Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-05-01


ci!Y IF lF,i'!o~7bHr9, YORK: Far.cisk and
Elizabeth CITY.
Fellow .ctizeus: With kindneas. for
Shich Cha! ba always gs.tbfut, Won
c!e'ted me 70 :eprsssn. you in tho fl rht
Congress Of lie Confederate Stssta, now III
session. Little over one Year of the term for
which | vas alscted ha, expired, tu, uadsr
the law Of frginii, which tor the present
regulates the election Of meubers of Con-
srsss, tho members of The second Congress
are to he elected on the fourth Thursday in
Aly nex., and, as you have seen by my AZ
nnnnceruent in thu newspapers, Am once
mofe candidate for your sulfeages.
Ho~ hsVe discharged ths trust, thus far,
with Shich you honored Iu0, il doea not De-
c9Me. 80 II speak, except to say that hsyo
noeHHbaerFed myself from your service for q
| single day except when compelled by sicknesa.
| contracted IN that service; and that IN my
votes hid acts havc heen actuatcd solely BY
| tha desire to advance, by all constitutional
means: The great an holy cause in which we
arc Engaged, and protect and promote the in
| loTrst, OF my constituents. In truth, my
private business has been virtually aban.
doha.. Ofttcso votes complaint Of one only
has reached In-; al as tho general sentiment
OF tho country, In which | entirely concur,
properly Irpudi.tcs psrsunal canvass as such
q Eion.ent as the p:esent, when the domoniac
foe who asnris your liberty ard sesks your
| lives ard property, is exerting ell his power to
accomplish his fell designs; and il it did not, the
military rules and indignant spirH of our
gallant soldiers would eH2el the eleotioneerer
from Ina camp, log the favor Of your atten-
tt,n -f,tln - 81
acknowledgment Of the relations between
us, issign the Iessons which prompted me
to give thu vote complained of. When the
bill was introduced which proposed to 10
crease the pay OF tho privates and non-com.
missicned officers, enquirsd what the total
annual amount of increase would be- ard
%Ga tod t:,at It would 81 cog 900 200 :;
snd after tan bsst confederation watch 1
| conld gve the eubject, as the f lend # the
soldier CT veil AZ CT tho cause in which ne
is enlisted, I thought it bes. to vote against
tho bill, because believed tia. the usage of
the bill would isiuro him Is well IS the
Cause
The circulation CT the country was ez-
pn:dins eyory day by tho increasing ex-
penses q the war. and tho issue Of treasury
! notes to meet them, producing q CONSEQUENT
depreciation OF the value Of the currency,
aad appreciation Or Inc.eass Of prize Of eve
rything tU be purchased; 40 that the soldier
already had 10 pay two or three dollars for
articles which QUO dolar should have pur-
chased. II 10 this already excessive ard
| constantly dtprscisling currency an addition
Of s25 100000 per snnum for the pay of the
p'jYatrs and non commissioned officers slone
was made the effect would be, in my opin.
ion, and in the opinion Of thosa wiser than
myself with whom conferred, 20 to depre.
ciats The pay Of the soldier still farther, that
with The increase it would be OF less yaluo
than his then psy without tho increase; in
Other words, whilo 1t then required Two or
| three dollars to pay for what one dolls.
should have purchased, it would require az
| forwards four or five. Subsequ mt expo.
risncs h.s fully justified the opinion; Tor,
wilhuu: tho n.:di;i1n ~ tie a25 900 0OU por
Snnum, ths currency cooiioued 10 expand
AMI crpreci..S until it required more than
five dollsra 10 perform the part Of one
Would rut The passage OF tho bill, then, have
boen sn 'riary ahd hot bsneti: 10 The SOL
dltr: and AIN not fully Sustained when
FAY that IL wsu ~ the friend OF tho soldier
ihst voted against tho bill, whereby do
c'insl To Eifa him. not Gnllar, but IS Jack
lt,nw ave n lay hand for purposes Of
Popularity ei:d stump defamation, but dead
III bis. si:ii ugh honorable, Intelligent and
candid ,sontisiurn, whose motives and con.
duct Il Ia Dol my purpose 10 iUpeach, taking
n different ylsS of II, voted for the bill. Tho
true node of ircsoas:ng the soldiers paw
~as to Faduco tbs circulation. and thus in
cressu Tho Value 81 tns dollars he Lhsn had.
This osr-Y soIdi,r will understand st once
wien he. Is aGksd hnw many OF hi, pnper
dollars ~ will give for one gold dollar; in
otter words, whether be would not prsfe.
to have tho Dumhbr of his paper dollars d.
sninish.d until thoss lsfs shall be of the value
Of gold, rEthVr thGh ih.ir Euuber increased
and their value still flu ther diminished.
But there was, in my opinion, still better
moda Of giving relief to the soldiers who
needed: rali,f. than an indiscriminate increase
of tho pay Ct all, and that was to relieve their
families: and, tia, efors at the same time
that tho bill IT, Increase tie pay was referred
to the Military Committee, submitted tho
following joint resolution, which way refer
red to tho Same Committee:
RESOLVED ny tho Congress Of the C,nfed-
ersto States of America, Tha: Oongres s is fui-
ly sensible Of the great and patriotic services
which have been rendered by the gallant
army Of Tho Oonfederncy, and deeply grateful
for tkem. That, in the opilion of Congress,
the psy Of the soldier is not rs large as it
ought TO be, AMI would be gladly raised by
Congress- II the resources Of the Confederacy
would justify il in doing 80 but while our
ports are bluckaded and our trade rhereby
cut off, It WOULD not DO wise, OF just 10 the
country or fhe army to increase the currency
TO the l.. furious extent 20 which it would be
necessary to increase it in order to mako
any valuable increase of pay. The deprsciA-
ton Of the currency which such increase
would occasion, would render the increased
pay Of les5 value to tho soldier than his pre-
sent pay. But Congress will consider it ga
ored duty to make suitable provision f5r the
families Of those soldiers who need it, and
also to proyids proper compensation to the
soldier as soon ns tho resources Of tho coun-
Try will permit"
by these resolutions. as you perceive,
declared my opinion that the pay YVES not
lArgs enough, and ought to DO raised ; aud
Proposed To pledge Congress not only to raise
it, but to provide Tor the families of those
soldiers who were In need oft
At subsequent period, introduced q bill
to appropriate ivo millions Of dollars for the
| use CT tho families Of tho soldiers, which Is
| upon ths calendar Of the House.
In Masking thess rorusrks 10 respec! to the
currency, lot me- not be understood a. con-
voyipg the i1e. thst Confederate money ia not
really worth Gil that 1t purports, dollar for
| dolla'; fo- suoh la not my opinion. have
entire con2dencn in it, and am willing to ~
c=iGe It for snP,hins bave to part with. /
have psrf=ot coz hience in it because know,
as MI do, tho ability Of the Cohfsder.cy to
psy, and ita hon"r am sure, i. at least equal
10 ita ability. W. hsye srpr.'.'ed ourselvss
tn iiiLlo purEcgn fiom raoa hf thicvcs and
murjere1s, # We shall ben,me hwindlers
ourselves. No mans heart has conceived
the thought, trust, and no mans tongue