Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1863-07-24
THE FRUITS OF" "BlocKADRR RUNNING.

Cold is now worth seven dollars premi-.
rm III E.'"monl, says t.le columbus, Ca,
'oun. anf las been sold us high AS seven
and a half aud eight dollars in Charleston.
Its tendency is still upward, and it would
be difficult to conceive a limit to its appre~-
c'a,lon 10y the .fi'st of October, shoald the
war and the blockade continue so long.
lEe cause OF this unparalleled premium
on gold an silver is well understood. No
man Is SO ignorant as to suppose it owing
10 want OF confidence in our national
currency. The cause does not liu in the
depreciation Of Confederate notes; it is
occasioned by the scarcity of gold and
SILVER within the Confederate lines, and
tn's scarcity has been occasoned by block.
"de running. Confederate notes will n,t
purchase goods at tho North; they wi |
not even pay ta:crn bills there; nor yet
1e'ray travelling expenses after leaving the
Confederate ports. 10 run the blockade
requires gold and s:lyer, or cotton, or the
e4niyaIe.s either 10 "greenba.ks" or in
Sterling exchange. Hence, large premi-
uins arc offered for it. and every steamer
gong out from Confederate port"
contributes to the comparative depreciation
OF our paper currency just in proportion
to the amount Of srocio which sho carries
[ cut.
Not only does this system Of block ads
running. drain Us of.all our gold and silver
currency, but it drains US Of the great basis
OF our national currency also. Congress
having done nothing to regulate this mat.
ter, large quantities Of cotton are daily
lndlng foreign market. The drain NAV
be comparatively slow but it is constant.
There has bee" very little or no cotton
raised in The Confcderacy since the war
| began. Indeed, such is the state o. public
sentiment that he who would now raise
cotton in preference 10 provision crops,
must first make up his mind to receive tbs
almost universal cxecrations of his fellow
citizens. Whilst, therefore, our cotton is
constantly finding its. way out, there i:
none coming iii 10 sunply tho future de-
manI. More cotton has left the port of
Charleston, alone, for foreign markets,
| within the las: four months. than has been
rared in the whole ConlcIeracy during tho
last two years.
It is quite easy to sec how this thinr
wi! end. Two years more, and we shall
'" "~'1'ei s5o'" Iiol C"ttOh lCT Z OASIS OF
credit. and t.cu what? Our people
will have purchased and partly worn out
| the l.ng'ish cal;coes and Yankee motions,
received III exchange for gold and cotton.
CoAll we see shipment Of army sup
plies, then the case would be different.
We would then have something to show
for OH. gold and something which
would contribute to our cause, something
to relieve the necessities of our people.
But as it is, we receive in exchange for our
god and cotton rotLing that we actually
need Our patriotic ladies d. not regard
iankec ca!cos. and swiss muslins as arti-
cles of necessity. They arc content to
wear homespun until they can see their
suffering country liberated Our soldiers
can fight as g.llantly i'll brown j"ans as in
English broalcloths, anJ woo!en hats and
cowhidc boots become the. extremities Of
our Congressman and people much better
in these days of peril than English beavers
and French kirs. Where is the necessity
for su"L tralea What good is to result
from it?