Washington telegraph., 1864-08-31

! ridiculous security for the return Of any mer-
chandise whatever. either good or bad, as very
small amount of specie, received for cotton.
would buy enough Confederate money to relieve
the securities of responsibility, and enable the
Jew or Gentle to 60 on his way rejoicing. with
the life blood Of our cause in his pocket, to
swell the wealth of our enemy or ncutras.
| In the course of time the pressure of circum-
| stances made it necessary to call upon the
people of the department for half their cotton
for public purposes. The legality of this was
| unquestionable. \ new state of circumstances
had supervened in our affairs, rendering il
indispensable to the public safety to deny to the
| citizens, for while, the right to export their
cotton for private purposes. lt would have
| been unjust to have allowed Spectators, or trad
ors in their own cottor, o have removed their
crops under the regulations of the President.
whilst the planters of the country were com
| PEELED, or voluntarily contributed half General
Smith, therefore, on the fourth of June, issued
an order specifying on what terms this neces-
| sary and indispensable assent for the expectation
| OF cotton might be obtained, which he did by
the regulations of June 4th.
These regulations withhold that assent alto
| gether, except to persons exporting government
or State cotton, and 10 those who may actually
| have introduced machinery, or mechanical or
agricultural implements, in sufficient amount to
pay for the same; and to persons who may have
obtained the cotton from government in exchange
toT army supplies already delivered; and to per-
sons who may have actually delivered a like
amount of cotton to government by purchase
or otherm ise All these may obtain permit
for the expectation Of cotton. Certainly the
rights of those who fail to bring themselves
within one Of these classes are not iufringcd
| They have no vested right to export cotton at
all. being prohibited by act of Congress, and
not by Gen. Smith, whose assent is left to his
own discretion
| That Gen Smiths regulations dispense with
the bond, and allow rhc permit TO be issued by
the collector in the first place is in favor of the
exporter. Ii Gen. Smith can give satisfactory
reasons therefor to our go, ernment, certainly
no citizen has Il right TO complain.
The regulations of Gen. Smith not only
| lawful, and consonaui (so far the rights of
citizens are couccrncl) with those OF President
Davis but are cIuinently wise. Tavors are
thereby extended to those who deserve them.
and denied to those who would abuse them
Those who sell half to the government, may
export the other half Those who don't, can
not. Those who furnish supplies may take cot
ION therefor and export it, or export their own TO
like amount, and those who actually bring in
machinery and tools may export cotton to pay
for it. These regulations tend TO encourag" pa
,riotism and discourage speculation.
Those who do not like Gen. Smiths regula-
tions may proceed still, under those of the Pre-
sidcn;, the first step of which is to get the en-
dorsenent of the commander for the permit Ii
he gets that, he may safely proceed Without
ii. We cannot perceive what ground he would
have to stand upon in q Confederate court.