, 1865-06-20
TRADE WITH THE REBEK,
STA1 ES.
The Congregational lnvestIea.iop.


Among the annals Of onr late struggle to
preserve the national Sovereignty and regain
the allegiance Of the rcbelltous States, thert
Will stand IN history curious episode Of the
agency and effects Of Trade. On the 25th o.
january last, the House of Representatives.
armed Its Committee on Commerce with au
thority for the fullest Investigation Of tae
whole subject OF trade with the rehe1li-u
States, and directed 1t to inquire into oil ths
tacts and circumstances connected with thai
trade since the breaking out Of the rebellion
subsequently, the Committee on Commerce
on The part OF the Senate Was j,tned to the
House Committee In the same investigation
The Committees werc unable to conclude
their labars and present their report In time
to secure any action Of Congress at Its last
session. A partia1 report was submitted,
which we published at the time. Some facts
gathered from a review Of the testimony,
which has just been printed, will b. found Ia
he not without interest.
Tie eighth section Of the net OF Congress.
approved July "a, 1864, authorized the Sec,c.
tary o! the Treasury, With the approval of the
President, to appoint agents to purchase 70,
the United States any products Of s :ates da.
clared to be in Instruction, Anv pers,p
having sold and delivered products accoeatce
to this provision was pc,mitted to purchase
merchandise ant articles not cout1aband Of
war to 81 amount not exceeding one.thlrd
the yAll1 Of his eales. Also, under the gen
era1 regulations issued TO govern this com.
ule1cisl Intercourse, ID order to accommo.
date the necessities Of loyal persons residing
In ruch States within the lines OF federal Or
cupouon, supply stores were authorized by
government. The real purpose of this act
was to put stop to indlsiaual trading With
rebels. Persons having lawful permits to
trade, given prior to the passage Of the &C,
"e1e aiio"eo 70 I'LL tnete contracts uoder the
supervision OF an agent OF the Treasury De-
Iartmenf, but no more permits Were to be Is
sued TO private parties. The President, on
the other hand, held vteWs radically at rsrf.
ance With those Of Congress on The trade
QUESTION. He deemed 1t an advantage to ont
| government and people to get as much cot
ton as possible ont OF the South. To this
| eha ne construed inc ACT Of July I'd as an au-
1hoiizanon 70 the treasury Department t.,
carry on tfade Win the feoellious states
on Inc largest possible scale. Mr.
! Hanson 4. Rtsley WAS the agent
selected to carry ont these views. Concerning
tic practical operation Of this legislation aud
tie regulations under it the congressional
committee were directed to Inquire. We
khall CLEAN from the testimony obtained such
condemnation Of facts and opinions in re-
gard to the matter as seems to elucidAse the
sunJect.
J. Il. Wins1oW teat'fes that there was
supply store at Coan Jack, CatTltuck coun-
ty, n. C. containing large stock Of co DDS
of all kinds except ammunition, and tn.t
large portion Of this merchandise went
straight through the rebel lines for the use of
the rebel atmy-that rebels were sure to got
the greatest part Of these goods, for they vcrc
willing TO pay larger prices than the people
Of the nesghborhood, for whom they were al
lowed to be taken out. Capt. A. y. Penuock,
in command of the Mississippi squadron at
Cairo, eays that bis observation has been that
the effect Of the trade which has been carried
on wss to give aid and couhort to the enemy,
and gives IN instance at Padueah, 1t the
mouth OF the Tennessee River, where stores
are allowed to be hlled up With goods after
a while there il q raid on the part of the
rebels, who take possession OF them, They
fill M aca,n In a short time and are
emn,,ed ,,v another raid. The fnf.rroc. IL
that these men would not allow the eoods
to he repea*ed1v taken II there was n,
cor,usion and und dcfstaudiug between them
aud the rebel raiders. Col. j. Eaton Jr.
thinks that the system tended to corrupt the
officers of the army. and those yho remaIu-
ed honest were liable to lose their standing
which he illustrates TINS: There was sa,d to
be a combination repres *nt}nr Il oxo mo
cspjta1. the Object Of which wa to csrry on
u,ic,t t,ade. and the po,,cr ther nnrsn -, v,s
thst If auy of5cer cou1d not be- Induced hv
corruption to give such facillt,es AZ thrv de-.
sired, they were to brinr vb.tereT innn.nc.
was necessary To 1,ave him renewed and
there ere a number Of instanccs in which
faithful and huuest ofYl.era have hsen IA.
moved through Influences so b,oupbt to 1,car
J.W. Fennell concludes that the eff+ct ~
The trade Of Wcksburp was aemora,,zino
both to the a.my and the agents or sbe
Treasury Depsrtueut there was con,lnn,,
conflict between them. The nuh,jc puoa
vas suoordinated to scramble for cotton-.
mere contest, between the Treasury agents
and the military, In the lauruare Of the
times, .sas to who could see lhc most money.n
u: E, Morse aft,rms that a man might nc
meyipg cotton, and moving 1t lepis,m.telv