The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-11-21

receive supplies from abroad, must
make the pressure for this particular
trade vastly greater than ever before.
IT it be net the policy of the govern
ment to carry on trade with tho people
with whom it tis at wal, to feed an army
and fight 1t at the same time, or to
keep up trade for the benefit of indi-
viduals, in too many instances corrupt,
unprinciplej and disloyal, 1t will
change tho existing provisions of law.
The judgment to which your committee
have arrive is sustained by the opinion
Of all the military men which have
come within their knowledge. Your
committee know the opinions of Lieut..
Gen. Grant and Maj. Gen. Sherman
upon tins subject Maj Gen. Candy,
who has been IN command at New Or
leans, and who has had the largest on
portunites for observation, states in q
communication to the Secretary uf War
that if this trade be carried on in the
manner and to the extent claimed by
the spectators who now control it, its
noyItablc result, in his judgment,
would be 70 add strength and efficiency
to the rebel army east and west of the
Mississippi, equivalent to an addition
OF fifty thousand men, and would stim
ulato INTO active opposition to the sue
cessful prosecution Of our operations at
least ten thousand men within our own
lines; that cotton spectators in the
Mississippi valley have prospective,
and hope TO have an actual inter uest in
sars hal - IL, a. L. i
lines. They know that expeditions in
the enemy's country are followed with
the capture Of cotton, or its destruc-
ton by the rebels to prevent ITS fall
irg into our hands; hence, it is to their
interest to give information to the reb-
els Of every contemplated movement
lie states, further, that no has never
sent an expedition into the enemy 5
lines without finding agents of this
character in communication with the
robels, giving them information re-
gardrng our movements, and that
nearly every expedition has been foil
ed TO some extent ~ meof its objects
by information so communicated.
lie also states that he has in his
possession papers in relation to CON
tracts made with English houses in
Mobile for tho exploration of two huns
dred thousand bales by the way Of
New Orleans, ard that the conditions
of the sale require the payments to be
made in supplies in gold, or in for
cign exchange, and that the net profits
ofthose transactions were estimated Mt
ten millions ofdollars. H
lie further states that tho rebels ar
mics cast and west Of tho Mississippi
river have been mainly supplied for
the last twelve mUnths by the unlaw.
ml trade carried on on that river,
and that the city New Orleans, since
its occupation by our forces. has con-
tributed more to the support of the
rebel armies, and to the purchase and
equipment Of privatcers that arc prey
ing upon our commerce, as well as TO
maintain the credit of the rebel govern.
ment in Europe, than any port in the
country, with che single exception Of
Wilmington.
General Candy says that he makes
these statements in order to convey to
the Secretary OF War his own opinion
Of our actual condition, OF tho cmbar-
nssment under which all military op-
crations must be conducted, and 10
express the hope tnHt if the inture op.
erations OF tho troops in his comma:d
should fail to meet the just eXpecta-
tions of the Secretary, tho crcumstnn-
should he considered by which their
usefulness and efficiency were impair.
ed, -"
lie does not doubt that many per>
sens engaged in the purchase of the
products of insurreuJlonary districts
are loyal and honorable men but he
does "know that many of the inter
mediary agents employed arc rebels or
unprlneipIed men, aetuated only by
the instincts of gain; but the licenses
allowed to the first class give counte-
nance and opportunity to a far more
numerous class who follow IN the track
OF the army, traffic in its blood, and
barter the cause for which it is fighting,
with all tho basoness Of Judas IscOriot,
but without his remorse
TO what has been said by General
Candy the committee desirJ to add the
testimony OF Brigadier General Cor
don, distinguished officer, who has
been in service since the commence.
ment Of the war, u good part OF the
time on the lower Mississippi and at
New Orleans, and who is now engaged
on military commission ,t Norfolk,
Investigating this subject of trade
with rebelhops States He says IN
his Testimony, that from his observa-
ton during the war, and from the
best testimony in tllo investigation he
is making at Norfolk on the subject of
trade, he is Of the opinion that its con-
tinuance is simply to supply the rebel
army with subsistence, that il is of no