Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-03-25
Cotton aad Tobacco Planting.

We cannot too earnestly invite the attention Of
our readers to the letter of Gov Brown of Georgia.
which publish to day, on the subject of cotton
planting" Gov. Browns appeal ought, and We trust
it srM exert good influence on those to whom it
consider it as applying much to this State as to
Georgia The Legislature Of the latter State is about
to assemble in SPECIAL session, on the call of Gov
Brown, to take steps TO- restrict the cultivation of
cotton.
BY an act passed in December last, the Legisla.
ture of Alabama has imposed tax of ten cents per
pounds on every pound of seed cotton which may he
raised this year, over and above twenty five hun
dred pounds to each full hand Gov. Shorter, in an
appeal to the planters of Alabama, says:
Look around you at this moment, when the
crop upon which the poor must mainly depend is
not yet planted and behold the want and destitu.
ton which, Notwithstanding the munifcent pro.
vision made by public and private benevolence is
to be found at the hearthstones of many whose leg
innate projectors have fallen in battle or are now
fighting IN the defense of your homes and property
Let US not deceive ourselves The failure to raise
the largest possible quantity Of supplies the present
year may bring disaster and ruin upon. our cause
The soldier must be fed and his faulty provided for
and our home population, white and black, must be
supported. The experience Of the past and the
necessities Of the present give serious and solemn
warning As to the future Let not our armies which
have hitherto, by the blessing of God, proved inyin
chile, be conquered or aisbasled by the want of
subsistence in their camps, or be de,norazed by the
presence of famine in their homes"
Virginia has also restricted the cultivation of to-
bacco by law recently passed by her Legislature.
" regret to learn that some, if not many of our
farmers are making arrangements to put in large
crops of cotton and TOBACCO Can it be- possible ?
Are any Of our people SO indifferent to the cause as
to devote their labor and their lands to the cutiya
ton Of cotton and tobacco for profit, at time like
this? In the language of 2 contemporary, "the
man who plants cotton now to sell land we NAV
add tobacco-"gves Lincoln more direct help than
he and all his negroes were to 70 into the Yankee
army" This is the sober truth. Every plant Of
cotton or OF tobacco which may be put in ground
for profit, will De nail in the GOTTA Of Southern
independence; We beg those who are thinking of
doing this thing to pause. They may do it. and
gain thereby few dollars; but they will aid in
raralyzing our brave troops in the field, in famish-
ing their families, and in running their cepntry W.
agree with the Richmond IisRstek that the grand
duty If the hour" is
ITO pufevery grain ofcorp in the field, everything
that can supply food for man and beast. We are
panied to hear Of the elaborate preparations makingn
some portions Of the country for the cultivation Of
tobacco If this prevails to any considerable extent
1T is Idle to shut eyes to the consequence. A
people without bread, an army without bread, and
what is our fatee What the dismal and inevitable
Tesgltf Can any one Contemplate it without hor-
T6rH 90"
We do not peed more men in the army. Our
great aim. should be to feed those who are there
By inprovidence, waste, and acknowledgements we
have diminished resources whch's ut one period ap-
peared to be inexhaustible Now we can only SUP.
ply our wants BY strict economy, and provide for