The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-06
. Ma6hrillE AaiQa.
sYFpATa K9vEMBER p 1854 &
IRON NEW ORLEANS. !"
The Restrictive Trade POIIcy-Its Evil
EHeeEs Polite, DC.
From y. Y.sTimea Correspondent
INV 0aLEAss, Oct Is, 1864

AEw DaLEAks, Oct I3, 1864
THg REsTRfcTTFE TRADE POLICY.
The President and Mr.. Fessenden
have undoubtedly a most perplexing
diihcuiy 10 decide amid the pressure
which urges a radical change in the
policy Of internal trade The memo.
rial Of the New Orleans Chamber OF
Commerce Is not the only formidable
appeal which has reached Mr.. Lincoln
from this direction, for the purpose Of
inducing him to remove the existing
restrictions. There are so many i'm
poFtant considerations, pro, and con,
which, just at this time, are of vital
character, that makes this question not
least among All others, one of the most
significant, and the decision Of which
will bear immensely on thespeedy close
OF the war. Everybody feels the
severity Of the present rigid regula-
tons, and everybody knows that they
are ruinous to private enterprize. Yet
II ls much easier to find fault than 10
find remedy The Government has
tried the experiment Of a limited free
dom OF trade over the lines, and every
trader in this Departmental aware how
--eS~N iA@H ffEAC dVH5Cur AlAL uu-
der color, of apparently harmless trans
actions, brisk business was carried on
IN smuggling medical, commissary, and
even ordinance stores into the rebel
lines. Those merchants WHO accepted
the opportunities offered by the Gov
eminent, permitted these abuses to
creep IN and to proceed, until the mill
tary authorizes became aware of the
danger Of allowing this intercourse to
continue, and It was promptly, yet re-
iuctently, stopped.
In Consequence Of the severe re-
strictions which now prohibit all trade
IN fact, the business interests of New
Orleans are suffering immeasurably-
almost, If not quite, to a general stag.
nation. There appears to be a very
general approval OF the rumored inten-
ton OF the Government to open trade
with The rebels by means of agents au-
thorized by the Government Yet even
10 this plan there is this objection: The
! rebels have ayowed that sooner than
their cotton should fail into the hands
Of cur Government, they would burn
Every bale Of IT, Yet in the case of in
diViduai trade, they have been glad TO
sell their cotton for greenbacks, or ex-
change 1t for almost any necessary of
liie. The question arises whether or
not the rebels viii trade with Governs
ment agents, and if not the new sys-
tenn Is exploded an IL very inception.
Dick Taylor throws light on this sub
lect. u was from evidence of this
same nature, which Taylors order now
confirms, that compelled the Govern
inent m September to adopt the re-
striction policy
HEADqrtErEBs DGrArrsINr. oE ALAR,afA \
MlsIssIrF AND EA.fERN LoUtsiANA
sEAA, sept. y. lsGi
lCrcular.l
All contracts which have been enter
ed into by officers in this department.
on behalf OF the Government for the
importation OF any description ofarmv
supplies or merchandise of any kind
whatever, from within theenemys lines,
aud for which payment has been con-
4 traeted, 70 be made m cotton, are here
by annufled. Officers in this depart
ment are prohibited from contracting
for the importation Of stores or sun
plies of any description from within the /
enemy lines in exchange for cotton.
Hereafter, parties ,elo oreJy laso erempt
from niita5y Sercice 70 tie Confederate |
States, may bring ,citLin tie lines Of this de- |
patmcsf articles Of ordnance, medical, quar- !
faWaster anil commisSary stores Of such |
quality and description as are strictly suifa- |
Die fOr army use and consumption These /
parties, Immediately upon their arrival |
within the lines, will report TO officers |
hereafter to be designated by orders
from these kaadquarters-to whom they |
viii exhibit certified invoices of the |
gOods-together with the prices current |
IN the localities, and at the dates of
purchase as specified in the invoices. |
If upon a thorough inspection, these |
stores gre found 10 be of the descrip. |
ton above specified, and the invoices |
are correct and satisfactory, the articles
will be purchased by the Confederates. |
and upon delivery will be paid for in |
cotton at valuation of fifty cents per
pound, with an allowance to the parties |
of fifteen per cent on invoice amount |
for cost of transportation, and permits |
sion viii be granted from department |
headquarters 10 export the cotton thus
received in payment of goods, beyond |
the lines OF the Confederate States army /
at such points as may be designated by |
officers commanding in the front In /
all cases full reports Of the inspection
of goods brought in must be forwarded
20 department headquarters before orr
ders wiil be issued from thence for the
required amount of cotton. Hereafter
no articles of luxury or merchandise
OF any descriptions, not necessary and
20 .1a 4..s. l. -
ted to be imported from within the en-.
ems lines into this department, The
violation of this clause will render the
parties violating it liable TO arrest, and |
the goods found in their possession will
be confiscated Bv command of
-. Lieut. Gen. TAYLOR
(Signed) f. SUKsGrr, A. A. @. Is
Gen. Taylor here avows that it is his
policy 10 open trade for the sole Dur
pose of obtaining such supplies as are
needed for the army, To The exclusion
of all articles for private consumption.
So far as New Orleans is concerned, /
any change which viii establish trade .
will remove the almost aching depres-
sion which now perVades the entire
commercial community, and, in fact,
penetrstes into every home Prices
have advanced to an enormous extent
and without trade to create profits,
there will be much actual suffering du-
ring the coming Ninter
WHAT ts 1HE BEST TRADE P0L1cY2
This is the question which Is daily
discussed in the countingr rooms. bar
rooms and on street corners. And IL
canUst be- denied that New Orleans. II
With a present population OF over one
hundred Thousand mostly made up of i
traders and SPECTATORS, beside the ne
grOes. IS immensely interested in this
question Of dollars and cents. II
1t s. he'd that the reopening of the
traffic in cottonsand other pfoauca now