The Semi-weekly Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1862-1864, 1864-01-29
Old Series Vol. vi


vey OF the State. and consequently no one
y knows Its hidden wealth. L am credibl >
J., informed that large quantities Of Ignite,
Q IRON. lead: aud the s'llphates are to be found
i IN the Northern Parishes. The iron
i ore is said to be very rich, containing,
it IS reported. sixty per cent / respectful.
, ~ call these facts to your attention. and re-.
f commend that the Executive be authorized
n to send competent and experienced persons
0 to examine thoroughly into these matters.
= IL 1t should be found, that we have these
va abl g minerals in abundance.
then. the Executive should be clothed
II with discretionary powers to give to the
, people their immediate benefit. Our noble
sister State, Texas has done much towards
, developing her resources. Her Legsla-
, turc has made the most liberal. appropria:
tons, and her citizens are now mining with
great success. To her alone, We must look
now for all the iron we Use. OF all the met:
ais, it is the most important Both the
civil and military Departments REQUIRE il
IN large quantities, and without it. our fields
) can not be cultivated, nor our armies put
IN motion. / shall take great pleasure in
be intrusted with this important subject.
and give them much valuable information,
WHAT DEPREclArEs CONFEDERATE MONEY!
now Is TIE NATTER TO Re RENEplEp.
When VIC reflect and look carefully into
thls grave subject, we will find that Confed-
crate Treasury notes are not 80 much
uepreciated as many seem to think. Con-
tederate money was never intended to be
used in foreign countries. 1t was issued a.
q currency-a circulating medium for this
IConfederacy a!oAe-as such. it has answer
ed its purposes. under all the circumstances
very well. So long as We have an ar,uy
OF three hundred Thousand men to pay, and
feed, and clothc, and arm, and eauip-so
long as every State is military cncanrp.
ment, aud every village a barrack for sol
diers-so long as We make war upon the
immense scale that we are now compelled
to adopt, there must be q very large circula.
| ton of some kind Of money. This cannot
be prevented Contraction OF that cir
cu!ation at present will not reduce the price
OF any one article now most needed in the
community. To-day in Louisiana, land and
com are just as cheap as they were before
the war. Why: Because there is plenty
IN the market. Negroes, and horses. and
cattle are about three times as high. Whys
Because the market is not SO we'll supplied
as heretofore. Nails and axes and cooking
utensils are almost worth their weight in
gold. Why. Because there are none for
sale 1fit were possible to reduce the cur
rcncy to one hundred Confederate dollars
III this Department. u pound of nails could
not be bought for that sum of money
Why? because they are not TO be had at
any price. Let us carry this argument out
- ittit aai tHei. DuSuel corn lS worth
today in the market two dollars. It will
make one gallon Of whiskey, and that gal
Ion Of whiskcy is worth one hundred dol
lars! Why Not because the Confedc-
rate money is so bad, but because the bad
wh>kcy is SO scarce. 4 pound OF cotton
can be purchased for twenty ccnts-iu the
same market u yard of calico will bring
ten dollars. Not because Confederate mo.
ncy is worthless. for it buys the cotton, but
SIMPLY because we have no manufactures
et cotton cloth in the State. Ny belief is
that all things considered. we have carried
on this great struggle. for three years. very
well with Confederate money. 1 shall not
currency. nor advise that Confederate
notes shall or shall not be made legal
tender. This is not the panacea for our
troubles This will not reduce high prices
III articles of prime necessity. The only
method, in my judgment to benefit the
currency is to follow the example that has
been set us by Texas. Encourage manu-
Factories of all kinds. Bend all your cncr-
sies to the manufacturing of every article
aecded at home or in the field
If zeal and activity and slcepless energy
Will aid yon. You shall have my hearty sup
port. Call into requisition every idle man
and woman in the State who wants work. If
accessory take every fifth negro woman.
and put her at the LOOM and take every
18TH negro man and put him into the shop.
tnd, IN few short months. you will find a
ar different state of things. Plsughs and
hoes. and axes. and cooking utensils. shoes
md boots. and hats and clothing of every
ore the war began. Stock the market well
With these necessary articles, and then Con-
rdcratc money will buy as much as cold
ND silver did in former days
an fully aware that too much Confede-
ate money is now in circulation. Tho
N..S 1t-Il1 ,l. ,I, o~~,,x
oPed that Congress viii. at its pre-
cnt SESSION, make provision for further
urtailmcnt. But whatever action Con-
rcss shall take in the premises let us do
ur duty. You are the guardians of tho
tirrcncv of this State. Call in every dot
IT of state money: that will be so much
God done in the right direction Let the
lirrency be uniform. Let there-be no N
ldlous comparisons between State and
ontcderate notes. Then turn your earn
st attention to manufactures of cvc,y
lnd Start the hammer and the loom Let
le furnace smoke and the anvil ring Stj-
lulate capitalists to embark in these indus
"ial pursuits ut home. for while the block
de stands You cannot get such articles as
on now need so much, unless Won make
iem yourselves, If uIe-half of the cant
u that has been sent to foreign lands in
inning the blockade, had been invested
| manufactures ut home our country
ou'" nc thls uhy III 4 lar better condition
therefore finally recommend that You
tabi'sh "a Mining and Manufacturing BIZ
au,, Uo which may be attached a La
,ratory tor preparing indigenous mcdi-
nes , and place at It's head men Of int.ili-
:nce, of energy, and unuoubted honesty.
his Is a great undertaking but we area
eat people. and should be equal to any
hersency; On the field we are The equals
any in the world. Let us learn lesson
'm the enemy and profit by their exam
e. Itcy manufacture everything at
me 1t Is not too late for us to begin
= nave Immense resources. We can save
e currency and the country We will.