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INO3BO-AX3-12
or
His Excellency Joseph E, Brown,
To Ut General Auemhly, convened in tit Capital,
by hit Proclamation, March 'it,, 18C8.
Exsoctiv* Dspastssxt, )
MILLSKGIVILLE, March 25, 18U 1
To the Senate and House of Uvpre* entatives ■
I bare felt it my doty to convene you at an
earlier day than that fixed for yor.r meeting when
you adjourned. . .
In the midst of a reTolutioo of anch vast mas?-
nitude aa that in which we are engaged, the con
stant change in the circumetance* by which we
are surrounded, moat frequently influence onr
action*, and de relop sufficient reason* lor a change
of our opinion* or oor policy. In December la*
w* pa**ed an act prohibiting the cultivation of
more than three acre* of cotton to the hand thi*
year which nrtually legalize* and invites '“Pro
duction to that extent. lam dow fully satisfied,
if the quant*y of land mentioned in that ac. is
planted in Georgia and each of the other cotton
States, the result will be our subjugation by hun
ger and the utter ruin of the Confederacy. Hence
I hare felt it my duty, before the crop i* planted,
to call you together, and recommend the passage
of an act that will make it highly penal for any
one to cultivate exceeding one fourth of an acre
to the hand. The en-my has overrun and now
hold* a large part of the moat productive lands in
the Confederacy. Aa our hurts are circumscribed
and contracted, many of the loyal people of the
sections in the posseesion of the enemy retire to
the interior, nod the number of persona to be sup
ported from the products of the lands in our pos
session i* greatly increased, while the area of pro
ductire lands from which the support must come
is almost daily dim nished. Mo*t of the white
laborers of the country ale n w in the army, and
new levies are constantly being made from thoße
who remain. As these enter the military service
our fields are left uncultivated, while the women
and children are still in our midst, and must be
supported. The result is, that the country and
the army are mainly dependent upon slave labor
lor a support. At tbe present prices of ail the
necessaries of life, it is impossible for the women
and children to support themselves. In my opin
ion, it will take every acre of land, and every
day’s productive labor which we can command
thia year to make our necessary support; and he
who employs any portion of bis lands and labor
tn the production of cotton, lobaoco, or any olber
products that will not sustain life, to that extCDt
endanger* the success of our cause. The present
prices of cotton make it the temptation to plant it
very strong, and the planter will quiet his con
science by the reflection that the Legislature has
authorized him to plant three acres to the hand,
and will plant his best laoo, place all his manure
upon it, and make it the object of his special care
and attention There is n< w enough cotton in the
Confederacy to clothe our people for several
years, and there is no reason why we should plant
more than is actually neoessary to keep seed. It
may be said that the planter can make more
money out of cotton than grain and vegetables.—
This is very questionable. Hut if we admit that
he can make double as much, thia is no rearon
why La should be permitted to do it, if by so
doing he hazards tbe Tery existence of the States.
What will his money, or bis cotton, or bis slaves,
or bis lands be worth to him if we are subjugated,
and the civil and religious liberties of himself and
his posterity are destroyed V
Aa the war is now prosecuted by the Lincoln
Government for the avowed purpose oi abolishing
slavery, no class of our people has so much at
stake as our slaveholders, who are generally &ur
chief planters. They are dependent upon our
white labore's in lbe field of battle for tbe pro
tection of their property ; and in turn, this ainiy
of white laborers and their families are depend
ent upon tbe slave owners for a support, while
tbusengaged. The oblig tion is mutual and re
ciprocol, aud neither party has the right to dis-
regard it.
The conduct of cur planters last yeor was most
patriotic and praiseworthy, and has saved our
runsj far the present, but the temptatious held out
to the avuricious are much greater this year, ow
ing to the high prices ol cotton in the market;
aud I consider logisliitiou absolutely necessary
to restrain those who Would hazard all for gain.
As it is now tune to commence plaatiug, I invoke
your attention to this qo stioo, in my opinion,
second in importance to no other that ia likely to
como under your couaideratiou. At the present
time money will not buy breed, in u large eec
tiou of our own Htate, at a reasonable pries. This
is caused puvtly by the severe drought of lest
summer, hut in probably owing, in n great
degree to the fact that the lands in that sect on
of”the Slate ere cultivated almost entirely by
white labor, and most of that labor now being
in the army, the lauds lie idle, and the women and
children arc destitute cl bread. Hut for the large
surplus in the cotton region, saenrs of suitbring
must ensue, which would be appalling to conteai
plale, and which must demoralize, if not da band
that part of the army where the husbands acd
lathers ol the sufferers stand as a bulwurk be
tween ns andjho enemy. Jiet not the people of
the cotton sections of the Htato, where there is
labor to cultivate all the lauds, risk the chances of
similar, or worse distress another year, lest con
sequences ensue which may cost them not only
their cotton crops, but all that they have, aud ail
that they expect 10 have in future. Wo cun never
be couquered by the arms ol the enemy. We
uiuy be by hunger, it wo neglect to husband all
the resources lor the supply ol provisions, which
u kind Providence bin placed within our reach.
Attempt to ronceal it us we tuzy, the lact is un
deniable, that the great querlion in this revolulion
is now a quostio.. of bread. The army must be
led aud their families at home rupperted, or the
sun ot liberty will soon set in durknoas aud blood,
end the voice of freedom will ba forever hushed
in the silence of despotism.
TIIK LAW AGAINST DIHTILLIRIIS.
Experience has shown that the law uguiost the
distillutiou of grain into urdrnt spirits needs
amendment, from informatfou received from
different parts ot the Htule, 1 am satisfied that a
large portion of the potato rrop, most of the dried
fruit, and a considerable quantity of the molasses
in the State, have been, and are being distilled.
Under pretence of distilling these at tides, it is
also said that quantities of corn are being used
by distillers woo keep their doors closed aud
refuse to admit visitors who might testify against
them. In other sections, it is said, they are run
ntug their stills, in < pen violation of the law, aud
no one has the nerve to withstand and prosecute
them. To arri-st these evils, I recommend that
the law be so changed ns to make it highly penal
during the war. for nny oue, in addition to tbe
present prohibition, to distil potatoes, dried fruit,
or molasses, without a license. And that every
person who keeps h,s distillery locked, aud re
fuses to admit visitors, day or ni, lit, when admis
sion is asked, shell be held prima facie guilty of a
violation of tbe law. And ihat every person who
runs his distillery without a license, shall be pre -
sumed to be guilty of distilling grain, or other
article prohibits l , aud the burnen of proof shall
rest upon him, to show to the contrary.
The law should also make the owner of the
distillery liable to tbe penalties, if his stills are
run by an insolvent person. And it should be
made the duty of the Sheriff'of the county to call
to bis aid all the forces necessary, and destroy any
distillery which is run in viola.cn of law, as he
would abate any other untsauce.
It has been impossible for tbe Inferior Courts
ol some of tbe counties, under nty ius ructions, to
find a person who will tnko the contract to make
tbe quantity of spirituous liqurrs or alcohol ne
cessary lor medicinal uses, ut the prices fixed by
the statute. And as it is a violation ol the law for
a person distilling under a license to sell for more
than the prices fixed by the statute, I recommend
such change as will authorize the lowest respon
aible bidder to be l censed, at such price as may
be agree J on between him and the Court, for the
su iplv necessary tor the count?; the quantity re
commended by the Court to be subject to’ the
approval of the Governor, before he issues the
license.
TBANSKOBTATION OK PROVISIONS.
So great is the searoitv of provisions, in the
Cherokee country, that it is impossible to subsist
the soldiers' families and the poor much longer
without the transportation of corn irom South-
Western Georgia. The rolling stock upon the
South-western, aud the Mncon and Western Rail
roals, is not suflicient to carry forward the corn
and to do the work required bv the Confederate
Governin'nl. Surrounded by these diflicatiies I
have thought it best to direct the Superintendent
of the State Road to put one of h s best trains
upon the Roads to South-western Ceorgia for the
truospoi tation of corn to supply broad to these
who must otherwise i uff-T. 1 shall be obliged to
continue this policy till the emergency is parsed,
though I may not be able *o carry over the State
Road all Government freight offered as promptly
as I could wish. 1 teel it to be my highest duty
to so use the property ot the State, as to prevent,
if possible suffering ou the part of the poor or the
families of the soldiers for want of broad.
SALARISS.
1 earnestly recommend the passage of an act
repealing til* act of 23th November, 1861, entitled
"An act to hx the salaries.and compensation of
certain offic.TS mentioned therein, and for other
purpose.*;” aud that reasonable salaries be allowed.
It the whole salary of a Judge of the
Superior Court for twelve months to purchase fif
teen barrels of flour or hftceu hundred pounds
of bacon in the markets of this State. The per
diein pay of a J udge while on hs circuit does not
nearly defray his travelling expenses. Is this
right? Can any ißte!!‘.ient leg s’ator claim that
it is compatible w.th either the justice or the dig
nify of a great State?
the Constitution of Georgia, whiah we are
bound bv solemn obligation to support, says:
"The Judges ahull have salaries adfq tale to their
service* nxed by law.” Are the present salaries
of the Judge*, or other officers of the State, ade
qoate to their services? The question, to my
nund, is too plaen for argument I trust it is
only necessary aga n to bring it to ysur attention
to secure prompt aciton.
TBS SSW COPS.
The Code of this State having gone into opera -
tion on the hrst day of January last, it is a matter
of great importance that the public officers be
supplied wiib copies of it, that they and ihe peo
&!e may haTe an opportunity of learning
iw is." It is not in my power to suppy copies to
oven a oouaiusrable proportion of those bo are
clutied to them, on account of the ueglect of Mr.
John H. Seale, the printer, to comply with his
contract. Since tie contract was ent-red into by
him, ha has represented to the General Assembly
his Inability to comply with his obligations with
pnt additional compensation, and fly# thousand
dolUr* of extra pay ha* been allowed him He
ha* been paid the fall amount agreed upon by the
original contract for the whole job, and one-half
of the extra amount appropriated. After to la had
r \ v- . ti ]i failed to comply with the con
££ .Tging tbitbe could noVget leather to
mtke the binding. To relieve him irom thia dis
bc% at y&r evasion in November and Decern
ber last, vou authorized the Governor to receive
the books bound in an inferior styie. Since this
lc*on on your part, he has not delivered a single
copy and 7 no assurance is given when tbe boeks
;ii l. /tpiivprpd I have reawn to believe that
Mr Seals has gold a considerable number of co-
P, Oo n trade. I call your
a tention to ibis subject, and recommend snch ac
attention j m be neCflggar y to compel
tl0 “ on big part, or to taxe the printed
of his bands and have them bound by
others at his expense.
SMALL POX.
<rs. r,hv»ieians’ b 11* slot to this Department
. inferior Courts of many of the counties,
for attention°to person, dieted with small pox
Pave id my opinion been so exhorbitan. tea I
have in my up There are several in
b»aT*l. of t hvsmians who have made out bills
two months’atten
ilsisigs
Jf 'the Courts' have established no hospitals, and
have hPd tie coses treated at the bouses of the
m desirable that‘then'll of°the Legislature be
is desirable i jn re f ere nce to cases of
th?s character. hiie Ido not think that stronger
reiwns exist why the State should pay the phy
sicians' bills and other expenses incurred by,attfn
fion to persons who have small pox and are
treated a?home, when they are themselves able
to ply than in cases of other contagious diseases
of a ma ignant character, it may be proper that
anch'pay ments be m ade by tbe State, when the
Dersons afflicted are unable to pay, and might
otherwise be negleck con account of thurpov
mPßfSSMl NT r.F NSGROZS.
It will be rerrembor. and that Brig. Gen. Mercer
made a requisition upon U-e State, while you were
hit in session, for tweuty-flve hundred negroes,
“ sixty day*, to work on the fortifications
around Savannah, and n at the Governor was au
thorized by the action cf th General Assembly
to fill tbe requisition. A exit was afterwards
made by authority of Gen. t! aurogard. for three
'hundred negroes to work on the obstructions of
the Altamaha river, which requisition was also
fil Many of the negroes sent tc Savannah have not
yet been discharged, because, m the opinion of
the military authority there, the emergency was
such as to make it a military necessity to retain
them. New and additional fortifications have
been projected, and no one seems to know when
they will be completed. It is now required, that
the negroes remain ninety days longer: or, it
they are discharged, that their places be supplied
immediately by anew levy.
The upper and western portion of the htate
have not yet furnished their quota If anew im
pressment is made, as the law no v stands, it
jiust be horn these sections. The warm season
is commencing, and the negioes from these part*
of the Slate are not accustomed to the climate of
Savannub. Much sickness and many deaths must
therefore be expected among them. Again, the
crop is now being pit uted, and it is a matter of
great importance that i ■ little labor as poaaib e
be taken Irom the ag> cultural pursuits of lho
Stale.
in this st*te of the eit' <>, f respccfully ask that
the General Assembly, h u nt resolution, or oth
erwise, give directions, Ii at early a day os poa
sible, as to the best mod o furniehing the labor
to complete the fortilic * ana. It will also he
proper that some just nude of ascertaining the
value and compensating ue owners for the ne
groes ivlio have d.ed in the servico, end the still
larger number who may die during the summer
season, he prescribed by law.
MILITARY LAW.
Section 1040 of the Code provides that all elec
tions for militia officers, of and above the rank of
Captain, shall *e ordered by the Commander-in
chief.
This will cause a great aoeumnlation of labor in
the Executive Department, with much unneces
sary delay and expense. I therefore recommend
tlqjt the old mis be re established, and that ail
vacancies below the grade of General, be tilled
by election ordered by the next highest iu cam
uiaad. except in the csbc of Li utenants, whose
elections should be ordered by the Captaip, as
prescribed by Act of 11th February. 1850.
1 also recommend the repeal of sections 986,
987, *>BB, 989 , 95)0, 99 2 and 993, of the Code, which
provida 'or the payment of a commutation tax in
lieu,o! military service, as wholly inapplicable to
the present condition of the country. The Comp
troller General, by my direction, has lelt the
columns relating to this commutation tar out of
the Receivers’ Digest, till you shall have consid
ered the question.
RIGHTS OT THE CHURCHES.
I recommend the repeal cf section 1376 of the
Code, which prohibits “any ebureb, society, or
other bodv, or any persons, to grant license or
other authority, t> any slave or free pel son of
c 01..., 1 , .'Teach or exhort, or otherwise officia e
in chu alters.” I entertain no doubt that ne
groes ait .ometimes very useful among their own
prople at readers or exborters, This is a ques
tion o wrch the church of the living God, aad
not the I t ißla*.ure of a Slate, is the proper judge.
The I -a’ support which the churches of all reli
gio . ce l.iminutiopg have given to the Confede
ral is-d h.tate Governments, and the aid which
they ..tv tlLirded t.ie government, in the maiu
tenanc* o our slavery institutions, have demon
strated that they understand this question, and
may safely be trusted. The Lcgislutu-e, under
pretence of police regulation or otherwise, there
fore, Iras no right to infringe upon religions liber
ty, or usurp the power which belongs to the
churches. Render to Cietar things that are O -
ssr’s, and to the God the things that are God’s, is
an injunction which the State has uo right to dis
regard.
STATS ENnOttSBMRNT OF CONFXPKBATB DABT.
I transmit herewith copies of resolutions passed
by the Legislatures ot the States of Alabama,
South Carolina, Mississippi aud Florida, propos
ing, upon different plans, tha endorsement of the
debt of the Confederacy by the States. No oue
can doubt the patriotic motives which have
prompted this action of our sister States, lint as
this is a question of great magnitude, involving
important principles, and as our action in the
premises must be followed by consequences se
riousiy affecting the credit of the State, present
and prospective, it is our duty to examine it for
ourselves, and not to be controlled oy the de
cision and action of others.
If tho-proposed endorsement will have the ef
fect of array.ng the capital 01 tbe country against
tbe Cons deraoy, and in favor of a reconstruction
of the old Union however laudable the motive,
the act would be most unfortunate.
Again, if the effect will be to level the credit of
all the States to nn equality, without regard to
the manner in which they have managed their
financial affairs, or the amount of debt now owed
by each, it would bs gross injuctice to those States
which have conducted their affairs bo well us to
inour hut little debt, and have maintained their
credit at tha highest point.
Furthermore, if the endorsement of the Con
federate debt, by the States, can only be produc
tive cl temporary opprcciation of Conlederats
credit, without permanent benefit, and must be
followed by serious injury to the credit of the
Stat a, the policy is unwise and should not be
adopted.
Let us consider whether these would not he
the legitimate effects of the proposed endorse
ment.
At present almost every capita’istin the coun
try is the creditor of the Confederate Government,
and is directly interested in maintaining its exist
ence and sustaining its credit. I speak not of
individuals, but capital is generally telfisb, and
controlled more by interest that patriotism.
When W 8 have ascertained what will be the inter
est of capitalists we may generally have but littla
difficulty in determining what will bo t eir action.
Suppose the whole debt of the Confederacy to
hi ve reached one million of dollars, as it probably
will have done by the time the States have all
act and upon tbis proposition. It is not probable
that capitalists, as a matter of choice, would pre
fer to credit our Government with a larger debt
than this hanging over it. But having a ready
invested this enormous sum, if they feel tha»
their only hope of payment rests upon the success
and permanent establishes- nt of the Confederacy
sad it becomes necessary to invest .mother bill. O o'
to establish the Government and avoid the loss
ot the sum already invested, interest will prornot
them to stand by the Government, sustain its
credit, and make further advance if tbey have
means. Bat suppose at this period, all the States
endorse the whole debt, or each endorses its pro
portion ot it, what effect will this have upon the
mind of the capitalists ? If prior to the act hs
looked only to the Confederacy for the payment,
aud having now obtained the legal, as well as
moral ebbgatien of the individual States to pay,
he is satisfied that tbis secures 'he debt, bis inter
est in the permanent success of the Confederacy
erases, and he looks in future to th© States for
payment If after this, the old Union should be
reconstructed, aid the States of our Confederacy
should return, and become members of it, the
capitalists is not left to look to a Confederacy no
longer in ex tenoa, for payment, nor to rely on
the moral ooligatioa ct the States, to assume and
pay the debt, but ho rests upon the solemn, l'gal
endorsement of the individual States, wh ch
would he as binding up -n them, is one Confeder
acy as in another. Ihe capitahsts having thus
obtained the solemn endorsement of the States,
for a sum as large as they could reasonably be
expected to pay, would naturally desire to pre
vent an increased liability, on the part of their
debtors, the States, which would weaken their
ability to pay, and might in future, cause the peo
ple to throw off the whole burden, on account of
its accumulated weight. Knowing, in other
words, that it is possible to increase debt to an
amount so ouerous as to drive a people to repudi
ation, they might prefer to take their chances of
payment of one billion Os dollars of Stats debt, in
tbe old Confederacy, rather than ol two bullions
in the ntw. Hence it would be their interest to
oppose the appropriation of the second b llion of
dollare. to prosecute the war for she establishment
of tie Confederacy, and to advocate a reconstruc
tion lor the purpose of securing an early peace,
and oi stopping further expenditure, that they
Cave what it already owing to them.
The rivers of blood which have bean drawn from
the vein* of our father*, brothers husbands, sons
and other relatives by the hand of our cruel ene
mies, form an impassible gulf between ua and onr
wicked invadera. How can we again shake hands
with them over the slain bodies of our loved ones,
and again embrace them in fraternal relations ?
Were Georgians to do this, the blood of their
brothers, who have fallen martyrs to our glorious
cause, would cry to them from the ground, and
rebuke the dastardly deed. Sooner than reunite
with those now seeking to enslave ua, and under
the name ol Union with them, become, with our
posterity, hewers of wood and drawers of water
for them, let ua submit, with more than Roman
firmness, to the devastation of our fields, and, if
need be, the extermination oi our race But let
us do no act hastily, which, however patriotic the
motives, may tend to array a powerful class in
our midst against the Confederate Government.—
While Georgia with the dignity of a great State,
should firmly maintain her reserved rights, and
if need be, restrain the Confederate Government
within the limits aaaianed it by tbe conetitntional
compact to which aheT* a party, she should stand
by it, confined within its constitutional limits,
with an unyielding determination to sustain it at
every hazard, us well against the injuries indicted
by the injudicious aotiou of imprudent friends, as
against the thrusts of domestic enemies, or the
heroniesn assaults of foreign foe*. The Tatars
happiness of her posterity 1* firmly linked with
the Confederacy. Thousands of her ions have
nobly immolated tbeir lives upon its altars, and
the tens of thousands who rurvive should sea to it
that no mde band is upii'tsd against it, that no
false policy undermines its foundations, and that
no usurpers destroy the beautiful symmetry of its
magnificent structure.
We should cot only sustain the Confederacy at
all hazards, but we should also sustain the admin
istration. Wfl may differ *rom it on constitutional
question*, or questions of policy. Such is the na
ture of the human mind, and minh the variety of
human intellect, that no two honest men were
ever fully agreed in every sentiment. As long as
freedom of thought and freedom of speech exists,-
we should have the independence to express our
dissent from what we consider toe errors of onr
rulers, and they should have the magnanimity to
tolerate the difference. But while we centend
earnestlv for what wo conaid, r sound principles,
we should do no act which can seriously embar
rass the ad nimstration in the prosecution of the
war. In my judgment the proposed endorsement
would, in the end, army a class ot capitalists
against tbo Government which would amcuut to
serious embarrassment.
Aguin.it cannot be denied, that some of the
States have managed their financial affairs batter
than others. Some have submitted to the neces
sary burdens cf taxation, and met their liabilities
as they were incurred, while others have added
much of them to their debts. Hence, the debts of
some are much larger, in proportion to their re
sources, than the debt of others The coneequens
is, that the credit of the State that has the great
est resouroes and the least debt ia worth most in
tho market. Bat suppose all the .States indorse
the immense debt of tne Confederacy, wh t is the
result? As each State has its own individual ia
debtednees, and would thou have assumed a legal
liability for the debt of the Confederacy, tbe credit
of each State is at once placed below the credit of
tbe Confederacy , and os each would then be lia
ble for us much as it could reasonably be expected
ever to pay, the orudit of the respeotiva States
would be placed, not only at a low point, bat very
nearly upon a level wilh each otier. This would
be injustice to those States which have maintain
ed their credit at the highest point. Take for in
stance our own State. It may ha truly remarked,
without disparagement to oMier States, that tbs
debt of (ieorgia is less iu proportion to her re
sources than that of any other State in the Con
federacy, or indeed,aDy other upon th continent.
The consequence is that her credit ia worth a
higher premium in the market than the credit of
any other State la tbe Confederacy, ller people
are therefore entitled to the benefits of her econo
my, her wise management, aDd her far seeing
statesmanship. If she and her other States now
endorse lbe C'onfederu e debt, her credit is at once
placed upon a level with Confederate credit, if not
below it, aDd very nearly or quite upon a level
with that of oil the other State*. The result is,
that the people of the other States reap the bene
fits of her better credit, to which the people of
Georg a are alone entitled. Thig would be injus
tice to the people of Georgia, and to creditors who
bare invested in her securities and are entitled to
the benitits other superior credit in the market.
If it ia paid, her people should make sacrifices for
the common cause; I reply, that no State lias
responded more promptly to every call made by
Confederate authority for men, money or other
ass stance, and that she is ever ready to comply
with every constitutional obligation.
Uttving’shown, I (rust, to your satisfaction, that
the proposed endorsement would place the inter
est of the capitalists of the country, in the scale
against hazarding further appropriations for tbs
establishment of the Confederacy ; that it would
he productive of iijary to the credit of the indi
vidual States, aud of injustice aa between th*
States themselves; 1 r.ow proceed to inquir*
whether, if we waive these objections, it could be
productive cl the permanent benefits to Confeae
j rate ciedit claimed by its advocates,
i Before proceeding,''however, it is proper that I
remark, that the advocates ot indorsement are
I not agreed among themselves, and that two plan*
arep'ropoaid One proposition contains a gen
! eral indorsement of the whole debt of the Con-
I federacy, by the several States ; each to be liable
j iu proportion to -ia representative weight in Con
i gress.
I The other, which may, I believe, properly be
i designated liie South Carolina propositions, pro
! poses l*o indorsement of |500.,00d,0(h) of the bond*
I hereafter to he issued by the Confederacy ; ea«h
1 Stct) indorsing its proportion of the hoods, on
j the basis of its relative representative weigh', in
CongrefS. The later proposition is, to my mind,
the less objectionable of the two; us it does not
hold oat ilie temptation above mentioned to capi
talists, to whom the present debt is owing, W
iavor the reconst uctiou of the old Union, to pre
vent un increase of debt to maintain the further
eX'sterc ; of the 0 mfederacy.
The advantages claimed for both propositions
are, 1 believe, substantially the same. The chief
ot which is, that the p reposed indorsement would
! reassure the confidence of capital, in Confederate
I credit, end Line its investment in tbe bonds of
I the Confederacy, in amounts sufficient to fund all
| Treasury not'ea issued in redundancy of healthy
circulation ; and thus reduce tbe circulation to au
| amount only necessary to meet the legitimate
commercial demand for currency.
This looks Weil on paper, tnd might work well
in practice, if there were enough surplus capital in
the Confederacy to oocvart hundred dollar bills
into interest bearing bonds, and lay them away
as investment ag fast as all the paper mills in the
country can wake the pep sr, p.tul Blithe engravers
1 can print upon it the likeness of a circulating me
| dtuui, and sn army of Government eierks can
\ sign these promises to pay. But here he* the
| difficulty. Whatever may "be the confidence of
capitalism in llu-se securities, the oouutry, devas
tated us it is Ly a desti active war, cannot yield
surplus capital for permanent investment,at fast
at hundred duller bills, or thousand dollar hoods,
can be manufactured
Frier to tha commencement of the war, the sur
plus capita! of the South was invested in State '
i’onds, Hank Stock, Railroad Stock, Bands of
Corporations, Ac. Binoe tha time most of the
surplus bag been invested in Confederate bonds ;
and our p ople have n t cow, probably tbe half
of live hundred millions ot dollars that they can
spare, to invent ;n any securities, however desira
ble. This measure might afford partial and tem
porary relief, by inducing some capital not now
employed, to seek lurestmsnt in these bonds.—
Hut it the war goes on, and ths government is
uudey the necessity of issuing two or three mil
lions of dollars a day, of its notes, tar the next
on-, two, or tbros years, it must be admitted,
that we have not the capital to absorb them as
fast as issued; and the indorsement could only
cause a temporary suspension of the depreciation
which must follow our issues, for tbe ultimate
payment of which, no adequate provision is being
made.
The advocates of this plan also contend, that
the government could fund the debt at home, at
a heavy premium, in its favor, after the indorse
ment, baaing the calculation upon the fact, that
Stall credit.is now worth a large premium, when
compared with Coufederate.
To show the fallacy of this couelusion f it is only
necessary to inquire, why the bonds of the indi
vidual States command this premium. Toe debt*
of most of the States are now small, compared
with their resrurci s, aud their ability to pay ; and
capitalists naturally conclude, that in case ol
failure of the Confederacy, or ultimate repudia
tion bv it, the State would pay the individual in
debtedness, resting upon both, legal aud moral
obligation, with no for her ol ligation than that
their people submit to such taxation es may be
imposed by Congress to rules the money to pay
the debt. Georgia’s seven per cant, bonds are
sato to be worth 4- per cent, premium, in curren
cy, in the market. Why? B-cause her resources
ara great, ti and and her debt small. Increase her
mdettiduess to ono hundred millions, and her
boedu will Crave to command a premium. If we
adopt cither cl the proposed plans, her debt may
soon exceed this sum. When the States have
committed themselves to the policy, end have in
dorsed the present Confederate debt, or have in
dorsed <s"o,t-i o COO, they must extend their ia
dorsemeius as future exigencies may, in the opin
ion of the Government, require, until they hare
indorsed ail future issues to be made by the
Government. The advocates of the plan will have
much stronger reasons for claiming the exteastoo
when tbe States are once committed to tbe policy’
than they now have for claiming the first indorse
ment. It is lix a whirlp 01, trom which, when
the 3 ates hare on re placed themselves within its
power, there is no return. When the amount ic
dorstd bee rinse, rg it soon must, to enormous
sum, ths effect of the indorsement will be. to
bring down State cr-dii, even below Confederate
ere-'it, and Dot to bring up Coufederate credit to
the present level of State ere Jit.
It is agaui said, that the proposed State icdorss
m-»t «< - Id enable the Government to negotiate
its bonds abroad at a premium, and that there is
a suffic ency c-f foreign capita! to absorb all our
issues- The eufljaiency of capita! In that cass is
admitted ; out the inquiry is, would the indorse
meet indue > its investment in those bonds, at a
premium, or at par, or even near to par ?
We are engaged in a gigantic war. Our ports
ere blockaded. The great powers of Europe re
fas even to recogu.Za ns as a Government. Our
expenditures are enormous, which cause our debt
to accumulate rapidiy, and we are collecting taxes
suflicient to p y interest; much less to create a ,
sinking fund lor the nitimaie extinguishment of
the principal. In this state of things, foreign
capitalists refuse to invest in Confederate securi
ties, end the credit of the ind.v.dual States is far
below par in foreign markets. How then is it to
be reasonably expected that th# indorsement of
ta* Confederate bonds by tho Btstes will give
them a value in foreign markets, which is attach
ed to neither the credit of the Confederacy nor
ot the individual Btate* i While the war and the
blockfd* last, and while we refuse to submit to
taxation sufficient to retire a reasonable propor
t’on of our paper iesnes, <t is vain to expect that
we can fund the debt abroad, without the most ;
ruinous saer See, no matter how often the paper
ia endoraed by the parties now morally hound for
ita payment.
Bat it mar be aaid, if the States are now mor
ally bound for tbe payment of the debt, and tbeir
people are legally bound to snbmit to the neces
sary tax for that purpose, when imposed by the
Confederate Government, why not endorse the
bonds and let the States take upon themselves
the direet legal obligations t» pay ? To my mind,
there are very obvious reasons why it should not
be done.
While the constitutional obligation rests upon |
the people of the States, to submit to the taxation
imposed by Congress, to pay the of the 1
confsdersey, tbs Constitution imposes upon Cou
.frees, which is tbe power which creates lbe lia
lility, the sole responsibility of devising the
means and assessing the taxes necessary to die
charge the obligation. Thi* ia as it should be—
Tbe power in the Government that creates the
debt* should have resting upon it the resp .r-si
bility of providing the means for its payment, and
of imposing tes taxes for that purpose which may
be necessary. The people then know how to
hold their agents to a proper accountability.
Buppo*e, however, the States endorse the debt,
snd pledge their individual faith as States, for itß
payment at maturity; and Congress, alraid of its
popularity, doeß not wish to take tbe responsibil
ity, to assess the tax to meet it. What follows t
The States, to maintain their individual credit,
must themselves assess an and collect the tax, and
make tne payment. Congressmen, finding that
they could in this way avoid an unpleasant re
sponsibility and retain their places with less dis
ficulty, would, after having contracted the debt,
when pay day came, turn over the responsibility
to the Legislatures of the States Thus we
should have one Government to spend the money,
and another chargeable with the responsibility ot
raising it. Gongrtsa would then occupy very
much (he position of the rich man’s prodigal 3on
at college, who, having no responsibility about
footing the bill at tha end of the year, feels very
liitle concerned about the size to which it accu
mulatee.
Again, sad experience has shown us that the
tendency of our Government is to consolidation,
and that tbe oeßtral Government is ever ready to
usurp aa much undeleted power as the States
will eonaent to lose. As the oentral Government
grows stronger, the States grow weaker, and
their just right* are disregarded. Now, I cat,
imagine no one act of the States that v ill tend so
muoh to strengthen the central Government, at
tbe expense to them of the 1 as of their just pow
ers, as tbe adoption of the policy now proposed,
which bind* them individually to provide for
iht payment of ail the debts which Congress may
•boose to contract, but may not be wilting to im
pose the taxee to pay. The consummation of the
policy ia the complete consolidation of the Govern
ment, making the State* the mere burden bearers
of the oentral superior.
£ may be met here with the remark often made,
that it is no time now to defend the rights of
Stateß, or to maintain principles. State Rights
and Coastilational principles are the same in
times of war as in times of peace ; and should be
maiuta nedat alt times, and under ull circum
stance*. Power once usurped, witrt acquie ceuce,
is never relaxed but at the point of the bayonet;
and we should not forget that rights surrendered
in war are never regained in peace. We should,
therefore, do no act tending to destroy the Htates
iu one grand consolidation,and lay the foundation
of a central despotism upon their ruins.
Having given some of the reasons which satisfy
my laind, that the hopes entertained by ill- advo
cate* of State indorsement, that the adoption of
their policy would retire the oxcess of the curren
•y, and redoc® it to a healthy condition, are en
tirely delusive, I may be asked if there is no reme
dy for evil. My opinion is, that so long aa the
war is carried on in its present magnitude, re
quiring the amount of daily expenditure now
made, and tbe demand lor all the necessaries of
life exceeds the supply ae Urns it now does, there
ii no complete remedy lor tbe present evils, of
of high price* and redundant paper currency
There ia one remedy, aad only one, which can
mitigate tha ovil, inspire confidence in the sta
bility of the debt, and induce tbe investment of
surplus eapital of tbe people of ether Govern
meats, as well as our own, in Gou’edcra.e bonds.
That remedy is taxation by Congress, sufficient
to pay the interact upon tbe whole debt, m gold
or its equivalent, and to create an annual sinking
fund, sufficient to extinguish the debt within eome
reasonable time. Convince capitalists everywhere
that this is the settled policy of the Government,
and that oar people are ready to submit to it, and
make all the sacrifices necessary to carry it out,
and Confederate securities will be sought after ia
tbe mar* at, and most of our excess of circulation
funded, without the question being once asked,
whetber Slats indorsement:, hive been written
upon the bonds.
In place ot the indorsement of tbe bonds of the
! Confederacy by the States, I, therefore, reco n
' mend as our response to be made to the proposi
tionaofour eister States, rnd as the Georgia poli
cy in which their 00-operation is respectfully
, stake*!, the passage of a joint resolution by the
General Assembly, urging the Congress of the
Confederate Slater, in view of the full magnitude
ot tha crisis, to come up with nerve aid firmness
j to the discharge cf its duty, by tbe assessment of
: a tax adeqaats to the purposes above mantionea ;
‘ and pledging the people of Georg a to a prompt
mid .rtesrfu' payment of their proportion of it.
If this ba done, l have no misgivings about the
j result. The good, common, practical sense of
; the people, which is seldom properly appreciated
by politicians, bar already grasped the question.
The people understand it. Every practical, busi
ness man knows that paper promises, with paper
indorsements, can never sustain our credit, as
’ long as we appropriate and draw hundreds of
1 minions of dollars annually from the Treasury,
; and return no Ling to it. Ns matter how many
expedients we may try, we shall be constantly
driven back to tbe same point. Government has
but one way of raising money to reduce its in
debte .luess, and that is by taxation, direct or in-
I direct. And as our ports are blockaded, so that
j we cannot raise money by indirect taxation upon
: itnportc, we have no alternative left but direct
taxation. As long aa we attempt to conduct this
war, amt maintain our armies upon paper pi om
i ises alone, we mast expect to endure all the evils
: ol depreciated credit, inflated currency, and high
i price*.
( European Governments tire already convinced
l by tbe gallant deeds of our arms, that Wc can
never be conquered as long as we can keep and
msinUin thesa armies; but they very well under
stand, th>t the financial question underlies, and is
the foundation upon wh ch the whole structure
is built. Thus far our policy has been such, as to
afford them but little evidence, that this is witfi
os a sure founuation. Wnenever we have con
vinced them that we are prepared to make the
eacnficss necessary to establish a safe and perma
nent financial system, we may expect both recog
nitisn and credit. Till w< have done this, we
oannot reasonably expect either.
Again, we lose almost nothing by submitting to
the taxation necessary to pay tbe interest and
create a sinking fund upon t'.e gold bas-a. When
ever tbl* becomes the settled policy of tbe Gov
ernment tbe depreciation is very nearly stopped,
end the curr*ney loft in our hands ia worth si
meat or quite aa much as all we had wns worth
before the tax. To illustrate : Tbe mechanic has
one hundred dollars of Confederate Treasury
notes. He wishes to purchase a good cow and
calf, and be find* it will take the whole sum to
pay for them. The carrancv is still depreciating,
and at the end of the next three months it may
take one hundred and twenty -five dollars to make
the purchase. At this point, suppose the Govern
ed nt assesses a tax of five per cent, to establish
the poliey above indicated, and he is required to
P“y live dollars of his hundred to the collector.—
The effect of this ia to absorb that much of the
over issue, und to give confidence in the ultimate
redemption of the whole. This will at once atop
tbe decline in the valne of the notes, and may
cause them to apprecia'e. The consequence will
be, that he can probably purchase the same prop
erty with the maety-five dollars which remain in
his hands after payment of tbe tax. in a word, by
paying back part of the redundant currency into
the Treasury, we stop tbe depreciation of its
valne, and leave tbe balance in oirculation worth
as mneh'in tb* purchase of property as the whole
was worth before the tax was paid. But s.oppose
the tax to be bnrdansome, ana to absorb a large
proportion of oar surplus income, is this a reason
why it should not be collected V We mut t submit
to hurdeas, and make heavy sacrifices to sustain
the Government, maintain onr credit, and sup
port onr armies, or all we passess must go down
together ia a orasb, -aa involve na and our pos
terity is one common rain.
Before oiosing my remark* upon the autyect, I
beg leave to express my Ann conviction that me
policy, advocated bv some, of assuming the Con
federate tax, when assessed, and adding it to the
debt of the State, instead of collecting it, ha > al
ready been carried as far os wise statesmanship
or the exigenciee of the timae will permit. It is
simply chitting the burden from one shoulder to
the other- Or, in other words, it is uu attempt,
in another form, to codust the war upon pspar,
without its coating us anything. We have no
right to turn over all the burdens of tho present
generation to posterity. This would bo us con
trary to justice end sound principles us it would
bt lor Oongresa to contract the debt and turn
over to tbe State governments the responsibility
Os providing the means for its payment .
The policy is exceedingly unwise in this also,
that it causes the Btate to borrow the present
currency at par, to be paid back, years bonce,
with interest, in go and. What prudent man would
do this, in ths management of hia own affairs l
Suppose one plan- e.* owes taotbjrteu thou-aad
dollars, would hs sell property now at th r p.-vsea
currenc 7 pay the debt, or
would he boil ou Ui lib pr»pen», u ;d iQlo .
re ? t upon the debt till the war a over aa 'd the
pr -?K° f eT * rylli ? oß “ *** lc estimated upon the
goid basts, ana then sell live times as much prot!
erty to pay ths same debt i If he adopted the
Ut.e. alternative, we would say he needed a euar
dl.**- . *• *««« that this policy would be un
: wise in individuals, we must not forget that -he
State is but an association of individuals w hen
upon a question of this character, we have a&cer
lamed wkat wo.ld be the literal ot a prudent
individual, or a small number of individuals we
have only to enlarge the circle, and we have’ the
. interest of ths State. This is a rule by which I
have been guided in tbe management of the
daaness of the State, and I believe it to be the
only true and successful one.
Our people can now pay millions ot dol
lars in the present currency easier than tbey can
pay ona million in gold, in what are usually called
hard times, when property is low and money
scarce. It may be said, why not keep our pro
perty and leave this waiter to posterity ? Who
are to be posterity? Our children. For whom
are we laboring? Our children. If, then our
property is expected to descend to jur children,
why accumulate a debt to hang over it and des
cend wiih it, by borrowing money at th- rate of
twenty cents for ad liar, to be paid back by them
out of property in gold, dollar for delta , with in
terest I trust this policy will find very lew ad
vocates.
It is infinitely belter for us to submit i*ail .he
taxation, and make all the sacrlfir*s_aeee»s *ryto
maintain our Government and sustain our credit,
than to p rmit tbe enemy to overturn our Gov
eminent, plunder our home*, insult our w vesuna
onr daughters, confiscate our property, and en
slave ourtelve3 and our posterity. Wc ernnot
j avoid the one alternative or the other. Humbly
i imploring a continuation of Pivme favor, let us
1 resolve to stand in our allotted places, muk j pll
! the sacrifices' necessary, and place our entire
trust in the God ol Israel, who is ‘ ave y present
help in trouble,” aud all will vet be weii.
Joskph E Brown.
Confedera.lv sin-,-.- CungreM,
SENATS— MARCH 1 !>.
The bill to imprers the cotton in the Confed
erate States was transferred to the secret cal
endar.
The bill to establish a Court for the investiga
tion of claims against the Confederal- Stales am
then taken up. Pending the consideration ot uu
amendment submitted by -Mr. Semmes, the Senate
went into secret session.
nODSK —MAQCIt l'X
Senate hi 1 entitled an act to regulate iha sup
plies of clot Ling to • nlisted men of the Navy dol
ing the war, was read ityica aud referrtd to the
Commi'tee on Naval all ora.
The Speaker laid beton the House a message
from the President, enelo ing a communication
from the Postmaster General, making certain
recommendations as to the exemption parsons
nece sary to the continuance of the mail service,
lteierred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
SENATE—MARCH 20.
A resolution was submitted declaring 'hat lilt
clerks and emplo . e-s in the Conlederate Stales
Arsenal, at Richmond, are entitled to the urovi
sions of the act lor increasing the compensation oi
certain government employees, in thi- city. K>-
farred to the Conimiiiee of Military Aff-urs
The Piesiideat pro ton laid before lbe Senate
a communicaiifiu from S. C. Davis, Esq., Ci rE of
the Senate of Virgin a, transmitting u re. olmmn
Os that body tendering the use of their Chamber
to the Cosiederate Senate. Lad upon ihe ta
ble.
A concurrent resolution was submitted provid
ing the present Congress shall adjuura on Monday, I
Oth of April, at 2 o’clock, P. M
Atter remarks by several members, the resolu
t on was, by general coas.-nt, laid over until Mon
day.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill to establish a court for the investigation ot
claims against the Government of die Confeder
ate States
The residue of the session ir: s occupied in per
fecting this hill, before concluding which, ’ the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE — MARCH 20. .
Senate bill to bo entitled "an act to organize the
Supreme Court of tne Confederate States” was
read twice aud referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Leave of absence was granted Mr. Tibbs, of
Tenn , detained at his lodgings by indisposition.
On a motion to go into secret session, it w o
ascertained that tbejHouse was without tfquoiutu,
and the roli was called. Tile requisite nr.i. h• •
finally appeared, and further proce-dings under
the call were dispenseu wda. The lljns-i tluu
went into stc-et session und,resumed the conaid
eration_of the Tax bill.
SENATE—MARCH 23.
The following bills were referred :
A bill in reiatioa io persons charged with of
fences against the Confederate .State; a Dili to
abolish supernumerary offices to ihe Gonmiesary
and Quartermaster’s Departments; u bill tn con
tinue iu force an act to autuoriz , a loan, etc., ap
proved 16th May, 1861. [The object oi the bill is
to entitle holders of eight per cent, call certificates
to the full benefit of tbe obligation contained th ro
in, notwithstanding a clause to the contrary ia the
Currency Act,.
A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to
pay officers of the Navy their actual and necni-«ry
traveling expense*, under orders, in lieu of mile
age.
The Committee of Conference, to whom was re
ferrtd the subject of regulating the impressment
of pri ate property for th.a use of the army, re
ported an amended bill,'the prorimus of which
was explained to the Senate. A motion to print
was agreed to ; the bill was then laid on the -able
aud made the order of the day for to-morrow.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill ta establish a court for the in wr.tigation of
claims against thu Govcrsme.ut of tha CoiifadeAt.*
States.
An amendment to restrict the right of appeal to
the Supreme Court, was and seussed at coma length,
and finally rejected—yeas 10. nays 18.
On motion, the Senate then went into Executive
session, and soon after adjourned.
HOUSE—MARCH £3.
The Tax Bill was further considered in secret
session and passed; alter which the House re
solved itself into open session.
The Joint Committee of Conference on the Im
pressment bill, submitted a v port. The com
mittee had adopted a substitute for tha bill of the
House aa amended bv the Senate, and recom
mended its adoption. The report of the commit
tee was adopted.
The House proceeded to consider the special
order of the dav. *o wit: a bill from the Commit,
tee of Wavs and Means, to he entitled, “An act
for the assessment end collection of dirret taxes
end internal duties ”
On motion, the word “lessees” in tbo first sec
tion, was stricken-out
A mq’ion to recommit the bill to tbo Committee
On Ways and Means, was lost.
Several amendments were proposed, sonto of
which were agreed to. and its barn patw!»i of arms
occurred between M. ’Pars Foote nu<! Lvnn, ad
Garnett and Kenner. Messrs Garnett and IHip'-e
spoke in opposition to tbo bill.
Without arriving at any conclusion, the lieu -e
adjourned.
SKVA.TE —MARCH 24.
A bill to provide tobacco ‘cr tbe army was tv \
ken up und passed.
The Gomroitten on Postal Affairs reported “n
hill to be entitled an set lo wr«*. •!!,<> iho rater.!
postage on newspapers, peried’ein's, books, and
transient and other matter.’’ Placed on the
calendar.
The Senate resumed consideration of the bill to
establish the Court for the investigation of claims
against the Government of the Confederate
Slatas.
Th« ir>;h section providing for the payment by
the Treasury of claims judicially declared bv this
Court out, of money which may have been appro
priated by Congress, was read.
It was moved to amend by adding nt the end of
the section that no claim of a sreiyer amount than
fifteen thousand dollars should be paid until an
appropriation for the purposs had been made by
Corgress.
. After u long discussion, the question bring put
on the amendment, it wan adopt" .
Tbo bill to authorize and regulate impressm-m’ a
was taken up and pa sod. (We have published a
synopsiilof this bill.]
The Senate strain resumed the consideration of
the bill to establish the Court of Claims. After
the adoption of some amendments the bill was
passed.
The Senate went into executive session.
HOUSE —MARCH 24.
The time of the House vs n* chiefly occupied in
tbe consideration of the biM reported from tfco
Committee on W:tya and Means “for the a iasac
meutand collection of direct taxes and internal
duties.”
SBSA.TB —MARCH 25.
A bill was reported to establish ihe form of fifty
cent treasury notes— referr- and. Also, with nmetiu
meat, tho bill to declare the mods of paying s^]a .
ries to officers in foreign ports—passed.
The Finance Committee reported with an
amendment, the bill to continue in force an act
entitled “an act to authorize a loan and the
of treasury no'JS. and to nrescribathe punishment
for forging tho same, aid for forging o. rifle Vs
of stock and bonds,” approved Mry 10 h, ISol. Tl.
amendment be.ng oncarred in, the b ” w -r; •;
the requisite number of times and passed, the t th
being amended so as to road “an act relative >
certain bonds and "treasury notes issued v:nu •
<he pi-ovijions of tbe act approved May 16th,
1361.”
The bill to regulate tho action of the Secretary
of the Navy upon the decisions of Naval General
Courts Mat tial, was called up, and postponed uu
til Thursday.
The bill « ntitied an act to amend the several acts
prescribing the mode of publishing ih«* laws and
resolutions of ihe Confederate State# was lu-m
up and passed, as was also abut for the reii: ! of
the Brunswick end Albany Railroad C- mp-.-.-y.
Tee Committee on Finance, submitted a
schema for taxation, wh.ch wua ordered to be
printed.
The Committee on Finance, sahmuted the fol -
lowing resolution, wiiica was considered and
lagreed to : ~ ~ , ,
ft solved, That the President be requested to
cause estimates to bareade by the several heads
of Departments of the amount necessary to be
appropriated for the servica or the Govern meat,
until ttm first d»T ct l -cnary next and eotnmuei
cate the same to the Senate. A mo;ioa was ? b
nii-ted to reconsider '.he vote by wbiou the S-n
--ute parsed ifie bill allowing soldiers rations o.
tobacco. . . ,
The Senate went into secret session.
HO CSS — MARCH 25.
Mr Martin, the newly elected member from
Florida, appears* ana qualified as a member ox i
renewed the consideration of the j
bill to provide for the as.-esamenl sad collection 1
of direct taxes. Vanpas amendments were pro- j
posed, some cf which were agrees to. Without
coming to a iinal " ; ' J> rnec^
The winter operations of Jeu. Staurt s csv; Yry f
foot up a total of "1283 prisoners, •-1 -orc-es and j
&5 wagons captures, with a loss on his pai t of J
only 24 men.
Snow fell iu soma sections of \ irginia, March i
81, to the depth of ten inches.
Cjjraaclf # Sentinel!
AUGUSTA, GA..
TL'ESDDAY MORNING, MARCH 31, 1563.
WB ALWAYS stop the Chroniolk 4 Ssnti
nsl at the end of the year, or the time for which
it is paid, of which each subscriber will receive
notice in the paper, so that if you wish to con
tinue it, it would be well to renew your subscrip
tion at least two weeks before the time expires.
W3 CANNOT change the address of a sub
scriber unless he gives us his former as well as
his present address.
CMANGE OK Sl KSCKIPrIOV PRICE. ‘
Some t-me since we were compelled on account
of Ihe high price of paper, priming material. Acto
a'vane- tli« subscription price of the liter//
kro'th \ if- Sentintl to vaass dollar! ptryem.
Within h ■ lost few months paoer alone has g n‘
up about one hundred per cent; printing unite
fiah of a q k;o,'s have advanced in the same pre
; ortion—some of them more. In consequence o
this, wo a-e pgain compelled to raise our rates.
We do this relocta-tlv, but we cannot h-rip it,
unless we issue ovr paper a pecuniary loss to
ourselves. We do not inteud, however, to ad
vance the price on our patrons, as others have
ad-auced the pricp ot the materiel we use on us.
Wc shall advance it only enough to prevent ns
from losing. All we want from on: Weekly
friends during the war, is a price sufficient to pay
the Co3t of issuing ihe sheet wo furnish them.
from nnd alter March Ist, 18(53, the price of
subscription to the Weekly Chronicle <?• Sentinel
is Four Dollars per auuum, in advance —iwo
Dollar for six months.
No subscriptions received for less time than six
months , , '
Hereafter there will be no “ club rates.
The Northwest,
The West are said is be fighting for the freedom
of the Mississippi; but they well knqw that this
was granted them by our Provisional Congress,
aud assured to them by the customs of modern
t'mes, the Danube, nnd Rhine, and the
St Lawrence, ere striking examples, while our
interests and tha well lenowu free-trade prircip.es
of tlie South made this freedom certain to be
their’a without war. What the Northwest really
want-d was entirely ditt'erout. They wiahed to
trade wi-h tha people along the banks of the great
river, to supply the States through which it runs
wilh bacon, corn, hanging, agricultural imple
ments, iron, coal, whiskey, hemp, manufactures
of cotton and word, hardware, steamboats, steam
engines, and every product of the soil snd of in
d-uriry which fertile lands and tho labor, skill aud
and energy of the West so abundantly furnished.
They wished to buy our cotton, sugar and ric", to
navigate our rivers, without let or hindrance, cr
onsioms, or duties. And it is for this commercial
intercourse which they have misnamed freedom of
the Mississippi, that they have been struggling
Thi 3 same reason impels Now York, Pennsylvania
aad New I’m land.
The manufactures of the East, and the commer
cial cap Hal of New York, are no more powerfu
arid inilaeutial in favoring and promoting this
war, than the agricultural und manufacturing' in
terests of the VV*Bt. Both are striving for oor
colonial dependence. Both are fighting for trade
and eni .ve. 15 th wish to make us dependent on
tuam ; both v, ; i:h to live and thrive by trade,
our products and our system of labor. And as
far as this clement enters into this struggle, so
far the North and Ihe West are impelled by the
aame motives to prolong it, and faring it to a suc
cessful issue.
The fanatic sm which prompts New’Eng!and to
support the war, is al3o to be found in the West.
Chicago and DetroH are nearly as bad as Boston
aad Portland. Wisconsin aud lotra are mostly
settled from New E-gland, and are infected with
all its peculiar prejudices and notions. The north
ern part of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, are like
northern New York cud Pennsylvania. Many
h n st mi and and people are indeed to be found on
the nor.ii .'ii banks of the Ohio, but they are also
found in N#» Jersey, Connecticut and New Ilatnp
chii-o. 'I : -oy arc, however, every where, both at
the North and tha West, iu so small a minority,
that We must make up our minds to light cur own
i b ,tries, u and win cur own independence. We must
plant aud labor, arm and fight, until we conquer
a peace hy onr own energies. There ia no lio| e
for us, except ii our own strong arms and valiant
ti'pbiiß, and i-j Mo God of justice, who always fa
vors the ii.dit, whether in tbe weak ortho strong.
Deserters autl Bcmuralizatteu.
If we may believe the accounts tvlnca have been
reaching ua almost eve'y day, the Federal armies
must to nearly depleted cf men by this time For
some months past deserters have bean coining
into the lines ol our arini s at the rate of a score
or two per day, and the Mis isaippi woods aud
swamps are lui! of them seeking a way northward
ly. We tliiak these gentry should bo narrowly
watched—for we have no assurance that one half
oft em are not spies, no withstanding their pro
fessions of disgust at * incoin’s proclamation and
their reluctance “to fight for ilia negro.” The
federal army la made up in a great measure of
that e.n .1 :-,i men to whom it makes very little do
s. recce who or want they fight for, it they ate
paid, when no paid they desert.
They Hunk they wiii meet with a more cordial
reception it they cents with some plaurib'e tale of
- t organization or revolt in the Yankee army, and
i ccor ugly ’"s are ciirfeifo'd % ith such accounts.
It i:5 a ii rt: remarkable that these tales are moat
phniitcd juvt before Borne important movement is
made ij> the enemy. Burnside, McClellan, liosen
cranz aud ia fact ail the Northern geaeia's who
have fought or made any movomffat at all, have
done so with armies utterly disorganized, if we
might believe i:e deserters. Either they told us
falsehoods, or their lead r* are possessed of great
er military abilities than any one is willing to give
them credit for.
We cannot to i whether it is fortunate or unfor
tunate fur uk ti:at the stories of deserters are very
seldom b l eved, or, if credited, are very seldom
acted upon. If they tell the truth, it ia unlucky
tbai our go- e-aia do not advance upon the disor
g'aniz -d crimes aud gain easy victories; if they
tall h;a, it is f . ii-Butaihiu they ary never believed,
uud they- trsii.-n are avoided.
Just about this time deserters are uncommonly
plentiful, arid each brings his di.-.org&nization tale.
They are the pr:cursors of active operations on
tee part of the Fed era. s— the cowards aaioag
them detail that they maybe placed out of harm’s
way—the bold rascals, that they may if, possible
mislead our a mies withs ice information. We
hope they are never trusted or retained in our
ranks, ‘or th -y may do much harm, by acting us
sp es, vfh:cti we have no doubt many of them are.
There ur<: doub'.ictss deserters on both sides, and
i':;. N,.i taefn or Southern, who at this jane
turn dvSarts his section, his home and hia fireside,
if he has one, is generally of tbe class mentioned
by the poet —
“vVi o ieave their couairv for their country’s
good.”
i'n 5-oiliargo om I'ravldont.
It .s we.i known that Augusta is dependent
open he ■ .boring d-strieis of South Carolina
f,r a large pert of its supplies of provisions, and
Ills farmer* cf that State are reaipr .ctliy depen
dent on Augusta for a market. Bat it appears
t- at our supplies from that source ara to be cut
off, and we may expect that prices will rise still
iMgkti- in thin market and that suffering will com
mence. Gov. Bonham has issued his proclama
iron, in which ha forbids all persons for the space
u. t jirty .'lays, couimeucing on the 25’.b mst., lrotn
Expcrtuqv beyond the limita of 3oulh Carolina
any salt, bacon, pork, beef, corn, meal, wheal,
flour, rice, peas, potatoes or other provisions of
- ary description tv! a lever.
i Tee ineaturo btrises us ?-5 being mo3t illiberal
: and urjust, not only to consumers but to pro
id users. If tic people of Georgia and South Ca
i rcLua are one peop-lc, they should bo suffered
j without restriction to relieve each otner’s eces-
Ei’.ies. If ; 1 i-y ccn.-.ti'uie two different nations,
H'hcs imer » ~ are and r-..'-; _..d distinct, it is bet
' lor ir v v.; p isition should be understood ot
j once, ao tii,ii Gov Brown can retaliate. If this is
| a apeeuneu or the free-trade, upon the blessings
! of which W'v have had so many boatiUec, we beg
j to be freed from it iorever. '
Fatal Achubst. —A boy named Joan Henry
aged about 15 years, was killed by accident at
the shop iorrn ,rir known as Oglesby’s Mill, near
the Aog stj Machine Works, .Sunday. We
learn that the caxuaity oecarred by the falling
np3.i him of a heavy bench or price of limber, by
which bis beau was so sererely contused as to
cause his death His lather died Irom an accid nt
in the same Bbop only a short time sines. His
wiaowed. mjther and an on‘y sister live on Telfair
street. Tbe case is a very sad one.
Tbo federal Attack on Port Hudson.
A correspondent of the jacks -u A p ul, wr t
ing from Port nudsoo, La , under date oi Maron *
15, gives the annex and account of the F'edcral at
tack on that place -.
The long expected contest between the Y'arkee
fleet took pmee belore duynghi th e morning t
first shot hsing fired ut ten rniau es past twelve
o clock, amt the last one ut twenty minule3 past
two. it was short, sharp and decisive.
bix vessels were to complete th- expedition,
divided mto t*o division . The vangua r d was to
conßist of the flag-ship Uart ord, a first class s earn
sloop.ol war, carrying twen y six 8a and 9 inch
Paixbau guus, leadiug, followed by tho M nuu
guhe a, a second ch.se steam sloop, moua ing » x
teen heavy guns, aad the Uiohmond, a rtrot el,us
steam moop ot war ot twenty-six gau>, principal y I
Saud 9-l ch co.umbiads. Tne rem- guard w s
composed of the first class steam sloop Altssiesippi,
uty two k.Ut}B. Sand 9 inch, and the guuuoit'S
lxinues and Genesee, each currying ihiee col
umbiads and two rill id 32 pounders. The Missis
sippi was a sidewheel stea t or. All the others
were screw propellers. The vanguard was ccm
maudid by Admiral Furrugut in person, on b ard
the llartiord. Tbe rear gua and wa-.- uudor the cou,-
m.md ot Gupta ri Me anetboj Smith, flying his
pennant from the Missnsippi. They were to pro
ceed up s'ream in single file, the prow of one fol
lowing close upou the stern of another, and keep
ing their fires i ud lights well concealed, ualil they
should he discovered by our batti-ries, when they
were to get by tho best way they could, lighting
their passtig), aad once ah V 8 they believed they
would have the rebel stronghold on both sides—
their guus covtring every part oi the encamp-
ment.
Besides this, the Essex and mortar boa’s an
ohored at the point aud supposed to have already
acquired our range, were expected to play uo
mean pari in the affair.
Shortly before midnight, the boats, having
formed the line of battle as desenb and, their d-cks
cleared for action, and tho men.at their quarters,
the Hartford led the way and the others promptly
followed her direction. At tbe moment of their
discovery a rocket was to bo sent up from the ad
mirals flag ship, as the s gtial for the Essex aud
her apcoinpauyiug mortar boata to commence
So dark was the night, an ' so slightly had the
armed craft nosed their way up, that the fl .g ship
ha t passed some of our guns and all the fleet were
within easy range before ih-ir approach was
known Almost at the same time a rocket from
our signal corps, ano the discharge ot muskets by
an iniuntry picket, aroused our line. Quick as a
fl 'sh whde the falling fire of our alarm rocket
was yet unextinguis'ned, there shot up into tbe
skv from the Hartford’s deck, another. Then
came one grand, long, deafening-roar that rent
the atmosphere with its mighty thunder, shaking
both land end water, and causing the high battery
crowned cliffs to tremble. Every gun on the fleet
and every mortar at the point joined tn one si
multaneous discharge.
Relying-greatly upon the suddenness and vigor
ofttieir attack to disconcert aud confuse the de
fenders of our cliffs, the roar of tbeir first dis
charge had net died away upon the eur before it
recommenced, aud when the quick aDd irn gular
hut unceasing volleys end broadsides showed that
the crew of* each Yankee gun were vieing with
each other in celerity. The sheets of flame that
poured irom ihe sides of the sloops at each tbs
chur-relit up avary the whole stretch of river,
olaciag each craft in strong relict against the
black skv The noi»e was stunning to the eur,
h i-. U oy know not jet the position of our bntte
rieii, and the shot and shell, fired at random,.had
uo mute:ial effect.
New commenced the battle in all its terrible
earnestn .s. Outnumbered in guns and outweigh
ed in metal, our voiiiea were 63 quickly repeats*
und the majority of them unerring iu tbeir aim
As soon as the enemy thus discovered our bat
torus, they opened on them with grape aud can
ister, which was more accurately thrown thaa
their shells, and threw clouds of dirt upou the
guns and gurnets; the shell went over them in
every conceivabl direction, ere pi the right ne
The Hartford, a very fast ship, now made straight
for up the river, making her best time, and trying
to divert the aim of our gunners by her ineessau
and deafening broadsides She soon outstripped
the balance of tbe fleet. Shot after shot struck
her, riddling her through and through, but still
she kept on her way.
Eveiy craft now looking out for itself ad bound
to make its very best liaie to get by, the fleet lost
its orderly liue of battle, and got so mixed up it
was and iiicult, and sometimes impossible, to dis
tiuguish one from another. It wus speedily
apparent to tho enemy, that the fire was a great
deal hotter aud more destructive than had been
expected, au . all the ships except ihe fJartiord,
undertook to put about and r# urn the way tucy
came.
For this purpose the Richmond sheered cioee in
the left ivrak. under the batter,eg. nnd IbeD
circled round, her course reaching nearly up to
the opposite point. In executing ihi* maneuver
she gave our batteries successively a raking posi
tion,and they took excellent advantage of it, rip
ping her fiom stern to stem From tho eras ing
of timbers pia.nly heard during ovary brief inter
val of the din, und from the view hail of shots
that struck her, it was plain that her doom was
sealed.
it was reported among a crowd of observer on
th bluff’ that a voice from her deck had called out
“We burrer,l r! we surrender!” II this was said,
it was not probably spoken by her commander,
who, however, appealed to our batteries to c ase
Sling upon her, > s the ship wss sink ng. As she
was evidently drifting down in an unmanagecolo
condition, and appa ently settling, the batteries
let her u'one, aud turned their attention to other
craft. Whether or not she sank Ido not as yet
know.
The Mississippi underlook to exeiute the Bame
maneuver of turning round and m.iking her escape
back to the point she started from. She had
rounded and just turned cowu atrenm, Iran cue
of our shots ior off her rudder, aral anothci went
crashing through her machinery. Immediately
after came the rushing sound of steam escaping
flora some broken pipe, and the now unmanage
able vessel drilted aground directly opposite our
crescent line of batteries. Her rhng a w..s quickly
gained, und she wus being rapidly torn to pieces
'ey cur missiles, when the commander gave the
order for all hands to save themaelvcs the best
way they could. At the same time fire broke oat
in two plaqtfi. At this time her decks wore strewn
with dead anti woanued, according to one of her
crew, with whom I have conversed, wbo thought
that one halt her complement of men were includ
ed in the list of casualties.
The ibree larger versbls had occupied most of
the attention ot the batteries, but the other cru t
had not b? any means been overlooked. Two had
turned round and started down stream. Oue of
them apparently escaped without serious diaabili
fcy, but me other, which waa probably theKinnes,
floated down past the batteries in au unma-.agaa
b!e condition, receiving oar volleys without being
able to return them; and from the contusion of
vo ces aud the mingling of osth3, ex orations and
order* heard from her decks, it was evident that
great slaughter must have been mads among her
crew, else that the boat itself was in a critical pre
dicament. A vessel, which was ei her She Ton
neasoe or Monongahels, most probably the former,
slipped by in the pontasion, and joined the Hart
fora «p the river.
Borne fifty five or sixty persons saved them
selves by jumping overboard aud swimming or
wading irorn the Mississippi to the shore. Oi
these the major and captain of marines and asais
tant engineer, with forty-five sailors aud marines,
have been arrested by our cavalry and brought
across during the day. Soma few others are re
ported to be hiding themselves in tbe swamp
The dead and wounded weie left upon the Miss a
tippi, which coon floated off and s.aried dotvu
with the current.
When the burning Mississippi reached the point
where the mortar boats ad other craft lay, ehe
created a perfect panic among them. At uve
minutes past five o’clock, wnen the Mississippi
was prohabiy within five rniics of Baton Rouge,
a sudden glare lit up the whole sky. The c use
was well known to bo tbe explosion of the rnag i
ziua. Alter a considerable interval of time a long
rn i bling sound brought final proof tout tbs Mis
sissippi, one of the finest vassals of the Uniteu
States navy, which hud earned an historic lame
before the commencement ot tbe present war as
the flag ship of tj.e Japan expedition, was a thing
of the past. .. , - - ..
Such are the particulars of this morning e fight
at Port Hudson. For ti.e time it lasted it was one
o tbe mint desperately coot -sted engagements
of the war. Oar success is to beattnouted to the
coOiners, galluutr nod skill of the officers and
men engaged. I the country is not satisfied with
the Port Hudson fight, then n must indeed be
unreasonable Under all the circumstances the
rutuit pas been as surprising ts K has been grati
firing The relative loss of u few one of tbv mo,.
nt features of the affair. The loss on
board the enemy’s vessels mast amount to at leas
f.- fl killed and wounded. On tue Mississippi,
alone, ihe loss was over 150. The loss m our but
tones was one Lieutenant, of the Ist Alabama,
s ightly wounded, and one man of tue Ist Tennes
see battalion, severely wounded.
From Mexico.
Tbe French gunboats have captured Miuititlan
The French army commenced tbrir march for
Puebla or February 19th. General Furey startei.
on the 2-3d, andHoiigaey and Almonte foiiow-d on
tuo 25th. It Was presumed that the at'ack On
Puebla would begin about the first of March
General Or ega has twemy-iour tbousa id men f r
ns defence, and General C'omonfort has irom eight
to ten thousand men lor the other defencsß.
The Fieach ufiieera are said to be disgusted
The ciinaie is operating un avorably upon the
soldiers.
M..st of the French force at Vera Cruz are ne
groes irom Martinique. The country betweeu
Puebla and the city of Mexico is infested w th
guerillas, well armed and mounted A whole train
ot supplies trom Vera Cruz lor the French Army
uas been captured by these gueniias. Tne Frenco
are constructing a railroad io Puebla.
Passengers wno arrived at San Francisco on tue
10tb, from Mtzitlan, reported that the 0 P ! “'°“
prevailed in the best informed circles there, tnat
the French would take possession of Sonora witn
m ninety days.
Hon. A. J. Lawson, oi Burke county, died
11. l j (jarter m W&v dbs—
at me resAence ol J j; awsoo was formerly
boro ou tue Zfith lost. mr. known
State .Senator Irom Burke, ana was
tarougiioai iLe rftutd.
At Washington County Hnpenor Court,
t R chard Kunea, convicted of wuider
‘n“; hie w.ri by admmistering stryehmne, Wk*
sentenced to the Penitentiary for liie.
Th* I:apr- «*m ut IS.il,
We give b-o * *ca *M.lly mad- a,d conu en
d -in ab-tract »f tne Inripvea me >t h- i, , r ~j
t • Ongrrts oy he Coths'U e o Confer r.ce, ucd
*' ich the telegraph taiorms Un bus p.»>s and ' oth *
Hounrg :
*ec’ n 1 Wh never theexigei.c .-t of an srmv
i th- field ur sue a< 'o m .fee iu>pre«sin«a<s o»
it* su, pi>r' n*c ssar , p oper v may V lt rm ; sel
by the officers whose da., u is to furnah eucu
property iu tue array. Winn rie owner 0 f the
property cud the imp- ssing officer cannot a.- ee
upon tho value of th prop-. ty. ih« imure-L'emr
officer, upon tbo rffidnnt of ‘he owmr or his
agent, that such pro, erty w*.> Kro „ n r , iS6l ,
produced oy the own r , or is hrid, or has b-n
purchased by him, not for sale or speculation bu*
tor his own conaumpuo-, a*all ecu e rt e value to
I ue ascorimntd y the judgment o two loyal uril
disinterested o st-us o the city, county of parish
where the impressment may be made one a»-
sesor to be selected by tha .more,sing officer mid
tbe oth-rby tuo owner, and in eale oi a disuer,e
ment between the appraisers, the latter nha l
choose an umpire. wbo,e judgmem ah 11 be final.
The imp: eg.ing officer than aduiinlsisr «n oath <o
appruue t lriy and impa.uslly to the appraisers
who shall ill u procee i to u-se-s just to nneusu*
tieu lor the property lrnpree u, Wi ,«,her iIL u h
s .lute ownership or the temporary u,e thereof o‘ iv
is required. 1
■‘cSec. 2. The officer impresa ng proper y shall
at ti.e time of impressment, pay to tue o#cer or
his ageui.the compensation fixed by the apnrai
sers ; aad shall aso give the owner, over his offi
cial signature, a certificate that said property u
essential to the use of the army, aad that it could
uot ho otherwise procured, and was taken through
absolute necessity; setting f . r kb the tune oiid
place Whe . aad where tak a the amount oi coV
pensution fixe by the appraisers, ano tbe sum if
any, paid tor tie sumo. Woen the impressing
officer shall fill to pay for properly impressed,
the owner eh l.be entitled to the seedy payment
tor the sam- by tue proper disbursing cflicer.
Sec. o Whenever the appraisement provided
,tor in tho hr-t section shait ,ro;u any cause be
impracticable at the tutio ol impressment, in that
case, the value pf the property impressed shall be
assessed as soon as possible by two loyal und dis
interested citizen Oi the city, county, or parish
wh rem the property was taken, chosen, one by
the owner and one by tbe Commireary or Quar
termaster General or bis agem, who in case of
disagreement, shall chouse u third citizen of like
qualification as umpire to decide tbe matter* iu
dispute, wbo, be ng duly sworn, shall hear the
proofs ot the value 0 f toe property and assess a
just compensation tfaer,fcr, according to lbe tes
timony
Sec. and Whenever the Secretary of War shall
think it necessary to t ke private property for
public us. , be may by g n»ral order, thr ugh the
proper subordinate effi ere, authorize such prop
<rty to be taken, the compensation for tbe same
to he ascertained as provided iu the first and se
cond sect ons.
Eec 5 its all he the duly of the President,
immediately a! m- the passage of this act, to up -
poi it a Coa.miss oner in p ch State where prop
erty Shall he ins-u ioi- pub ic use, and request the
Governor oi each ol tho -.tales in winch lie shall
appoint said Commissioner, to appoint -.mother
Gommissioon 1 to ac in conjunction with die Com
missioner appointed by the President, who shall
receive eight did ars a day co upciisulinn mid teu
cents mileage, to ha paid by tho Confederate Gov
ernment. riuid Commissioners shall c. ustitute a
Board, whose duty it shall be lo fix upon the
price to be paid by the Government lor ail prop
erty impressed or taken, so as to afford just com
per.sat on to the owners thereof. Said dotnui's
s Oners shall agree upon ana publish a schedule
of prices every two mouths, or oftener if they shall
dtern prop-r; and in the event they shall not
agree m any matter c-nlidsd to them, they shall
have power to appoint an umpire, w one and cisiou
shall he the decis'on of the Beard The Commis
sioners shall bo residents of the Suite for which
they are appointed, und if the Governor of any
State refuse or ntgiec to appoint a Commissioner
within tea days after a request to do so by the
President, tha President shall appoint both Com
mi vs,oners, by a.id with the consent o' >h- Senate.
Sec. ,5 AU property impressed in the hands of
any person other than the perrons who have grown,
raised or produced toe same, or persons holding
tho same for their own n.ie or consumption, s 11
be paid for accord ng to the schedule pric-s fixed
by the commissioners Butil the impress'! g offi
cer or iho owner abali differ as t„ tbe qua ty of
the article impressed, thereby making n fall with
in a higher or lower price named in the i-obedule,
then the-owner or agent and th officer impress
ing may select each a loyal aad disinterested citi
zen, duly qnaiifi and, to determine the quality of
said property, who, in case . f disagre rnent, ap
point an umpire of like qnnUficatin .s, and his de
cision, if approved by the impressi g officer shall
he final. If not approved, the impressing officer
shall send the award to the Comrni s oners o> the
8 a e, wuh his reasons ior disapproving the same,
and Bud Cotnmiss'Onerw may b- av ,e*,imony,and
thoir decision shall b.- final The owner may re
ceive the price-offer and by tho impress! g officer,
wi'bout prejudice to his claim to receive higher
compensation.
Bec 7. Tile property necessary for the support
of the owner aod his 'aw ly, and to carry- on,his
Ordinary agricultural or nn-chanioal busmess,
these facts lo fcs ascertained by the appraisers
provided in the lat section, shafl not b • taken or
impressed tor the public use; and when the im
pressing officer and the owner cannot agree as to
thu quantity of property necessary as a oresaid,
then the decision of the said appraisers shail be
binding on tho officer and a!! other persons.
Sec. is. When property impressed f r tempora
ry purposes is lost or destroyed without the de
fault of the owner, the Government shall pay ajust
Compensation therefor, to be n eertained by ap
praisers appointed and qua’ified aa piovidedin
tho hied noetion. When snch property whence
turned has, in the opinion of the owner, been in
jured whilst in tbe public use, tho amount of dam
age thereby sustained sir M ■■' ascertained in the
manner prescribed in ih 1 section, the officer
returning the property bring authorized to act on
behiilfof this Government; and upon such in
quiry the certificates ot tho value ot tbe property
when originally impressed shall he received as
prima facie evidence of tbe value thereof.
Sec. 9 Where slaves are impressed to labor on
fortifications or other public -orks, the impress
ment shall he reads according to the rules and
regulations prescribed in the laws of the btate
wherein they me impressed ; and in the absence
of any such laws, in accordance with such roles
and reg. iations not icernmreat wuh the pro
visions of this aeq as the Senrelsrv o‘ war shall
from time to time prescribe, provided no impress
ment of alaves shall ho made when they can he
hired or procured by the consent of the owner or
his agent ,
Sec. 10. This stotfo-i provides for the piimuu
meat of any oflieir, non commissioned officer or
nriv te who shall violate the provisions of this
act; and provides that the he entitled An
act to regulate impiwn’enw, ”
From arISAUASA.
The Fed frill a- hat wme at F..ye'trville are re
ported to have taken he back track to Missouri.
erron s army is aa’d to he at 1-orsyth, Missouri.
Blount h&3 gone to Kansas
There are a few F.-der J troops at Helens. Fed
eral gun boats are cruising about t.ie mouth ol Hie
Arkansas river. , , ,
A few days since onr forces captured and set
five to a federal transport above Napoleon.
The jayhawkera ia Arkansas have been and a-
P6 More than a Ihcutand dese fers from the Fed
eral army of ihe Min issippl have phased through
Arkansas to the North.
Tho Federal c .mmandtr in Arkansas, nas_ is
sued very tyrannical and siriagent orders,
are as follows : No pers it or pi .-sons wil' be
mitted to sell at this post, gooda, wares or
ch mdse of any description, except upon
written permission of the provost marshal tt
of, and upon such terms and conditions a
mav think proper to impose, lhe unautbo)
sale of articles, contraband of especially
quinine aud munitions o war, wth be lollowr •-/
tne entire confiscati m of the enure stock in tr> and«
of the offender or offenders. Ihe sale to women
of articles uppmpriaie f.rmen only, is
forbidden, aud any connivance at the ev “® ,o “
military law or regulations will • e O'vetj J 1
ished On and aftc Tueedav, the 2?th of Jaoue r
18GS, no cit zen, ma e or female, over the a fi‘
ten years, and living or
corporate /Units nt the city ol la.etteville e ■
be permitted to move ab ut lae city without fi,,
having take theouih of ailegiar.ee to the Govern
ment of the United States, >nd tearing upon hi
or her person a copy of the oath so taken, or
certificate of the taking therto , regularly s gre «
und executed. Shall any person for the purpose
of evading this order remain at their bouses and
still atte. pt to keep up communication wit*, nd
convey intcllfgeace to, the enemies of'-h- Fed -al
Government, thev wF be feet summarily beyond
tbe lines of this pst Certain re ei laaies
especially cuiuone eg»inet the i. discreet ns - r *
their tongues. Such conduct is neither mdj-iike
nor proper, and if b»y have any regard lor Sue
ameoitiesof hie or their own quiet, tney will c-in
duct themselves differently from what thay u<
n °ln the late raid of the Fedcrala into BatesviUe.
Ark they robbf and ail, friend, foe and n. u.ral alike
They took their hors-s into tho hoa= s, led tu -m
there, and comm tt> and other liko exce
Btole a Urge number of negroes, horse.-, -g
and large quantifies of core ana torag •
Tne Federals still hove undisputea pwsesb'Ori
,o several coon ies in Northwestern Arka« .s
T h ,, ar adaiia swing the oath to J- # J
aud l b eU r,L eDi B oi of
nmily Irom having corn py-BesaLoti, uni m.
mills, ai ol wbteo «r ‘ t} flrgt gworn tc
all the members ol .he hum q U;e mihUa>
support Liiiicoln. 1 - . uc; j, t . e t 0
,ud by ‘j* r^ D 0 6 r t ?[eConfederacy. Tasccmf.,
lake si es aga , oog t jj e |,o’-..-s and wavous
18 1 and, for the time bring, tbe people
8 ‘me mercy of .he enemy. Ihe jav hawkers
and banditti , 1 the mourtams are fie cause oi
great nneasineaa to the people who are atnl lo ai
‘°A gentiemau writing from Camden, Art, gar
that our army in that State is in good health a
spirits, and will soon be heard from.
Pontoon boats are flat-Lottomed, thirty G
long, two and a bail feet wide a. the bow, a
five feet wide at the stern, swelling out at t
oidea to the width of six feet. Each fits on
ruaaing'gear ol four wheels, and is used es bag
gage wagon lor the pontoneera, carrying its pro
portion of string piecia of plank On reaching
river the boats are unloaded, floaieu across by
sable made last up the str am, then the string
pieces are iaid across Irom me boat to the neat,
lad on these are placed the planks, each twenl
one feel long, which form the gangway cf lh
Width.