The Opelousas courier., 1865-02-25
WILMINGTON.
EFrom the Richmond Enquirer, Jan. 49,

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EFrom the Richmond Enquirer, Jan. 1871
M A correspondent, t.M, = explains how the loss
of Wilmington will not prove an unmixed evil
but that, notwithstanding we are shut out from
the markets Of the world, and forced to rely on
our resources that the prices paid for all our sup
plies were SO great that they were consuming the
great staple and contributing solely to the for.
tunes Of the Shoddyites of England and the
United States. The Government can still CON-
mand as much of the products of the outside
world as we may absolutely require; but the
great leak by private blockade-running will be
permanently closed if only Galveston is now
shut up by the Government, and no more cotton
permitted to go ont of that port We must now
await with patience the cotton famine which is
beginning to be felt in earnest in Europe, and do
all in our power to promote and advance that
famine R&'ti' -
If England can do without fhe American sta
pie, we must learn to do without her supplies.
This we can do, If the Government will make
the exertions that are necessary to collect the
supplies that are in the country, and transport
them from points Of plenty to places of scarcity
The future will demand much more of admins
trative skill and judgment than our affairs have
received in the past We must have more acti-
witty, and more system, and more labor The
collected and brought where they are wanted.
To The Editor Of the Emqairer-G Gentlemen:
There is never any loss but some small gain ac-
crues therefrom. This old prQyerb will prove
true in the case Of Wilmington@ ~ The closing Of
that port by the enemy, though unfortunate. is
not SO disastrous as it would appear. Hardly any
of the blockade-running vessels that arrived
there brought in full cargoes-some Of them on.
~ half cargoes, others not one-fourth of their
capacity, and there are instances where no cargo
whatever has been brought to the Confederacy.
A portion of the inward freight, TOO, has been
bagglng and iron ties for cotton. On the other
hand all these ships took out full cargoes Of cot
ton. .even to deck loads The chief object of the
parties engaged in the business seems to have
been to avail themselves of the enormous prof;t
arising from the disposing ofthe leading staple
to Yankee and British mill-owners And in this
manner the resource of the Confederacy have
been wasting away. 10 would be better 10 part
with specie at once. as gold is only "worth its
weight Ia gold, while cotton is worth more than
Its quotable value, for it gives employment to
operatives and furnishes clothing to the outer
world There has been no occasion to barpain
away any cotton for supplies 1t is quite as easy
70 borrow money, upon cotton, when 10 a ware |
house At Liverpool. as to sell it; and little inan
cal skill thus displayed would have obyiated the
necessity for making contracts, and would have
gwen these States slx times the amount Of sup
plies Id exchange for the same ouapt;tv ,,f III.
ton, without furnishing that stable 10 the mill /
owners Of Lancashire and New England.
A1slt Is probable that the amount OF Confederate
bonds which have been sold in Europe during /
me past year at fourpence to eieitpence On fhe
dollar with specie that has been exported tbither
and 70 the North, would have been suficient to
nave paid for all the supplies that have entered