Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-12-02

~ nlsAnsal Ranaas nsnsss.
i U|||l Is ~ u 81
Nosth mAy decisive ourselves By ever.
so)i0q1gt1s reports thee como - %,
Il toq Ritbmond paoees, 81 inpsnding
IL r. D5ea = virefsis. The idsa may
b ely Gpt up here that famine 10 stalk.
ING abroad in ths South, while in reality
everybody thars has regularly . sufio.
isnt meal. Any Temporary stringsncy
in the sspply Of food, or . chance failure
Of the meat market 1t Richmond for .
single day, i Of course noted By the
faithful reporter 10 Richmond with Just
- much sxsggsration - the fact would
be recorded By any Northern jenkins;
and these items, that perhaps hardly at-
tract the attention Of Richmond read
err, are copied into the papers Of New
York with flaming head lines, and the
whole press OF the country Of once
teens With inflated editorials about the
horrors OF . Virginia famine. We can
not forget how last year the whole North
VAS wrought up into = conviction that
famine was about to perform through
tho entire south the work left uhaccom-
plished BY the sword: nor can No over.
look the fact that, through oil this, the
South has come oot uniDjured and with.
out Any apparent traces Of suffering
The fact should teach % caution in
reaching our conclusions about the pres.
eut food supplies Of the South. It is
natural that, under the circumstances,
there should be both exaggerated state
ments and exaggerated estimates based
thereon ; bat after . little more expert
ence 10 self deception, We shall learn to
form more moderate views.
There can be little doubt that, in moot
sections of the South, the crops Of the
present year have been unusually heavy,
and tbst there is now among the rebels
an abundance of both animal and vege.
table food for supplying all their wants.
But in spite Of this, there may be .
scarcity 10 some localities, and Rich
mond is just one of those places where
a lack Of supplies would be most likely
to be felt. The crops in the vicinity Of
Richmond have been merely nominal, 10
consequence Of the country having been
80 constantly overrun and exhausted by
the opposed armies. Immense amounts
of food have therefore to be transported
from the interior to supply the wants,
not only Of the ordinary population, but
Of . large army and Of the crowds that
gather at Richmond on busisess con.
nected with the war. To supply this de-
mand for interior produce there 10, since
our occupation Of the East Tennessee
Railroad, but one trunk railroad, which
has become reduced to perhaps halt it,
ordinary capacity by dilapidation that
cannot be repaired. Over this single
road troops have to be frequently trans
ported in large masses and all the mate
rial of war. If two main lines were
needed to supply Richmond 10 times Of
peace, how utterly incompetent must be
one dllapidated road in time of war;
For these reasons it is quite conceivable
that there may be general abundance
of food in the South and yet Q great
scarcity at Richmond. It il, however,
apparent that . scarcity from such q
cause makes very remote approach to
famine, that 10 fact it can never amour,
to anything beyond an Inconvenience.
The prices of food in Virgins are re.
ally very moderate in some instances re-
msrkably low, when estimated by gold
standard. Twenty dollars per barrel fer
flour seems starvation price, but 10 gold
it amounts to only two dollars, and in
Federal currency to less than three dol
lars, about one third the price at which
flour sells in our own market. From re-
quisitions and invoices picked mp in
Lees camps, evacuated in his late re-
treat to the Rapidan, it appears there
was no scarcity Of articles Of food among
bis troops. Sugar was invoiced at l21c
per ID; -four lOc; beef lOc and b.
con 81; while rations were COMMITTED
At 75c per day. These facts are more
reliable indications than any incidental
items that may sppear in the columns
Of Richmond papers, and leave 20 doubt
that our ideas Of suffering 10 Richmond
from want Of the necessaries Of lite are
greatly exaggerated.
1t can serve no useful purpose to hug
a dslusiou on such an important matter.
1t only serves to lessen our estimate of
the real strength Of the rebellion below
the facts, and SO far teods to relax our ef.
forts to break its power. The sooner
We reach thorough conviction that the
only way TO conquer the rebellion is by
an overwhelming military force, the
nearer We shall approach to achieving
the great patriotic enterprise to which
the nation has committed ito honor and
its aIl.-U. 8. Economist.