Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-15

Auet eltslts SSiiSoLS W AZ - -
regard 10 It's exchange Ct prisoners, the
SECURE Of private property, and observance Of
the duties Of humanity, or place thsmselves
| under the ban Of civilized nations, and with
out the pale of national law.
The following con mLnication Is from on,
of the mossintelligent gentlemen in Vrginia
Of fervent patriotism aod frstrate. practiea
sense. We commend its important suss:s
tions to lac attention Of our Legislature:
HAsDEN Sidney, Va, Jan. IL. 1861
Col. S. Mcdowell REID. Member Of Gen. Ass
Of Ea. for RockJridse Co.:
Nv Dear Colonel Your experience arc
public 81 irit prompt me to request ytur judg
ment anu seilon on the full.wiug matters:
The public have been much and properly
occupied Of laeSwith tho absolute necessity
IF extending our domestic manufactures, es'
peoially to clothe aud shoe our people anc
armies To depend on biockaded commerce
which may soon be obstructrd. Is almost in
sanity. Nov, the wealth and Industry OF the
country is too sternly enlisted in the work q
wsr to make it possible for Us to create
lourishing public enterprises during tie
struggle numerous enough tt. Rutiics. The
| bone IS vein. The thing we can.d3, Is 20 ex
lend sufficiently dom 'sl'c manufactures pro
per. thas ia. manufactures in the homes q
lie people. FIR TO do this r1qu res 20 dis.
ruptiJn of existing arrar gamcn:a of capital
and population, aud enhsrs vas. humber o.
| willing aud patriotic hands, otherwise not
| available: Tho hands Of our women and female
| II -, 4 ,b;, Ih-an thip0u
| needed, which the Commonwealth must help
us to gee: cardirg machines herd. looms viii
ne flying shuttle. aui plenty Of Fpun cotton
warps.
|. Carding wocl BY baaa is'the great d;iii
Guilty in household spinning; tuj "a active
woman spins from one to two pounds Of wooien
| rolls with ease per day. Elher repair 81
create ons car ling lauchinc 20 oa;h cnunsy
thus: Let each member Of tho Assembly r.
respond with his county court and g,5 them
| I'd n, inmate some 0he csatral and homes
| miil-oTncr for the county, to whom tho CInl
mouwealth shall extend help Il. procure "pd
attach frstrate cardiag machine. 10 his
present machinery, for which aid he sh,d
make just return ia the shape If a tax on The
profits of his cnrding. To eGect this, wha'
| you need is the oarding cylinder; all else CuI
own machines can produce. But this, private
enterprise caanot get it is Impossible. Ian
port them fJr u3 at ouco.
2. Our god women oil over tho country
are ba,ter,rg away with theiS old haud looms
weaving i've yards day. The simple baud.
loom, with the flying shuttle. weaves twenty
i've with the same labor. But ,hs army and
& ,vernment shops have absorbed ths skilled
| N mechanics to such an extent that there is no,
| enough inventive art scattered through tie
country to furnish the people with improved
looms without assistance To render this as
iistance let each member # the Assembly
have ono such hand loom made by the peni
tentiary hands Tor elscwterc) after the sim
piest pattern, and send it to his county
,lerk, {, be exhibited one court day to the pep
4 ole, and then sold on State ace unt to some
tnterprisipg practical matron who will prom
,ss T., keep il ling With this tor pattern,
he thirg is 80 simple our old men and plan
sa,ion carpenters will stock the country with
them.
3. The country being thus prepared t.
weave inster for themselves, you must cJmpei
the estabh he'd cotton fact ries to spin more
| and weave less, until the supply Of cotton
! warps overtakes the demand.
Now, my dear Colonel, these are throe very
homely aud unambitious, and, trust. cheap
| things to do: but, believe me, they are tn,
| important thing d. these, and our patriotic
WON an, white and black. will clthe all the
people and the army-not, indeed. ia brad
cloths and lawns, but in decent md comforsstl
clothing. good enough for YOU great legisla-
tors and our Governor himself, in these We.
times.
And what ihDu doAst, ID qui.kiy. The
sheep will soon have another deeco ready for
you.
4lh. Canaot y0u whisper suggestion,
savoring of little common sense, 10 the ear
Of the Confederate QuarterInaster- I: is, Z,
adopt some schedule for rs?eiving the tithe %
wool. spun, woven or kuit, instead of raw.
and advertise il 70 the people. LIST thera say.
so many ounces of army cloth, or so many
ounces of linsoy, or 50 many ounces OF kci
'ocka or so n luy ounces OF spun yarn, shall
be payment in full for one pound Of tirha
Notwithstanding the schedule, So as TO give tn
housewives in'the Saving Of wool, p lust COM
-pensatiou Tor their manufacturing labor. Had
they done this, many generous woman would,
ere this, bava conVcrte! her tithe wool, instsai
of letting it lilo in garnet till this day, for
the moths, especially lpto socks, out of her
love to the cause. But, mean time, our soldiers
GO hare-legged, and the moths eat the wool
while the wits OF the officials ego a HC"l
gathering" But, by this simple plan, n part
of the wool wcud have been wrought M nj
nnce, on just terms to tue G,7crnmens. And
here woulj have b'en no more chance to de-
irand the Government Of tho wool than nov
Praying that your deliberations for our dea,
country may be speedily crowned with succrs',
am, dear Colonel,
Your servant,
COMMON SENSE.