The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-01-13
For the Western Democrat.
THE coNsCRIPT LAW AND THE COT
TON FACTORIES.

= TON FACTORIES.
Mn EpIroR: recent military order has been issued
by Gov Vance, virtually suppressng the further manu-
acture of and woollcn goods in CASTOR county
N q and which will, doubt be extended to other
focaties As will expose large number of citizens
TO serious evils and probably much personal
and suffering this Indictment season. it seems to call
for some special notice The public at this crisis
as much interested any private individual in the
effects of this order II is this account, as well
to correct certain mistakes and false impressions In re-
spect to the whole subject, that ask space in your
paper as one of the sufferers, from wha; consider
unauthorized oppressive measure, to be heard over
my own name.
Justice of people when they clearly understand the
question submitted, and their Judgment when thus
informed am always disposed to yield
As shall comment this order, copy it entire as
follows:
Executive Dept, n c., Adjt Gems Office,
Raleigh, Dec. Is, 1862. !
Colonel: Information has been received by His Ex-
eelency, the Governor, that the factories in Castor
county known as Stowe 4 Co, Linebarger Co., and
T. R. Tate, selling their goods ut n price much be-
yond what is allowed by the law of Congress- namely
IS per cent the cost In consideration of this you
are instructed to arrest and send to camp all white
males between eighteen and forty years of age, whe,h
er owners or not. Respectfully,
Jso. C. wsDER A. A. @.
Col. ~ II. Hand StowesyiIle, CASTOR co., N. G.
/. should like to know shat Conformation" the
Governor had and from whom obtained. Ii certainly
should have been from credible source and delivered
under the sanctions of oath and not derived from
and hearsay. Yet, upon these points, the
Governor gives n light. That his informant
not strictly is manifest, for there is such
firm known to "Stowe Co." Had he called on
the firm of J. E. B. Stowe, they, and sure
Messrs Tate and Linebarger Co, would have given
all proper and entirely accurate information of their
business, nd they would have thus had the oPportu
nifty and right dear to every freeman, of being heard
before being condemned In this Governor Vance has
certainly erred.
2. There is "prce allowed by law" to cotton and
wooden factories. The Exemption Law, now before
me, declares that her superintendent and managers
may be exempted by the Secretary Of War" certain
conditions and not by the Governor of any Se, and
Gov. Vance should certainly have informed himself
competent evidence that the CASTOR county factories
not exempt before he issued his imperial edict
against them. This is certainly No. q
B. Again, it is the Secretary Of War, and not the
Governor, who, in express terms, is made the sole
judge of any violation of the exemption law, for the
la " reads
"And is further provided That it the propretors
of any such manufacturing establishments shall lie
shown. upon evidence to be submitted TO and judged of
by the Secretary Of War; to have violated in any
nnr eyaded the true intent and spirit of the foregoing
proviso, the exemptions therein granted shall longer
be extended the superintendenS and operatives in
said establishments" &c.
From this it is clear that Gov Vance has planly
transcribed his authority in the premises and has
sumed to himself powers he does righIfully pos
sess, and has committed official usnrpa ion against
which l have right to protest and do protest, as
arbitrary illegal and oppressive.
These conclusions being undeniable beg leave to
suggest, in this connection, that Gov. Vance, who
showed such intense devotion to State Rights and to
the rights of the citizens to place himself in direct
conflict with the Confederate Government in the
of Graves accused Of conspiracy and treason (he
heinous crimes known to the law seems to have for
gotten what due to other citizens of the State
above suspicion and reproach, ard has actually volun
tered to lead the against them their injury
the injury of the material interests of the whole
State, which he presdcs, and the benefit of
cause or class, beyond the slender addition to the
army of mere handful of men who from their pre-
vous habits and training, will probably make very
Indifferent soldiers, but who invaluable to the
country experienced nufacturers; and this has
been DONE too, will add, in advance of any general
enrolment of conscripts in CASTOR county-a fact
which might tempt to indulge the suspicion that the
Governor WAS particularly alert and active in regard
to the CASTOR factories.
But this is not ALL The immediate effect Of this
measure thus shown to be unsupported by law; is to
stop the factories in question and thereby inct the
community at this time of its utmost need, the loss,
month, of not less than seventy five thousand yards
of Osnaburgs and sSheetngs, twenty-five thousand
pounds of coto yarn and the whole of wooden
goods manufactured by Mr.. T. R. Ta,e large factory,
and to throw out of employment NOT less than two
hundred hands, mostly females, without any other
means of support, with the large number of children
and aged women dependent upon them.
The order will involve the loss in the factory of J. &
f. 3. Stowe of only two operatiyes-a carder and
spinner-whose places it is impossible to supply-one
of whom is in delicate health and may be rejected by
that add recruit the army many will be forced
suffer and substantial public benefit will arise
from it.
do not mpcach the Governors motives; with them
have nothing to do. 1t is his act alone that review
end if am right in my opinion that his zeal in the
public cause bas mislcd his judgment and betrayed
him into involving these grave consequences
it remains TO be whether he will retrace his steps
and repair the injury he has done.
There other views Of this subject which should
be glad to present but time and space forbds to do
60 rfh fhan tn nj he cla amor
against manufacturers for selling their goods at prices
fixed by the common laws of trade, people forget that
all marketable goods sold at prices fixed by the
same laws. JASPER STOWE.
Stowesve, N. c., Jan. 5, 1863.
MECKLENRURG