Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-01
Items from Rebel Papers.
: The Charleston Mercury saws


and we fear much labor has been thrown
away"
!" Mr.. James Doherty has commenced
the manufacture of fshot in Petersburg,
Va, and bis works are in successful ope.
ration. The steeple of the old Presbyte.
rlan church has d cen converted into Shot
tower" -
Gov. Vance, of North Carolina, has
issued proclamation prohibiting for the
space OF thirty days, the transportation
from the State the following named arti.
Giles: Salt, bacon, pork, beef, corn, meal,
Hour, potatoes, shoes, leather, hides, cot
ton cloth, yarn an wooden cloth.
The Richmond Enquirer of the 10Th
says: SO far the enemy has managed the
western campain very ably, and, in fact,
has entirely out-generaled Us in the West,
as we have out-generaled him in the East.
The assignment however of Gen. Johnson
to the Western Department affords the
prospect of some early and brilliant action
IN these distant theaters Of the war. His
command includes Gen. emberton's dis
trict, to which he will doubtless have q
careful eye. We do not know what force
Gen. Johnston has in his command: but,
II he is not deficient IN force, it is rot i'm
possible that powerful diversions, for the
purpose of relieving Gen. Pemberton and
Price might be made, which, if successful,
might turn the scale and open the next
Spring campaign in Missouri and On the
banks of the Ohio.
= Gov. LEToHER, of Virginia, publishes
letter denying any correspondence with
FERNANDO WOOD on the subject of peace.
He says:
1t cannot be that the people of the Con-
federate States can again entertain feel
ing OF affection and respect for the gov
eminent of the United States We have
therefore separated from them; and now
let it be understood that the separation
Is aud ought to be irrevocable; that Vir-
GINA will, under no circumstances, enter.
tain any proposition, from any quarter,
which may have for its object a restoration
or reconstruction OF the late Union, on any
terms or conditions whatever.
= The Richmond Wig makes great
complaint of the failure of the CONSUMPTION.
1t says:
More than two months have elapsed
since the enactment OF the law for the in
crease of the army by CONSUMPTION. We
have no knowledge that it has yet added
q man to our force in the field. Time is
precious. We are outnumbered at all
points. We hold our present positions
with difficulty and uncertainty.
1t recommends some stringent measures
for the support of the rebel cause, as fol-
lows:
Food and raiment must be supplied
the former entirely, and the latter largely,
by the people And that there may be
no failure, and that the government may
not, by reason of extortionate charges, be
compelled so to multiply its treasury is
sues as to make them worthless, or to
incur debt that would leave no alterna-
tive but the disgraceful necessity of repu-
diation, we are of opinion the the system
Of lnepressment Dil haze to be adopted
and practiced IN all commissary and guar.
ternaasters' transactions 6eyaoeen the 900
er7anent and people. The government
should adopt and publish fair and liberal
scale of prices for everything it reeds, and
sending out discreet and honest agents,
provided with such vouchers of office as
would allow no doubt Of their authority
should take ratably Of the surplus of
each, whatever is required for the support
and the efficiency of our noble and self
sacrificing soldiers. *
When the principle of CONSUMPTION is
applied to persons, there is no reason why
it should be foreborne as to things. II
the government may go to the freside of
the family and take the father, the hus-
band, the son-the all.in all to thousands
of helpless and gentle beings, it may enter
barns and granaries, and fields, and facto-
ries, and storebouses, and take whatever
is necessary to feed its conscribed but
brave soldiers, and protect them from the
deadly blast of winter. No man who has
brains in his head and a heart in his b.
som will say nay. And, as a part of this
compulsory system, we regard it as the
imperative duty Of the legislatures of the
different states to pass satch laeos as a0iU
insure the application OF an andu6itably
adequate am0unt of labor and means to
the production Of the accessories of life.
Under the temptation of the present pric.
es of tobacco and cotton, it is not safe to
leave it to the choice Of planters to en-
ploy their lands and labor as they please
An alarmingly small crop of wheat has
been seeded. The deficiency must be
made up by large paintings of corn, beans,
potatoes, NC, next spring. The number
of pounds of tobacco and cotton per hand
which each planter shall be permitted to
make must be limited by law, and, as a
penalty for disregarding that law, every
pound that may be produced in excess of
the number fixed by statute, should be
oonfscated to the state. * :
The circulation of the country has at
tanned volume plainly in excess of the
the needs of business, and has therefore
ceased to be the test and standard of value.
Ii it goes On increasing, as it will unless
strong remedy is applied, it will lose all
value, and the wheels of government will
stop, and the arm of war be paralyzed for
lack of that without which governments
aud armies cannot be maintained. The
principle Of c0nscripti0n which is now
applied to the persons Of free citizens, and
which will have CT necessit1te to be applied
to their property, as Just as applicable and
e9fcaci0us III its operations on their purses.
The circulation of the country cannot be
enlarged without fatal consequences. To
avoid it the government must have re-
turned to it by some process or other, a
sufficient amount of the currency now
aiioat, as, by its reissue, or of another
substitute tor it, to answer the demands
which 1t (the government has for funds.
But three modes exist of attaining this
result; heavy tax, a forced loan, Or a
coerced funding in government bonds.
The Richmond Dispntch is somewhat