of the past; little
use in constantly going en- to complain,
az Mr.. Butler King has been doing In
a late speech, that the Confederate Gov
eminent and Congress lost grand oplcr-
tunity, at the beginning Of the war, in rot
buying up all the cotton and making it basis
of credit to purchase powerful feet. At e
beginning of the war, very few men, either IN
the Confederacy or in the Yankee country,
could have anticipated anything like so great
a war. It is only experience, and the pres
sure of events as they arise which nov mako
50 many people wise after the event. Atary
rate, the thing was not done; and cannot now
DO done. The practical thing is, not to point
out reproachiully what has been omitted, but
to devise the best methods of applying sueh
remedies as are still within reach.
Several distinct subjects will now be ;orcss'
ing upon the attention Of Congress. which do
not admit Of delay; and it is better that they
be disposed of in the approaching session, &C.
cause the new Congress will consist, in great
measure. of new men, not so we'll acquainted
with the course Of previous legis!ation-nnen.
too, who will probably have their long speech
es TO make, for the admiration of adm;rirg
constituencies, which will be WEAKNESS Ct
tho flesh, and will no way promote public busi>
ness Members of the present Congress, it Is
hoped, have got all that steam blown off, ard
are ready for work. 1t i, highly desirable,
then, that they address themselves at once 70
such legislation as may put matters in good
train for the vigorous prosecution of the war.
For this, of course, viii be their sole bus:-
ness aud duty. As entire suhjugation, and
enforcement by arms Of unconditional sub
mission, absolute conquest, contiscatlon and
resettIement Of the country, arc the only poll
cy of the enemy, our only policy is simply des-
perate defiance and resistance to the death
One single moment occupied in this Congress
in talking about Peace, or negotiation Tor
peace, will be so much time worse than thrown
away.
Three leading subjects, then, ought to nh
nopolize the attention of members: he F!nsn
ces, the Commissariat, and the Organization Of
the Army. On the first question there ha-
been a good deal Of discussion excited ani
opinion elioited; oil conyergins in the main
upon one principle: that taxation must te
immensely increased. the current supeo5ur-
dance of paper money retired bya system
Of compulsory funding. and new issue Of
treasury bills created, and limited in sone
degree to tho wants Of the country. Uact
more tho cry Of all the laud is, to be taxed
members of Congress will gain no popularity
now bv Saving the pockets of The people"
The people are determined tha.- all tho :
sources Of the country shall be used to es-
tablish our independence; and they have quite
sense enough to SEQ that the calling in AMI
cancelling of all the paper money by way 0!
taxes and loans to the government, would |
leave US no poorer than we are. They will |
endure-nay, they invite, the most sweeping
measures of this kind, provided only those
measures put an equal or proportonate press
ure upon all. 1t is not the oppressivencss,
but the partially of tax which they would
object te,i and they know we'll that tits better
to yield al demands Of our own government
that may be needful to drive back the enemy
than to fall under the yoke of q people whom
they hate and despisc more bitterly than ever.
Heavy taxes on ones property are bad; Blu;
complete deprivation of all property by an
enemy is worse. Their encouragement is that
which the Prophet. addressed to the army of
the Faithful when they were fainting on their
march through the desert by reason of the
boat: He only said, "IIell is hotter"
The c6mmissariat department will.also call
for prompt attention; and this is truly diff l
quilt subject. The supply of food in the Con,
though not superintendent, is
enough, if properly distributed; and if the
finances of the country and the right Of i'm
pressment for the army be adjusted so as to i
prevent waste The impressment system,
though it has been necessarily perserored in, c
for the army must not starve, whoever else Q
navy has not worked well, and needs some a
change. Its defects arise chiefly from that +
7ery feeling of unequal pressure, which we t
nave already mentioned as the thing which q f
people cannot endure. Thus, one man has all s
his produce impressed upon his laud, and G
axes contentedly the Government price; but Y
,s1t day learns that his ncighbor has evaded ?
he impressing officers by previously selling 4
III bis hay or his wheat to a Spectator in
at double that price. Then the q
Government sends out and impresses all the 6
produce of every sort in certain districts which
AYE good facilities. for transportation-in "
James river valley, for instance; and in other o
districts, not 30 convenient, little or nothing a,
, impressed. We here only indicate some of F."
he details in the impressment system, which ;;
aake it bear raequally; and this is the bad =