Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-09-02

Mr.. Lincoln disagreed with him. He feared that no
,picncy would make the rebels loyal 10 his Government
and whatever treaties they might be VIKING 20 make
now that their armies 10 fair way OF being crush
ed ou, they would not do to trust m foreign var.
They would lot be bound by Treaties aud when Eu-
ropean invasion Of the North occurred, thev would be
found ready 10 take up arms against the North AGAIN
The only plan ward OF danger Iom the South III that
event was to break the spirit OI the people utterly 10
dsarn them free the negroes, aud conhscate all their
property leaving them entirely subjugated aud power
less after which they would be ready for the war with
Europe.
The Presidents programme prevailed, Of cjur,c, and
il is now the programme OF The war.
EVILS OF IMPRESsNENT-CoNDl OF OUR
CURRENCY, &c.
WAsaEGroE, GA. Aug IL, 1868.
10 he Editor of Tie COastituiiOnaiist:
SiR-Irea with interest, not unmxed With pain, your
editorial article Of yesterday, on Army Subsistence
ImpTessment." entirely concur with your Just eheo
NUNS on our army in the field, and in the ntlexible
purpose you to support 1t there at all hazards
and cannot doubt but that shall agree, generally,
in the means most proper for the accomplishment OF
result so vital TO the public safety. But having hxtd
conviction that this end cannot be attained by the III
act passed the last session OF Congress ak
interpreted at Richmond and enforced in Georgia,
deem it my duty TO give my reasons Tor TINS ophioh
TO the public. | think you are mistaken IN the ATE
ment that the Supreme Court OF Georgia la decided
|
al That tribunal certainly decided differently at At
anta during the last MONTH and not aware that the
question was ever submitted t until that term OF the
Court But, however that may be, the eXpenehci oil
mankind has demonstrated the mpossibity OF support
log armies BY such MEANS for any considerable ength
of time In the winter OF tits in great emergency
in our sfiirs the Continental Congress vested full po"
els for the impressment Of amy supplies in Gel efal
| Washington. After very brief experiment cl the
policy under the mos. gent necessity he wrote to Tie
L Of tlaFn
ter means than mpressment could be found to supply
| his army it must disband You may find this letter.
written think, on the Of January IT'S, and con
tanning the strongest and most convincing reasons
gliust the policy vi impress ment even when prudenly
admnistered-in the fifth volume Of Sparks lie oil
| Washington.
From Alexander the Great down to own times, all
successful leaders of armies have found l. wise and he
cessary even in hostile countries, TO pay fair market
prices for all needu army supplies. The uual and APP
proved method has been levy taxes for that purpose
upon the wdOe community according to the methods to
which they have been accustomed, and With the money
thus raised purchase at market price such sary
supplies Both the object and effect OF the policy were
to distribute the burdens OF supporting the army equally
and therefore equitaby and justly even among enc
miles, Can any Government afford to be less ust TO its
| own citizens Whenever it makes the attempt it will
| finally reap discomfort, d appointment and run
What it il will ely reap The impressment
act rests upon the fundamental that the Govern
ment has the right and that it is sound policy 10 impress
commodities for the supply of the army whenever may
determine that the market price OF sucl commodity ~
on high. THIS principle subverts the very foundations
of Justice aud private rights and ends in simple naked
spolation-a spolation too the more intoleablc and
uuustfabe, because imposes large and grossly un-
equal share OF the public burthens upon the producers
army supplies to the ease and favor OF all other classes
| of society.
This policy not only aficts injustice and injury on
this class of citizens but the whole country, by thus
dicouragng productions Indispensable TO the safety and
existence OF the State itself am not aware that any
attempt has been made 10 fix the prices OF commodities
by Law statutaIy machinery in England since the
time of Edward IL, about five hundred and fty years
ago The result OF this attempt was then 80 dasrU
to society aud the folly OF this and Kindred INT a,urts
have been often AMI so convincingy demonstrated
that time that really Supposed until our present
Congress passed the under consideration, that
this eIplOded error destined no more TO veX aud
hsrrass the human raS, at least whe ever the Eng
lish topGue was spoken But alasl il seems 10 be
decreed by Providence that generation shall derive
but small profit from the experience tue suheriBgs or
the wisdom OF its predecessors. Two very respectable
aud I have no doubt very honest gentemen OF this
State acting uader the authority Of this law, have fixed
the price of wheat in Georgia at four dollars per bushe
payable in Confederate Treasury noes. TIL price is TO
stand a maximum until their further pleasure is made
knoAn. That is about one5alf Of the market price o.
that commodity in this State. To meet this staeD
things the Confederate officers charged with this branch
of the public service haze given notice that they will
seize upon all wheat which mag be sold 10 other
person than consumer at higher price than four dol
lars, and appropriate it TO the pablo service.
The result OF this aibiLIaTy and Illegal pocy, 80 ar
has been, that there being no fee bargaining between
producer and purchaser wheat Tor very small quail
ItJ) has been Sold -four has rsen our large Market
towns to from fifty to seventy dollars per barrel This
price of flour has naturally raised the price Of wheat in
the nerOrthus defeating the very object these asIute
officials bad in view. Wheat ia commodity which is ill.,
capable of monopoly in this country The of its
production open to all and sufficient for all WHO'RE
fer make bread rather than buy it, Those engaged
in It's production too numerous too widely scattered
country with too great variety Of conditions
and wants to make monopoly possible therefore may
be merely leftID those natural laws which regulate
price and under these conditions il may be safely
sumed that lis market price is the true certain and only
uialble est Of "ust compensation" to its If
this be true whatsoever sezes wheat for less than that
market price-no matter under what preence under
what authority color of authorty-Vioates justice
and the Constitution Of the Confederate States robs labor
OF its rights, and infcts deep wound upon society,"
Nor there the slightest necessity for the commission
| of these crimes The whole people prefer to sell
this as we'll as oil other commodities to their Gov.
| ernment rather than to any Other purchaser. Do
the Confederate officers pretend that the people will
not sell TO them chespy as to purchasers No
The suggestion is insult to the people! Are the
men In the army the athers husbands, brothers, SONS
| ano friends of the people at home? Are they not
Sighting in defence Of lives liberties proper les and
country, as well as their own All know and feel and
appreciate these great facts and every loyal heart at
home has made, aud is still ready TO make, every sac.
fee which affection aud patriotism demand to sus.
tain the army ard to uphold the of the country
But the people do believe that they are supporting
wisely aud we'll the army or the cause of liberty and in
dependence by UNFOLDING an act of Congress which
subVerts equality and justice violates alike the rights of
the soldier and the citizen, and the organic law Of the
land. They oppose an equal, and just and wise system
for supporting e army and the Government TO an un-
equal unjust and unwise one. They desired that the
and proper Tor these purposes be raised
by fair and equal taxation upon all classes ofctz,ns ac-
cordng to their ability 10 pay and that the money thus
raised shall be honestly applied to the public service
and expended in the purchase Of army supplies in open
market. There is growing habit among Incompetent
public servants to drag 'the poor soldier the stage
10 cnnceal or 10 divert nnhc atfen ion from thair O..