Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-26
MORNING LEADER
20 FROM SOUTHERN PGPERg.
tSeareity Of Food In Rfehmond-Tke
Army to be Fed FIrst=The aebeI
Capital EEedsed mp and 0ut Of
tFrOm tbe RIol IONA s.pipsl. Dot. ag.j

--.
tFrOm the RIOh LOnd ssninsi. Dot. 2s.l
We have in this immediate vicinity q
vast army and vast city population to
feed. The cities of Richmond and Peters
burgh and the army Of General Lee are
supplied from hessme sources. 1t is con-
ceded that the army must first be fed; but
yet it is evident ali must be fed, and thAt
all are fed. A consumption probably as
large as Lees army, isconstsntly going ON
in its immediate presence.
This being the case, the supplies requir-
ed for the cities need not be ignored, and
ought not to be- 10 The plans Of the Gov
ernment. Nothing, in point of fact, is
gained for the army by doing 50. The
agents Of the Government NAV sppropFi-
ate to themselves all the railroad trans
pOrtation. They may buy up and impress
| the horses and wagons and the other trans
portAdon of the country. They NAV do
all this, IN order to supply the army, that
IS to say, to procure supplies for enehaH of
the aggregate consumption of this vicinity.
But what IS the consequence They do
not thereby rid themselves Of the presence
and competition Of private consumers.
They may, however, put the latter to
immense Inconvenience and loss. Govern
ment agents collect, with the choice and
monopoly of the cardinal means Of trans
portstiOn. And this day this is being
done. In some wsy-no one can tell how
there is brought into Richmond and Pc
tersburgh as large an amount for private
use as is brought By all the railroads and
canals and wagon trains for the use of the
army. sa
The people are thus enormous sufferers,
without any corresponding advantage to
the supply department of the Government.
The latter has no greater supply of food
at It's command. TIE people are not ex-
cluded from the market; they are only
overwhelmed in their approach to it with
difficulties that benefit nobody, that GER
tainly do not benefit the Government, while
they grind the faces of the poor with the
terrible prices that prevail in consequence,
and make even the rich tremble with ap-
prehensions of distress.
What is the remedy2 A plain one
plain as the path to the corn crib. The
Government should not monopolize the
transportation.
The relief TO the people would be meal |
oulable. 1t would give them heart and |
give them strength TO endure the war,
through the new lease of life which it |
seems TO be taking. How would it effect |
the Government?
In the first place, it would sustain the
Government BY suRtaininS the people. In
the ext'place, it would sustain the Gov
ernment by improving the currency. Mo-
ney is valued by what it will purchase.
But hedgea ap and cat off at Richmond
erib6ed, ea6i'led and confled-rnoney can
bVg but tittLs here, for the reason zoe hGve
stateG- FJO1sT aud corn are harder to bug
here i'a adequate quantities than they are
IN many Alpine tot0as l0hers the only ap-
PrOach is By a mule path. Hence they
command enormous prices; and hence the
news goes out that Richmond, which has
time immemorial sot the markets for Vir-
ginia, values three or four hundred dollars
as but the fair equivalent for barrel of
-four, and other things in proportion. Is
it a wonder that our currency depreciates ?
Could any other result follow2 But open
The way to market to US. Let agents bring
in supplies, and furnish them at the lowest
rates; and forthwith money will become
and will be appreciated, because
it will again have become purchasing
power The benefit to the Government
cannot be calculated,