The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-02

for food. This complaint Ii re-echoed by
the Governors or Geofgia, South Carolina
and Alabama. But the Legislature Of
Georgia refused to pass , law compelling
the planters to put In corn; and there Is no
probability that they will take moro than
ordinary care, when neither they nor their
negroes have been accustomed to any other
than the culture Of cotton. The great man
ufacturers are exhausted of cotton. II the
ports can be opened in any way-whether
by submission, conquest, or foreign inter-
vention, the profits on cotton will be al
most incalculable. There will be de-
mand for all there is and all there may be.
The planters well know this, and nothing
but the fear of their own starvation vii!
prevent their cultivating cotton instead OF
corn. It is the army and the towns that
are in danger, not the planters; hence this
vail. Davis and his military satraps cry
out for corn. Richmond and Petersburg
have bread riots, and there is no question
that both are in great distress. This TOO,
ton with Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana,
whence two-thirds of their meat supply
was derived. Hence the army ration OF
beef has reduced to one-half. But, if the
recent news be correct-that we have now
a sufficient fleet between Vicksburg and
Port Hudson-all their supplies west of the
Mississippi are cut off and will remain SO.
force, how are the rebel armies to be pro-
visioned? We cannot expect to starve q
whole people, while they have an immense
extent of land; but to starve the army is
another question. Ifthere is to be q con-
test between the army and the people for
food the army will go down. The people
will feed themselves, whether the army
stands or falls. Force is unavailing, for
the army cannot reach more than tenth
of the farms, and cannot spare the men to
rob them. Lees campaign in Maryland is
instructive. His men lived for weeks
mainly on green corn and fruit, and that
when the want of supplies in the South had
It is yet nearly four months before green
corn and fruit can supply them. In that
time their distress will be very great. But,
let us suppose that they can live through
that, what is their prospect for the future?
Wheat cannot be grown extensively in the
South, except in the N0thern districts,
which are not very likely to be in their
that the corn crop IS doubled, we can see
by the census of 1860 very nearly what is
to be the result. The reader may be sur
prised by the following tables, showing
how completely the pseudo Southern Con-
federacy is dependent upon the Border
Slave States. Maryland, Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and Tennessee substantially, are in
as and Arkansas we assume to be cut of,
with the exception of petty traffic on the
borders; for observe, should our forces hold
the western approaches to Vicksburg and
Port Hudson, and if our feet Of gunboats
commands the river between them, no
considerable supplies can cross the Missis-
sippi in Louisiana. Assuming the northern
counties of Virginia in our possession, to
be an equivalent for the southern counties
of Tennessee in theirs, and things to re-
main the same, (Which we hope they will
not,) the Southern Confederacy which con-
tains the armies and must support them,
consists of Virginia, North and South Car
DINA, Georgia. Florida, Alabama and Mis-
sissippi. These seven States are the whole
of it. The war west of the Mississippi is
distinct affair. The great body OF sol
diers from Texas and Louisiana are on the
east of the Mississippi, and one-half OF
them already destroyed. The problem
then is-ca1. these eight States maintain hay
a n,illion of men in the field and feed them
seluess To say the least, this is the prob
lem they have to solve, and very curious
one it is. The following table shows ex
actly the number Of ANIMALS and the pro-
duction of grain in the Confederacy and in
the Slave States in our possession, by the
| Census of 1860, which see Davis & Co. are
now Guoting as authority for themselves
MEMBER OF ANIMALS.
Maryland, Ken Virginia =
lucky, Tennes- Carolina, s.
see, Missouri, Car, Geor.
and Arkansas. gia, Florida
Alabama
Mississippi
Cattle, 3,56O,OOO 5,261 ,0O(
Hogs, s,669, 900 1O,446, O0(
| Horses, 1,5l1, 800 1,4O5,W(
Sheep, 3,l85,00O ,OOO
BY this statement we see that the foul
Northern slave States, with Arkansas, have
nearly half of the animals in the South
disregarding Texas and louisiana, which
are cut off, Texas alone has two-tifths O
all the cattle in the Southern Confederacy
and Texas cattle have supplied the beef fol
the Southern army. Animals do not grow
in year, and this deficiency of cattle can
not be made up. To hog and homony
then, (Which they have heretofore turned
over to the negroes the rebels must turr
their attention. In other words, corn mus
be the great support of the South, if they
can get enough Of it.
The following table Of grain produced II
the South is taken from the last census:
i