Savannah daily herald. (Savannah, Ga.) 1865-1866, May 10, 1865, Image 1

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SAVANNAH DAILY HKHALD. VOL. The Savannah Daily Herald (MORNISG AND EVENING) IS mrni.imnm BY 15. W. MASON «& CO.. At IXI Bat Street, Savannah. Georgia, teems: Per Copy Five Cents. Pur Hundred $3 to. Per Year $lO 00. ADVERTISING: Two Dollars per Sqr are of Ten Lines for first- in sertion : One Dollar for each subsequent one. Ad vertisements inserted in the-■morning, wii), if desired, appear in the evening without extra charge. ,JOIi PRINTING, In every style, neatly and promptly done. An Important Pamphlet. THE COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL strength OF THE UNITED states. AS SHOWN IN THE BALANCES OF FOREIGN TRADE.—BY LORIN BLOD GEf. PHILADELPHIA » KING At BAIRD. This is a brochure of remarkable ability. Its purpose is to show the amplitude of the. .so-, sources of the United to sustain the fiscal burdens "oTtSe war, and to disprove the assertions of thosa vrhc have predicted the exhaustion ai. those resources. A, va riety of statements are made, which surprise by their unexpectedness, demonstrating an increase of productive power during the war which is beyond example. We offer a, brief analysis of the .contents of this remarkable pamphlet. . The writer sets out with affirming that in all the elements of material wealth, the pro gress of the country during the war is beyond all expectation! From his statement it would appear that the exports of the country have increased in value so largely since the com mencement of the war, that the balan:e of trade with Europe is greatly in favor of the United States. “Certainly the evidence should be most con clusive, which would warrant the public or the Government in accepting the present fac titious and absurd price of gold as a measure of-the depreciation of the currency, or of the decline of real values in the* United States. An annual balance of trade agaiust the country of seventy-five to one hundred millions yearly, cou.d not in five years pro duce consequences warranting such relative prices. No Other cause or process of ex haustion exists, Jfo reason exists for reduc ing the dollar toha.fits usual value, or for rating lands, houses, and other property at a value not above half that they bore in 1860. Yet either this conclusion mußt be accepted, or the assumption that the price of gold is now the measure ©f ail values must be re jected. The fact is that in foreign trade there is no balance against the country, and there has been none for years. On the con trary, forsix years past the balance of ex changes with all foreign couniries ba9 been uniformly in favor of the United States, and this by steadily increasing sums; It-has been larger since the war began than be fare, and It was larger in 1363 than in any year since the foundation of the Government, reaching nearly the ium of eighty millions of dollars The writer is aware that many pei&ons will express decided increduility At this statement, but the corrected official statistics of the British government as well as those cl the United S'ales* • Which here follow, are conclusive against all cavil. They s'ubstanti ally agree also, except in the higher sum which the British tables give as the balance in our favor—an beverage difference of ten or twelve miliums of dollars yearly." Here the writer' has not expressed himself with sufficient precision of language. He speaks as if the price of gold was identical With the depreciation of the currency. He is opposed 1 to “rating lands, houses, and other property at a value not above half that they bore in I860," but whatever mode.of valua tion wc may adopt as regard# property with in the limits of the United' States, in valuing the exports to foreign countries, specie must be made the basis of valuation. Most assuredly if the imports are valued in gold so. .must the exports. It was not difficult to make the * balance in our favor eighty millions of dollars, when the impoits are valued in gold, and the exports in a depreciated cur rency. In a subsequent pari of his pamph let, the author states the value of the ex ports for the fiscal years 1862-3 and 1863-4 at $44,684,635, and “the average amount tx- Cess oi exports, in gold value, at $28,827,950 for the four years from 1860 to 1865. There is a great difference between these sums and millions, being the difference of valuing our exports in cold,, and valuing-them in. a depreciated currency. * • The writer says “ tho evidence should be most conclusive' which would warrant the public or the government in accepting the present factitious and absurd price of gold as a measure of the depreciation of the curren cy-” When this was written gold was per haps at its highest price. It Is'now quoted at 1413-4. In the ab sence of causes which produce speculation a.,0 fluctuation in gold—-these causes being mihtMry reverses or successes—the price of gold it the measure of the depreciation of currency. The price of gold now being -4, the depreciation of the currency is L ;' J °ut-thirty per eent. It precisely measures taat depreciation when neither political or SAVANNAH, GA., WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 18*55. military events lead to speculation in it. The writer states that the exports steadily increased from 1854-55 to 1862-3, its aver age for the iast two years, the worst, of the war, being $57,800,000 each year. Its aver age for the two years preceding the war, 1858-59 and 1859-60, being $28,000,000 each year only, and for the last period of six years ►the total excess of exports is $260,484,570. an annual average of $43,314,095; and for the last three years an annual average of $54,161,204. “This is the simple face of the commercial statement. It includes, of course, the mu tual exchanges of gold, and it does not in clude that exchange of values technically known as exchange remittances. This last account is large; it covers the interest aud dividends payable abroad, on whatever ac count they may be held, whether railroad stocks and bonds, or State, municipal, and United States securities. It also caunot cover the transmission hero for sale of any such securities, and thn remittance of ex change drawn against produce shipments in payment lor them; which is, so far as the foreign creditor is concerned, the final pay ment of the debt." This shows how imperfect an idea is, con veyed of our indebtedness abroad or of the indebtedness of foreign countries to us, by a mere naked statement of exports and imports. It should bo remarked, however, that if money is remitted to the United States from abroad to be invested in any of our securities should equal the interest and dividends pay able on our securities hold abroad, the ac count being balanced, the exports and im ports would afford, approximately, a correct measure of our foreign trade. Iu whatever light this exchange of gold aud silver is regarded, the state of trade is still favorable to the United States. If count ed as merchandise, it increases the balance in our favor for every year except 1861. In fact the natural movement of gold is toward England as the ceutral point of the world’s exchanges, ac* going from the United States i is legitim t* merchandise: but in going uom Englauu .t is such in lar less degree,and might, in fact, then be regarded as a payment of differences such as 'we pay' in exchange uow, and paid in gold before we were pro ducers of gold. From England it is an ex hausting draiu, while from the United States it is not, because the Uuited States produce vast quantities of gold. In the face ot these enormous annual dif ferences between the values sent to England from the United States, and those sent to the United States from England, it is not easy to see how danger can be apprehended, or why great fear should be expressed of commer cial exhaustion. Any assumption that past debt 9 exist there, the discharge of which re quires the shipment of all oar gold and all our surplus wealth is utterly uufounded.— Trade nominally to and from England is un doubtedly largely of the character of transit trade through British ports to other markets, but the adjustment of balances is in England, and the statistics here given represents the aggregate of ggueral commerce with a reas onable approximation to accuracy. Tho writer here alludes to the large quan tities of gold shipped from the United States The products of California are not embraced in those tables of the exports, or they are so blended with the export of gold and .silver made for other purposes, to. pay balances, <sc., that the public is deceived, imagining if the export is large that the balance of trade is greatly against the country. The" gold of Oal'.fornia is as much the product of her soil as the cotton of Carolina or the wheat of New York is the product of the soils of those States. The excess beyond her wants is the surplus beyond lieFown requirements. It will be seen that the average annual ex cess of gold exported from the United States to England, the six years before and during the war ($22,700,106) if included in the gen eral exports, that the exports and import!!, both being estimated in gold, will nearly balance each other. . ' The writer, in relation to the large quanti ties of gold going out iu the last two years from California to England, states that it is simply a diversion of large sums from their usual course when leaving San Francisco, the gold being taken to London from the Isthmus and not to New York. The expla nation, no doubt, of this fact is that the danger by capture,by. our cruisers, of the Cal ifornia ships, has occasoned the diversion. But the most interesting part of this pam phlet is the information it contains, as to the increase of productive power of the North ern, Northwestern and pastern States since the commencement of the war. Tho author has compared the qualities produced be tween 1339-60 and 1862-3. The results are truly startling. It is out of our power to copy tho details. We can only present a summary of some of the results. Total excess of grain and flour, in bushels, 53,824,072. lotal excess of meats and like animal pro ducts, pounds, 458,791,639. Total excess of oils, gallons, 29,948,405. Total excess of spirits, gallons, 3,298,195. Approximate tonnage in excess, 3,845,- 267,293 pounds; equal to 1,716,766 tons (of 2,240 pounds.) The importance of this increase is most strikingly shown by comparing the quanti ties of these articles exported in 1859-60, with the increase: Total weights of these exports in 1859-60, -1,246,388,944 pounds, or 556,423 tons. Total weight of these exports in 1862-63, 5.091,655,936 pounds, or 2,273,060 tons. ' Increase, 3,845,267,293 461 pounds more than three times the entire export of these articles in 1859-60. *** * * * An exact comparison of the values of ex ports of United States produce from the loyal States, from 1860 to 1863, is not practicable, but by excluding the trade of port® subse quently closed by the rebellion from the ac count of 1860 and 1861, a close approxima tion to the true account will be obtained. A share of northern products was always ex ported at New Orleans, and, to a small ex tent, at other southern ports; but a share of the staples of the States now in rebellion was also sent to foreign markets through northern ports. ' Simply separating the exports at ports subsequently closed from tho returns of exports for 1860 and 1861, the increased surplus oi the loyal States is as follows: DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF LOYAL STATES. In 1859-60, sl73,7s9,CfiA'N. Increase over 1800. In 1860-61 201,651,554 \~v'527,891.890 In 1861-62 213,069,519 39,309,855 In 1862-63 305,884,998 132,125.334 The increase is 76 per cent, in 1863 upon the exports of 1860, and the total value reach ed is but little short of the value of the ex ports when cotton, rice aud naval stores made up nearly $200,000,000 in value of the total. These three articles were exported in 1859-60 to tho value of $196,343,596 in a total of $373,789,274, theu the largest to which the domestic exports of tho United States had ever attained. The leading fact presented, which will attract the attention of Political Economists, is the great increase cf productive power daring a destructive intestine conflict, wast ing both capital aud population. All wars are more or less attended by a loss of pro-- ductive power. Those who consume, aud consume wastefully, do not aud cannot re produce the value they consume. Unless, therefore, there is au energy infused into those who are not withdrawn from industri ous pursuits, to compensate for the lqss of productive labor, theory and experience concurring, it is scarcely possi ble to conceive that there would be a large increase of material wealth during a destruc tive war, Yet such appears to have been the fact. In a supplement is embraced the quanti ties exported in 1863, and for the first half year of 1864. They bear to the previous years a still higher proportion. Among the exports Petroleum has a large space. The value exported in 18.63 was $10,664,379. In 1860 it scarcely existed as a product of ex changeable value. In 1864 the value was $19,421,452. The quantities of tobacco are maintained in an extraordinary degree, In view of the fact that nearly two-thirds of the export of 1860 came from the Confederate States. As was to have been expected, cott.on, rice and naval stores show a marked and large loss or quantities in the exports. The writer lias extended his researches to the state of the tonnage in steamboats and on interior lines of railroads in the respective States, showing an increase fully commensurate with that of the productions of the country. The following remarks which close the pamphlet are very striking in this aspect of the subject: , “Generally, the production of articles of prime necessity as supplies to theextentliere shown, aud the export of these vast quanti tics as the national surplus at such a time, is without parallel or precedent iu the history of nations. The list of articles here cited is a small and incomplete one. taking only such 'as represent the general condition, its was explained in the previous citation of the quantities exported. The army in the field tluring this period exceeded any army of modern times, and it might be supposed not only to require all the supplies of this char acter the country could at any time produce, but it would reasonably be anticipated that stores of provisions would be required for other nations. Instead of this requirement, however, the surplus sent abroad rose stead ily in magnitude from ibe beginning of the war forward, and in the closing months of 1864 the excess of the export over the im port trade would more nearly imply that all Europe was at war, aud that the United States were devoted to the trade in supplies •which such wars have heretofore demanded, than that war at homo was trying the nation al resource*, diverting the industry of the country, and absorbing all the supplies that tho people left to pursue such industry throughout the country could produce." *** The Art of Committ-wo SuicibK —This forenoon I met a couple ‘of children of ten der years walking about, each with two min iature swords stuck in their waist-sash, indi cating that when they grew up they will have the privilege of wearing two swords. It ap pears that amongst the arm bearing section of the population, the children, from the ear liest years that they are capable of being in structed, are taught not only the use of the sword, but also tho most genteel and ap proved method of committing suicide by Harra Kiru. It is considered vulgar to per form it as a mere rude process of disembow elling by ripping themselves up. A certain limit is assigned to the abdominal incision, which is usually made with the short sword, in a transverse direction. The actual depri vation of life is effected either by the person himself wounding the great blood vessels of ttie throat, or having his head struck off by an attendant after he has recognized the ob ligation of committing suicide by personally milking the abdominal British Arms in China and Japat. Evidence discloses that there were ten con spirators in the assassination plot; that at a meeting held in Memphis they selected by lot the assassin of the President. Our authori ties have a letter which says: “It becomes your happy lot to destroy this tyrant. You can select the cup, the blade or the bullet: but you know the cap has once been tried and failed ” Important Arrest* Transactions of a Notorious Swindler in Phila delphia— Checks on New York Banks, s•€. [From the Philadelphia Press, May 2.] An elderly man, who, from all accounts, has passed a very large portion of his time in Eastern prisons, was arraigued yesterday afternoon at the Central Station on the charge of obtaining three sewing machines under false pretences from the Florence Company, on Chesnut street, on Sunday. He lias as many aliases as would fill a clever sized vol ume. His right name is said to be Hale, a noted horse thief, hailing from the State of Maine. This business he carried on for many years, and was frequently incarcerated for short terms oi‘ t’nreo months or six months, occasionally getting a year. His career in that State is marked with hairbreadth es capes aud deeds of daring worthy a better profession. He is pleasant in speech, and every way qualified by mature, as well as education, to push auy nefarious business transaction. He is the same mm who passed a forged or bogus check of $1,500 upon Johu G. Til ney, storekeeper, near Fourth and Market streets, on the 22d of December last, for goods ; but, the fraud being detected, he es caped. This check was signed AVm. R. Roche. The affair, however, led to the ar rest of Wm. D Parker, a bartender at Davis’ hotel, foot of Market street. After several hearings Parker was discharged, it being ev ident that he was innocent of any felonious knowledge of the transaction Tne swindler escaped tho vigilance of the police force, but in a short time he was traced to the “Tombs” in New York, on some other charge grow ing out of his rascality. It was thought by the police of Philadelphia that, as lie was already arrested iu New York on the charge of parsing a bogus check there, it was un necessary to pursue him further. Roche, of course, was forgotten. He now appears as George W. Douglass, alias William Moore. From tho evidence adduced it seems that on Saturday last he stopped at the Florence Sewing Machine Company, on Chestnut St., and purchased a buttonhole machine for the sum of one hundred and twenty-fire dollars. He said that he also bad an order for two cabinet machines for ladies, and after exam ining several, selected two, and ordered them to be sent to his hotel ou Market street, West Philadelphia. Tho threo machines, valued at $376, were sent as directed, and lie gave a check on the Philadelphia National Bauk. This document, after being presented, was pronounced bogus, and measures were adopt ed at once to recover the sewing machines and arrest the swindler. It was naturally thought the fellow would take a western train; but instead of that he sent the goods to tho New York depot, and taking pa c sage in the train, arrived at Trenton, JT. J., on Saturday evening, to which place lie was traced. Ho was' arrested there yesterday morning, and brought to this city. The ma chines were recovered. Upon searching him a memorandum book was found in his coat pocket. It contained a number of check blanks, and also fourteen checks. The checks are all bogus, and, as a general thing, the par ies named in thtw urn business men in New York. The persons from whom the machines were purchased on Saturday took a good look at him yesterday, and thought ho recognized him as Hale,-who was arrested and scut.toThomaßton, Maine, more than a year since, for horse stealing. When the defendant called at the store on Saturday to purchase tho sewing machin-:s, the attend ant there, now Jbe principal witness against him, thought he bad seen him before, but did not kuow where to place him. Upon close scrutiny yesterday he was sure that he was Hale, the horse thief, who had been pointed out to him. The witness communi cated his suspicions to the detectives, and one of them directed him to speak Suddenly to him; to call liiin by his name, and appear surprized to see him. The witness did so. Ho entered the Rogues’ Gallery, where tho alleged* swindler was seated, and said: “Why, Hale, how are you?” Thi addressed individual looked astonish ed for a moment, and colored up in the face. Using a very profane remark, be turned his bac;q aud seemed lost in thought. He was committed lor a further hearing, at which Mr. Parker, the bar tender, will ap pear to identify him in the transaction of last December. —• Aim at Something.— Arthur Gilman,in one of bis public addresses, tells what he calls “an Andover story.’’ One day, he says, a mau went into a store here, and began tell ing about a fire. “There had never been such a fire," he said, “in the county of Es sex. A man going by Deacon Pettingill s barn saw an owl on the ridge pole. He fired at the owl, and the wadding somehow or other getting into the shingles, set the hay 08 flrc,and it was all destroyed—ten tons of hay, six head of cattle, the finest horse in the country. &c.” The deacon was nearly crazed by it. The men in the store began exclaim ing and commenting upon it. “What a 10-s!" ««ys one. “Why, the deacon wiil well nigh break down under it,".say9 anotner. And so tney went on speculating one after another, and the conversation drifted on In ad sorts of c .njcctures. At last a quiet man, who sat spitting in the fire, looked up and aske I “Did he hit the otolf ’ That man was P >r get ting at the point of the taing. Let all puude speakers, in the pulpit and elsewhere,-heed the moral. Did you aim at something, and did you bit what you aimed at ? No matter about the splurge, and the smoke, and the ; bay—“ Did you hit that owl ?” Printing in Japan.—A Gaiiioruia printer, who has been to Japan, says that though working entirely by hand, using no kind ol press in their printing, the Japanese printers execute many descriptions of work equal to what is done in some portions ot Europe.— Among the specimens he has brought hack, says the San Francisco Flag, is a really spir ited picture of the entrance of the Great £ (Stern into New York harbor, copied from Frank Leslie's pictorial of the event. This picture IS well printed in colors, is nearly thirty inches square, ancl is formed of Six parts. Each part must have required *1 least half a dozen blocks to print, it, Each has been so closely adjusted that the joints . not discernible. PRICE. 5 CENTS From Harper's Magazine for February. THE BALLAD OF ISHMAEL DAY. A ran v naßeAtive One summer morning' a daring band Os rebels rode Into Mar yland- Over the prosperous. peaceful farms, .Seeding tenor and strange aiarms. The glitter of hoofs and the clang of arms. Fresh from the South, where the hungry pine. They ate like Pharaoh’s starving kine : They swypt the land like devouring surge. Aud left their path, to its furthest verge, tare as the track of the locust scourge ‘•The rebels are coming,•• far and near Rang the ti lingß of dread arud fear ; Some piles, and cow rSrl, and sought to hide— Home t-tood.erect in their fearless pride— Aud women shuddered snd children cried. But others—vipers in tinman form, Stinging the i>usom that kept them warm— Welcomed with triumph the thievish hand Harried to offer the friendly hand. As the rebels rode into Maryland.. Made them merry with food and wine Clad them iu garments rich and fins, ‘ For r gs ana Hunger to amends • Flattered them, praised them, with selfish sods. “Leave us scatheless, for we are friends 1 Could traitors trust to a traitor T No l Little they favored friend or foe, - * But gathered the cattle the farms across. FMqglng back, with a scornful t<>ss * “If ye are friends, ye can hear the loss 1" Flatbed with triumph, and wine, and wer - Thev neared the dwelling of Isbmaet l)av- A sturdy voteran, gray and old, • With heart of a patriot, firm and bold. Strong and steadiest—unbribed, unsold. And Tshmael Day, his bravo head bare, His white locks tossed by the morning air. Fearlesa 01 danger, or da ith, or scars, Went out to raise by the farm-yard bars, The year old flag of the Stripes and Stars. Frondly, steadily np it flaw, Gorgeous with crimson, and whits and bins' Hia withered hand as hs shook It freer May have trembled, but not with fear. While shouting, the rebels drew more near. “Halt'." They had seen the hated sign Floating from old Ishmael's lice— “ Lower that rag." was their wrathful cry ' “Never i" rung Ishmael Day’s reply: - “Fire, if It please you—l can but die'!” One. with a loud, defiant laugh, Left hia comrades aud neared the staff “Down I" came the fearless patriot's cry_ “Dare to lower that flag and .die I . One must blead for it—you or Ii" fiat caring not for the stern command. He drew tne halliards with dariug hand • Plug 1 went the ride bail—down he came Under the Uag he tried to shams— Old Ishmael Day took careful aim t ' Seventy winters anti three have shed Their snowy glories ou Ishmael's head t But though cheeks may wither and 'locks grow grey, • His fame shall be fresh and young alwav— Honor be to old I-hmael Day! * ■' 1 ■' — 1 ■ ' A South Carolina Her i — -There was a man in Charleston, Nelson Mitchell by name, who died about eight mouths ago, leaving, I believe, a with and two children poor and uu carcdi'or. From ihe beginning he has rea i «>ne'd with the people, and that openly, i about the rebellion. Twice he was seutenc ! ed to be hung by a secret military commis sion, .but the authorities never could find a inau to do the work. A lawyer by profes sion and an anti-slavery man by education, be undertook a task which ought ever to make his memory honoied by the negroes aud those interi stvd in their condition. After the unsuccessful assault upon Wagner, in July, 1863, a military court was convened to try the black prisoners captured from the 54th Massachusetts regiment. It was decided, alter some delay, that mil* itary. courts had no jurisdiction in the case, aud that the matter should be handed over to tie State. Mitchell volunteered as counsel for the men, and after five months’ trial he gained his point and convinced a South Car* olina jury that these men were tree. To do this you cauiinagiue how fearlessly tills brave soul must have worked. An intelli gent quadroon t6ld me that he was present during tho last ten or twelve sessions, and . that Hitchers eloquence was perfectly start ling ; at any rate, it had the effect of awake ning the jury so much to the importance of the deci-ion, that I suppose they were really i irig itened into a favorable verdict. He has never been publicly mentioned at Charleston ; since then, except in very doubt fill terms.— They did not dare to touch him. because he seemed to be so thoroughly in earnest, and be died from the effect of poverty and want. Every night, before going ty bed, Nelson Mitchell took his wife aud children to his room, ancl, after having locked the door and shut tbs blinds, hung au American flag over the mantle, and sat by it in conversation with bis family. The evening that he died, bis house was struck by one of our shells from ' Cummings’ Point, and liis family thus left more destitute than ever. They are being very well looked after now, and I dont tbink will be allowed to suffer much hereaf ter. F»r all this service he had the displea sure of tho authorities and tho coldness cf the people; but the way in which the m-groes talk of him is very tender. Nothing can be added to this simple narrative. Among all Soctli Carolinians we have ever heard of Nel son Mitehe l al<>dq •eem* truly ohivaiy.c.— ’ Through all the intoier tble g isconad#' and 1 I inhuman sophistry of the State, his I plea tor the black prisoner- is the sole enno | Wing sound.— Harver’s Weekly. An Humble Rebel.— We often hoar of repentant rebels, but the following from the Nashville Union shows that there is £uch a ttdng as an humble one: “We met recently wi h a gentleman from the country, who in 18 Jl me ft rebel, and a very wa m o e. Tak ing tho si art of us, .he. said: "Fou need not ask me if Ive got my rights ip the territo ries. I rather think I have. ButXkavn't a npgro. worth a c*Et on my farm. I don t care if I never see afiOther. I’m humble, not I after the Uriah Heap -tyle f but realty hum ble. Humiliated in the very dust to think that I once gave my influence to drag Ten nessee into rebellion against a government that ever afforded me protection and never did me an injury. I am truly penitent; not a bit of the rebel is left in mer I rather think I would give my life willingly, gladly, i to heal the wounds of my country aud re , store her prosperity and happiness; and I 1 will add, were I permuted to vote, I would j consider it the grca.test pxiviiege l ever en | joyed to cast my suffrage for making Tences :s e for over and ever a free Smie. That’s my position.’ Here our Old friend ran out of breath, and we got a.cbance to gfve him V i word of comfort and consolation.’*