The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-10-13
LETTER TO THE PAEaIDENT.

President Of the Confederate States ct 4maerica:
The motive which prompts this address, is the
apology offered for the liberty have taken. >
desire to engage the attention OF my countrymen,
and through the use of your honored name hope
20 do it. The noble army of Liberty of which you
are the Chief, has sprung into existence as If by
magic, aud their deeds Of Ealor and heroism rival
the most brilliant feats Of arms that History has
recorded - ALI Z -->---.
The young Republic, at the head of which You
are placed, came into existence without an army,
without navy, without and munitions. OF
war. without money, financial organization or
foreign credit; and forth with had encounter, on
many bloody field the power Of one of the great
est nations of the earth, and whose preparations
for war were complete, and to which we had 50
largely contributed. E. -. III, "a
That young Republic, now in the third year Of
IT'S existence, has in the field armies, well EQUIPPED
which never fail to prove victorious the "best
armies on the face Of the planet" when they can
meet them on terms bordering on equality. 1t has
arms and munitions of war in abundance It's lit
tie navy is>the terror of the enemy's commercial
marine and insurance companies. 1t has we'll
organized Government, where life, liberty and
property duly protected; aud Its financial opera
lions, by which all this has been effected, as yet
have scarcely been felt by its citizens; and the on
ly thing needed to insure our independence, is to
place the credit the Republic as high in the es-
timaion of the people, as its yaor has been placed
Can this be done! Unquestionably. 1t would be
reflection on the patriots at home to believe that
they will not achieve the former, as nobly as the
patriots in the army have achieved the latter
And it is to this subject l wish to draw the at
tention Of my fellow citizens. ...s
Congress must stop the running of the blockade
unless for the benefit of the Government, and per-
nit importations unless it may be Of articles Of
prime necessity, which cannot he produced in onr
own country, and for the importation of which, a
permit shall be granted by the Government upon
such terms as may be imposed s..... 90 .s.s...
Congress must cease to discredit any issues of
Confederate notes by its legislation, and put them
all on an equality, regardless Of the dates of their
ISSUE it mnst place its issues upon an equality Ca
least with its own people, with any currency what
ever, whether metallic otherwise. 1t must stop
the export Of gold, and treat every dollar OF its
own issue as Of value equal to any dollar in exis
tence. ..
To effect SO desirable an object, it may be said,
is impossible, while the Confederate currency is SO
redundant. Then reduce that redundancy. Can
this be done? think it can be effected, and that
quickly if our people will take it in hand. And
this brings me to the subject matter to which |
wish to direct the attention of the Government
Congress and the people of the Confederate States.
Let four thousand shares OF stock of one hun
bred thousand dollars each be subscribed, to be
paid into the Treasury, III Confederate Treasury
Notes, when the whole stock is subscribed aud the
subscription not to be obligatory unless the whole
j. subscribed; but any subscriber may pay in any
portion It his subscription at his pleasure.
Lei Congress authorize the Secretary Of the
Treasury to issue Confederate Bonds to the
amount of four hundred millions dollars in pay
lnent OF said subscriptions, to- bear interest Of
SIX per cent per annum payable senli-anr ually, and
to be free from all taxation whatever. will give
the forn Of subscription list which will indicate
the character Of the subscription and the legsla.
ton that may b. come necessary, viz:
We the subscribers herehnto bind ourselves to
pay to the Confederate Government the sum of
one hundred thousand dollars for each share Of
stock by US subscribed, four thousand
shares shall be subscribed by individuals, compa
MES, or bodies corporate or polite; which suhscrip
tons shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the
Treasury Of the Confederate States and by him
duly made known by proclamation as soon as the
four thousand shares are subscribed: Provided
that Congress shall authorize the Secretary Of the
Treasury to issue bonds. Coupon, or registered at
the option of the subscribers) bearing interest at
the rate OF SIX per cent per annum payable semi
annually, aud the principal payable thirty years af
ter date, which bonds shall be free from at tara-
tiom whatever, by the Confederate or State Gov
ernments or any-Other authority, and shall be de-
HFeteu III pay nehV at par 10 subscribers and sub
scrbers only upon the payment of their subsorip-
tions in Confederate Currency of any issue, Cor
any other currency the Treasury Department NAV
accepD and shall be in sums of one thousand dol
lars, five hundred dollars, two hundred dollars and
one hundred dollars each, as subscribers may pre-
Ter, and the interest accruing said bonds shall
be subject to no taxation whatever, until one year
after the same may be due and payable, and shall
then be taxed as other moneys
Provided further, that no subscription shall be
obligatory on the subscriber unless the whole four
thousand shares shall be subscribed; but any sub
scrlber may at any time pay into the Confederate
Treasury all or any part of his subscription, and
receive bonds to the amount thus paid and shall
not be held bound to pay the balance Of his SUBJ
scribtion, unless the whole four thousand shares
are subscribed; the subscriptions to be paid in in
stallments as the Secretary of the Treasury may
require s.a.t.'
Good reasons exist why the subscription should
be in shares, and none but subscribers be entitled
to receive the bonds. To assign these reasons will
go too much into detail; but they will be readily
suggested to those who think on the subject
Can these subscriptions be obtained? I do not
doubt it. Let every individual able to subscribe
one or more shares do so; let companies combine
to take share, and the more persons forming the
company the better; let. every person who can
spare one hundred dollars unite in. some company
SO that all may avail themselves of this non-tax
paying investment, and render service to their
country, by aiding 10 improve her currency and