Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-02-01
For the Standard.


" ~ Holden, Esg.:-
DEAR S1E:-Some time ago, month or two pro-
badly, the impressng officer for this district was
ordered to Impress various articles of produce for
the use of the government, and among other things
he was directed to impress brandy. He, in ODE.
dience to his instructions, set about his work IN
good in earnest aud as faithful officer should do;
he notified all persons, whom he believed had any
brandy, to come forward and render a statement
before board Of the quantity they had on hand.
and that the beard would decide whether they had
. surplus, and If they had the government claimed
the right to take such surplus at $40 90 per gallon.
Many small farmers came forward, appeared before
the board, made fair return and had their surplus
impressed. All went smoothly and swimmingly
along and no complaints were made, until the i'm
pressing agent fell foul of large Spectator, and
claimed from him a considerable quantity, proba-
bly, as much as thousand gallons-then the fire
blazed forth and all the heavens were illuminated,
the tempest ragged and all the fures turned loose.
You may impress thefew gallors of brandy belong
ing to the little farmers, and the widows of dead
soldiers!-t is true they need it to raise money to
buy little sugar and Coffee and salt and molasses
and thread and cloth, but the government also
needs it, and they will patriotica lily submit to the
government and will make no fuss about it-bus
when you come to seize upon the speculator, the
man who has grown rich upon the blood of his fel.
bowman and the tears of his widowed wife and
his orphan children then that is other and quite
different affar-t needs must be looked into; it.
won't do to take SO much brandy, if 1T can be help
ed from the rich speculatar although it is marvel.
lousy proper to take all the needy IN, has! The
| scotch is put upon the wheel of the impressing
machine letter is written to Tennessee mem
Der of Congress, who is refugee and has been in
the county where the impressment is made-he is
interested in the brandy-he goes to the Secretary of
War, has little confab with him-possib!y tickles
him with some Of the brandy-arorder Immediately
issues to the impressng agent that he must release
the brandy of Messrs. So and So The impressing
agent in obedience to orders released it, but look
ing at the whole transaction in its proper light,
refuses to enforce the order against the little far
mers and without instruction releases their brandy
| receiving as he merits the appreciation of the
| entire community for his action in the matter.
| member of Congress alluded to has important
! business to attend to away from Richmond; he
gets leave of absence from his post-eomes to
| North. Carolina-where he has no family, no
| kith or kin, no property except the brandy
| stays ten day or two weeks, buys up more BRAN
| dy, (his pay US . member of Congress no doubt
| going on all the time) and then returns. and
rumor has it that he obtains, after he returns to
| Richmond, license for friend who is also not a
citizen Of the State to dstil whiskey out of grain
| in Burke County. Whether this rumor be true or
| not cannot say but this much do know that the
aforesaid member Of Congress made second visit
from Richmond within month Of his first one, and
his friend is now endeavoring to buy out Of
| the mouths of the furnishing women and children
to dsti1 into whiskey and is offering to pay $50
per busle for it-thus putting thesat oflife beyond
the reach of the poor and bel pless. How long, oh
how long will a just and righteous God bear with
the transgressions of the wicked and covetous
And how long will the people submit to have the
laws perverted by their rulers to the end that they
l. %ha I.ofG
Mr. Editor, the facts related above with regard to
the impressment of brandy are facts, which can be
proved to the satisfaction Of any man in the Con-
federacy; and it becomes the press Of the State to
| sound them far and wide, from the tops of the
mountains to the valleys of the Let all men
| hear of them and then if our authorities will
not apply corrective, We can no longer say We
live in land oflberty and equality Fiat justi.
| tia, ruat eezuns."
LIMVILLE.