The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1864-05-04
Advice to JEFF. Davis -GrOwls
from the People. ....

will surely not exact from her.
Advice to JEFF. Davis Growls
from the People. ....
A late number of the Richmond
Enquirer contains the following re.
markable article: ...- .... .
To his Excellency the President oi
the Confederate States,-Sir: A wise
and magnanimous Chief Magistrate
will not turn deaf ear to the we'll
meant suggestions of the humblest
citizen; and, therefore, address these
lines directly to you, that you may
Judge yourself, free from the interven,
ton of any one else whatever.
| will not speculate upon the proba-
Bile results of the loss of Richmond
and East Tennessee, and Northern,
Eastern and Western North Carolina.
But l think | can see very clearly
how Richmond and Virginia may be
defended and held by our armies, and
l look forward to the happiest results
from such consummation.
We have arms and ammunition in
abundance, and men enough, and
there is food enough in the country,
in my opinion. If this be so, and the
whole world must sooner or later know
tiff it really be so-then if Rich
mond and Virginia be not successfully
defended, an awful responsibility must
rest somewhere.
believe we have not only food suf-
fcient for the men and horses, but
that there is ample railroad transpor-
tation to place it in Virginia, where
it is most needed. I have seen two
thousand heavy packages of goods
exposed for sale at a single auction;
lawns selling at fifty dollars per yard
that were not worth fifty cents, and,
studying the subject, found the Sc
cret of the scarcity and high price of
provisions. / found that no Govern
ment could compete with banded spec
ulators, realizing such profits. They
can afford to pay express companies
and railroad companies ten times the
freight paid by Government. Every
day I see express wagons filled with
heavy packages of provisions at the
doors of the departments and bureaus
in this city, and L infer that the fav
ored officers (non-combatting) have
plenty, even if the soldiers, wading
through fire and blood, are kept for
month on short rations.
These things are still seen and
known by the soldiers, who are still
patient and patriotic. 1t is true,
thousands Of dollars are expended in
advertising express agents will carry
food to the army-thanks to their
patronizing omnipotence. But the
parents of the soldiers will not send it
unless they can be present and deliver
it themselves.
But the remedy. I would humbly
suggest to your excellency the neces-
sity Of exterminating speculation in
food and ralment. Let the Govern
ment take the entire surplus of these
indispensable articles into its own
keeping, as it has taken the entire
population of certain ages. Then
make everything give way to Govern
mcnt freight, and accumulate in Vir-
gnia not only enough for the army,
but for the families of the soldiers,
&c. Nothing could be easier or more
simple. Let the surplus products be
paid for .at schedule prices, and sold
at the same, the army being provided
for, and there will be no more specu-
lation. Your Excellency knows how
salt has been supplied in Virginia; ev-
erything needful can be supplied in
the same way, and We could maintain
the war for fifty years. ,'.' "...t
trust your Excellency will listen to
a word as to men. They are not to be
supplied by few clerks from the de-
partments. Indeed, it would be a
crying injustice, such as would ascend
in thunder to Heaven, to remove some
of them-those who have left house
and land, and forsaken all for the
cause, having here parents, little sis~
ters and brothers depending on their
salaries for scanty subsistence. No;
remove only those who cannot make
affidavit that they have no other means
of supporting those dependent on them
but their salaries, and this will reach
large per cent. But look narrowly
to the non commissioned officers here,
who are patronized by the express
wagons; young men, red-faced and
robust, and rich, who 60 about boast.
ing their ability to5keep their clerks,
in spite of law and order---look for
these in all the Departments and Bu-
reaus; aye, even in the Conscription
Departmentitself, and tho besom need
riotbe idle,sm cd Jadi ,1s7auod s,3is.
~ u atga i#.fYs1. aj s7a'uf Yiida- e.,,