Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-04-28
An Interesting Letter.


sense entitle what he says to particular attention
and respect Our readers will find in his letter
many sensible and valuable suggestions:-
RALEIGH, April 10, 1868.
SR:-Being past active service, but anxious to
do all for the common cause within my power
feeling also, that l am now becoming a patriarch in
the hecountry, and especially in farming, venture to
address you upon the food question in this COM
monty reported crisis of our history. / say "com-
monty reported crisis" because am satisfied that
if the food panic can be removed there is no cause
of alarm. The wheat and oat harvest is rapidly
approaching; the last corn crop, | knoU, was a
heavy one in all parts of our rn-prOducing cOun-
ties, excepting only the river low grounds. There
twas clearly failure and system OF concealment
is not the proper way to deal with people under
panic. have seen much harder times in North
Carolina than the present In the spring of 1917,
being very young man, yet green to the cares of
family, with only one hundred dollars at my COM
mand, went into the market with that money, the
issue of as sound q bank chartered,
bought eleven barrels of corn and one of -four, and
all had left was ten dollars. Any one who will
make the calculation will that prices were higher
then than at. present. Again. in the summer of
1913, hundreds of families who felt that the receipt
Of public charity would have degraded them, lived
for weeks until the Irish potato crop available,
upon peas boiled in salt aud water. Instead, at
that period of beng buyer was seller, and
through an agent delivered corn to o man much
above the pauper class, who would have scorned to
ask charity, who applied for it between midnight
and daybreak, and assigned as an excuse for the
unreasonable hour, that his children would have
nothing for breakfast until he had sheled that corn
had it ground, and carried il home. Yet in both
1917 and l843 the country survived and prospered
In truth, while it is difficult to concentrate the pro-
ducts oil an agricultural country where, as with U.S.
the inhabitants live on their farms starvation is
almost impossible. All that is required is conf
dence, kindly feeling towards fellows, and an .
abiding trust that seed time and harvest will not
fail. There is nowhere always is-an excess of
caution, when fear Is once excited Let every man
having the control of provisions OF all kinds reflect
that an army cannot live a family can, upon gar
den vegetables; but must have meat and bread
more portable and less peTishable; that without
this they cannot maintain their position 10 the eld
that if obliged to retire, an enemy worse than
famine will be upon Lis domicil; that with every
mile of retreat the means of support to US are d-
mNShed, and of offence to our enemies increased
Let him bear in mind that it is better for his loved
ones to bear scapty allowance, than endure the
evils Of what is now known as refugeeism Let
him remember that merciful God has the wheat
harvest in store for US; that propitiouS seasons will
very soon give us an abundant supply Of vegetables
that whole nations less proud than are live,
from year to year, upon cabbages and potatoes and
perform mountains of work; and surely, most sure
ly, he will be forced to the conclusion that we can,
economical administration, and survive and be not
only happy, but prosperous But there is no scar
city, much less famine before US. Our fears and
the hopes of enemies have mistaken high prices
for deficient supplies. tNO has properly esti-
mated the evil effects Of redundancy in the circua-
tion.) With proper judiciOus economy after an
experience of near thirty years of the feelings and
the habits Of producers, am satisfied that there is
abundant supply of food in the country, for the
soldier at his post the negro and his mule at the
plow, and the infant at his play. Only let us be-
ware of selfish boarding of the means of life,
And here, Sir have high duty incumbent to
press upon you and while ask TO do so most plainly
and firmly, pray you to believe do it most re-
specially. What say may be unpleasant to some.
seek not to inllIct pain. all ask is to state the
truth. Any one who knows the southern farmer
must realize that Of necessity he is selereiant
man he brings home at once to his bosom that he
must take care Of himself and his DEFENDANTS that
if they require aid it is only from the kindness of
neIghbors he is TO expect IL The instinct of q
kindly nature prompts him to be willing to give as
well receive; of course he makes large proViS-
ion for domestic wants, and in times of need the
number of surpluses thus scattered il accumulated
will gravitate largely. If his timidity is excited,
these surpuseS Will oe the greater-naturaly he
feels that in the long run he is relied upon at the
extremity. Is tort to be bniltg he knows he is
to be called upon Is army TO be Eed his grain
is to do it. But who is to feed him and his depen
he is to 40 it himself Ofcourse his caution is apt
TO be carried to the extremity of prudence, and
hence he is more subject to food pancS than other
classes. On my way to this place passed 4 gang
of negroes, all able laborers, eighty five in number
engaged in building broaStwork which is put up
as a measure Of extreme caution, and which
every body hopes will never be used Put at farm
work wiLEIn a few miles of where they were, with
good management and fair seasons, those negroes
would support themselves, their families and plow
animals and spare surplus Of from twenty five to
thirty thousand bushels of oorn-oEe months sup
port Of the army OF the Rappahannock. put a
strong case, but one which know to have happen
ed on the score of production. Can sAch country
be starved? But that consideration do not intend
to press. Why should such means OF entire mmu-
nifty from want be sported with The Roman soldier
conquered the world by the spade and mattock as
much as by the sword. The legionaries of Caesar
marched and fought and fortified the same day
Are the men of the Cenfederacy less able or less
willing7 Or arc we like Eastern satraps, to march
nine attendants to the field for every combatant?-
If the Notifications necessary, Of course they
| must be built but tax not the sinews and muscles
of tie negro beyond his ability. Do not depend
upon, say two millions of mail operatives, 10 pro-
duce sustcnance for the fighting men, and also to
erect their field works prudence forbds it. say
! to others more than aE willing to submit to
for myself; having entered the serviceI shall be
| unwilling to see any OF mine return who are moi
submissive 10 every tnlng necessary 10 SUCCESS
But Sir there is another consideration; If the forts
are necessary and if negroes are--must be employ
ed to erect them, let il be done at suitable time
I have already pressed upon you the natural-tht
almost necessary timidty of the farmers. If in the
planting season his labor is withdrawn from the
work Of the farm, he will be stimulated to closer
boarding of what he now has. lie will feel that il
his hands are taken nOw, so viii they be at any
future period and why should he he will say) plant
when the receipt of an officer may prevent his cul
tivating. Why not save and hoard and secrctt
what he has, and put his hands to improvement:
valuable in the future, but not available to imme
diate production.
Again, Sir, - crop well planted is crop hal
plant in April cultivate in May and June. and trus
to God for the earlier and latter rains of July and
| August. If by unreasonable calls this arrangement