The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-12
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
ordinances and Resolutions of Various State
conventions i'm North CarOlina---An Interest
ing Pamphlet Reviewed.

accept into the service of the COnfed.
eracy from North Carolina 1000 volun,
teers for Il months, in addition to the
-four regiments already in service. bui
: could not accept more than 1000. Sol
diers were given the right to vote
wherever they might be. The sum o.
SO. 200. 900 was by an ordinance of June
18th appropriated for the ensuing two
years. for The defense Of the state, and
1t was under this ordinance tina what
were known as skin plasters'' were
first issued, the tiny bills. very plair
and o nwhite paper. of denominations
OF five, ten, twenty, twenty-five and
fifty cents. Banks which lent to the
state their part of the sun authorized
to be borrowed of them were allowed
to issue small bills, but no banks were
required to resume specie payments
The counterfeiting of bills was made
a felony, punishable by standing in
the pillory n hour, receiving thirty
nine lashes on the bare back and i'm
priSonment not less than six months
nor over three years, and fined at the
Judges discretion, or the judge could
impose every one of these punishments.
| IhlS law was severe, but not nearly So
much as were the earlier laws of the
state, when it was death 10 counterfeit,
as all the old bills issued during the
Revolution show upon their face.
| At the second session of the conven-
ton, held in November and December
1861, a resolution was adopted that the
convention entertained an undiminshed
confidence in the justice of the Confed-
crate cause and held it to be the duty
OF the people of the southern states
to uphold it with all their means; that
no measure of loss, no sacrifice of life
Or property, no privatlon or want, or
suffering shall cause us to shrink from
the performance of our whole duty in
the aphlavPmQnt of DIR aforementioned f,
The resolution wnt on to say that there
was a radical in~compatibility between
the people of the United States and
those of the Confederate States; thai
the separation was final and that no al
tentative would be accepted for the
independence which the Confederate
States had asserted. The convention
provided for a salt commissioner, to
be provided with 500, 900 to make salt
on the coast and ship to every point
in the state, for the equal accommodation
of the people, the magistrates to meet
and arrange for the proper distribution
of the salt and not to allow it to be
old on speculation or for more than ac-
tual cost, and it was forbidden hat
any one should buy more than was
needed for personal use or prope dis
tribution, violation of this to be a mis-
demeanor, punishable by fine or i'm
prisonment, and it was directed that
tIIS law SnOulQ continue IN force our
ing the whole war. Another ordinance
was designed to the miningl
of salt by the Chatham Salt Mining and
Manufacturing Company which wasi
operating in Chatham county, exempt
ing it's officers from militia duty and
it's capital stock from taxation. Great
quantities of salt were made on the
seacoast near Wilmington under the
direction of the state salt commissioner
John NJ. Worth, a most efficient officer, |
who did wonders.
A resolution was ratified Decent
Der 6, 1861, authorizing the g%oVernorI
to transfer to Col. Wharton J.. Green'sl
independent North Carolina Regi-l
ment" such companies as had been
accepted and not yet assigned toi
other regiments upon their written
application for such transfer. On thel
slime day an ordinance was ratified
that no person who houli deny the
being of God or the Divine authority
of both the Old and e TeStamentS,
or should hold religious opinions in-l
compatible with the freedom or safety
Of the state, should be capable of
holding any office in the civil depart
ment." The convention declared its
"undiminiShed confidence in the cOur-l
age and loyalty of the officers and SOL
diers who, after a long n severe
bombardment, We're compelled to u Il
TGIlucT 10 dIl ONSIW lltEI1llIIS loICe TIE
inadequate defences at Hatteras, Au-,
gust 10th, and hat they deserved ouI
thanks for their gallant conduct" a
very long ordinance Of December 9Th
provided for the issue by the public
treasurer of notes moi exceeding at
IN one time three millions of dol
lars, before January 1, 1868. These
notes were in value from IS to $500.
1t does not appear that the 5000 mote
was issued. The writer has tried forl
many years to find one. All the
other bills issued by the state during
the civil war are framed and placed
in the Hall of History in the State
Museum. Severe punishment for
couaterfeiting was imposed. The
spectators began early to be a curse.
and were heartily hated. The RESULT
that, December 18th, the convent
ton ratified an ordinance to suppress
oppressive speculation upon the pres
ent necessities of the people," this to
stand in force during the war only, |
except as to prosecutions which might
be pending at the end of the wal.
Offenders, upon conviction, should be
punished for a misdemeanor, beingl
deemed unlawful c~onSpiratorS, andl
were also required to enter into rec-I
ogniZance with sufficient surety fo1
good behavior for three years. Therel
were arrests and convictions underl
this excellent law
In a way it was. perhaps. the first
ANTITRUST law. and was certainly al
sweeping one. 1t provided that whr.
rel should engross or get n his
hands by buying, contracting. or in
any way except by producing grainl
growing in the fields, IT any otherl
grain. meat, fish, coffee, uga salt. !
etc, or leather, with the purpose OIL
selling the same again at
able prices or to keep it from MAJ
ket, or for any other purpose except
for his own use and consumption, or
for sale at reasonable figures, or for
gift among the poor, should be deem-I
ed an unlawful ~engrosser, and thai
whoever should make any motion in
any way to any persons for the en-
HANGING of the price or the dearerl
selling of anything above mentioned.
should be deemed a forestaller, and
that whoever should make ann
agreement Or have any understanding
with other people that he would not
sell I'M of these things except for
certain prices, or at not less than
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