Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-03-17
The Supply. of Food.

|
the following extract from letter from Randolph
! County:
"A letter was published some time since in the
O6serUer as to the future prospects of few Counties
up in this part of the land, to which intended to
! reply but seeing that others have alluded to it
may just say that the writer very much mista-
ken in his observations. have fearful forebodings
to the present and future prospects Of our people
in this County being able to support themselves
The labor here is far the larger part done by white
persons, and so many of them are called into the
| field, causes these painful forebodings. Time will
make manifest"
We have made inquiries on the subject of many
persons from various parts of the State and our
conviction is that while Aere is enough meat and
bread to do people, if properly distributed,
tn the next crop, yet with the great drain upon
white labor occasioned by the CONSUMPTION and the
certainty that there will be no surplus of corn or
meat next year in any of the Counties east of the
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, the prospect
next fall and winter is more gloomy than it is at
present This is our candid opinion: But will
what is in hand be properly distributed? We fear
not The majority of those who have corn and ba-
con will hold it. for in the first place, they do not
need money and in the second place, they do not
want ordinary currency for that which is equal to
specie To take it by force would be to inaugurate
mob law, of which no one could foresee the end
Almost every alternate farm from this point to the
Tennessee line, which is or has been cultivated by
white persons, is now lying idle, growing up in
weeds and brierS, with decaying fences and many
small farmers will find it impossible to make more
than halfa CROP account of the scarcity of corn
and farming implements And to this gloomy View
is to be added the strong probability that the Prcs
dent will CALL in the of few months for the
eonscripts up to 49, and that the Forcble Impress
ment Of corn and bacon throughout the State will
be common thing by the first day of June. Will
the people submit to this impreSsment We think
not For our part, devoted as we have been and are
to the cause, and the friend of the soldier
elf the issue should be made between supplies for the
soldiers and the starvation of their wives and child
rem at home as we'll as the wives and children of
Others we shall take sides with the latter. If the
worst should come, the soldiers with arms in their
hands, could provide for themselves but if the wolf
of starvation should once enter the houses of the
women and children they would be too feeble to
drive him out Happen what may, we will not
stand by with our hand on our mouth and our pen
paralyzed, with the spectacle before us of helpless
women and children starvinga and dying for the want
of bread They at least are innocent There is no
blood on their garments. They, did not labor to
break up the old government and orng on the war;
which has been full of calamity to US all. .
4 day Of humiliation and prayer has been ap-
,ointed by the President. There is need for it
The people of these Confederate States are more
.tecped in moral guilt than they were before the
war. To large extent we are nation Of extor-
TONERS. The exceptions shine like the stars that
peep now and then through the openings of the
clouds on a stormy night Let the really pious
among US "cry nightly to God" for snccor and
deliverance from our cruel enemies at the North
and above all, let them earnestly beseech Him to
deliver US from those wicked persons in our midst
who are Withholding corn from the poor, and grow
ing rich on the miseries of the suffering and forlorn
Let them im?lore Him to bless the earth for the
sake of the innocent and helpless, as we'll as for
those who are fighting our battles.
twill not do to follow the example Of the Phari-
see by thanking God that we are not like other men
will that Minister of the Holy Gospel properly
or thoroughly perform his duty, who shall dwell
with pleasure on the records of bloody battle-feds
inculcate spirit of hatred towards the great body
of the Northern people. GOD be merciful to me,
a sinner" is the humble and heartfelt. ejaculation
of every soul which hopes for and receives the hea-
venly blessing The Northern government, with
the consent of majority Of the people, is waging
cruel war against us; but our own snfulness can
not be palliaed nor mitigated by the fact that our
enemies are also wicked. A just God will take ven-
geance Let us leave that to Him.