Newspaper Page Text
fclg dTcuntir fta.
E. H. GROUBY,
Editor, Proprietor & Publisher.
* 'B L A. IC E JL Y:7
*
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1864.
Forrest ia supposed to huve destroyed
near twenty millions worth of Federal
stores at Paducah.
Mrs. W. W Fleming has our thanks
for a nice lot of Turnip Greens, which are
the first we have had this season..
Attention is called to the advertisement
of D. S. Johnston. He wishes topxc-hange
several necessary articles for provisions.
About one hundred and fifty Yankee
prisoners, taken at or near Yazoo City, re*
•ently arrived at Demopolis, Ala. Among
them was a brother-in-laj of Gen. Grant,
with the raok of Captain.
— »
Fot the past week or two we have had
regular “ hog killin’ weather," and, from
present appearances, we would judge that
we are to have cold weather the balance of
the year.
It will probably bo very gratifying to
ronny of our readers to learn that no more
Federal prisoners are to bo 6ent South at
present. There i 8 uow only eighteen bun* .
dred at Richmond, half of which are offi
cers. If the practice df exchanging pris
oners on parole, which has been carried on
by flag of truce for the last four weeks, is
kept up, it will not be long before the num
ber now in Virginia will be exhausted.
Four thousand are still at Dauvilie.
+ ......
A “ devil of a fuss ” is being made in
tho Albany Patriot , by the Judges of the
Inferior Court o? Dougherty county, in
regard to the toll to bo charged by the
owner of the Bridge over Flint River at,
Albany. It seems that the proprietor of
this bridge wants to charge the public one
price for crossing, and the Court another.
As the proprietor of this bridge has already
made a “ pile ” out of it, as ho did out of
the Steam Ram Mississippi, which he des
troyed nt New Orleans, we would suggest
to the Inferior Court of Dougherty county
the propriety of “pressing" this bridge
from its present sharp-eyed, money-making
proprietor, and giving every one a “ free
ticket" to “pass and repass” at pleasure.
This would have a tendency to show him
that there are yet a few men to the manor ■
horn left in the Southern Confederacy who
are able to protect all property in Dixie,
•nd that we have not yet “ given up " to
Yankcedoodledums.
« .
Vvhen Gen. Beauregard was at Colum
bus, Ky., he requested the good people of
New Orleans to send him their Church
bolls to be melted into cannon. If at any
time the Geperal is in want of brass for a
similar purpose, let him send to this
country for the genuine article. It can be
had hero in abundance. Meu with hard
brazen faces demand §3 per lb. for butter,
SI per dozen for eggs, $3 per bushel for
corn meal, $250 per bbl. for flour, 63 per
pound for bacon, SSO per bunch for spun
thread, 65 per bushel for corn, and so on.
These prices are demanded since tho first
of April, and the 33$ knocked off the mon
ey in the bargain! How por families
manage to live is hard to tell. The worst
of it is that many of these articles cannot
be bought at the above prices, the men
who have them holding ou to get more.
If something is not done to force these
men to sell their produce and other neces*.
naries at lower rates, wc cannot see what is
to become of the poor people in this sec
tion. It large planters continue to refuse
to let poor people have corn and meat, we
*re in favor of examining their cribs, and
if found to have more than they need for
homo consumption, “press" tho overplus,
and pay tho owners reasonable prices for
tho same. Let the poor people have corn
at fair prices lor money one way or
>n other
Notwithstanding the growing scarcity of
money, people who have anything to sell
are advancing in price rather than coming
dowli, and those Shyloeks. the devil’s pet
and choice agents, who went up to 50 per
cent on account of the depreciation of tho
currcucy by Congress, are exacting the ad
vanced price in the new currency. Let U 3
see how they work their cards. To meet
the depreciation of the currency which they
anticipated, they increased their prices ten
or twenty told, to figures that would save
them even if Congress had taken 66$ cents
off the dollar instead of 335, but the mo
ment the act of depreciation came, which
they had already prepared to meet, they
raised their prices 50 per cent! Not sat
isfied with adding on the 33$ per cent,
they hold on to their price and discount
your ten dollar bills, and up 33$ cents
nmre! And yet these blood-suckers claim
to be huinaoc, honest men—some pretend
to be Christians and “patriots!” Tliere
is another class of’ gold-WOTshippers and
idolators, who are doing more to depreciate
our paper currency than ail others, aod
more to ruiu the Southern Confederacy
ami subjugate it, than the Yankees
selves. We allude to those who clamor
for gold and silver. They rob the people
by asking the most shameful prices in pa
per money, but pretend that they will take
twenty times less if yon will pay in gold
or silver, which they well know you cannot
do. This proposition they make to hide
the shame of extortion. - And this exac
tion of gold and silver, in order to get
things cheap, depreciates the paper cur
rency. Castle Thunder and all the Peni
tentiaries in the Confederacy ought to bo
enlarged, and every man who stabs the
currency of the country, by exacting gold
and silver, or making a great difference in
price on acoount of being paid in Confed>
erate money, ought to be introduced into
these institutions. And the man who hu
mors tho gold and silver hunter, by paying
him in the precious metals, is just as guilty
of putting down tho currency and running
up prices as he who exacts it—every bit.
Both are euemies to their country, false to
the times, and recreant to their race.
There are some people in this commu
nity, says the Savannah News , as well as
elsewhere throughout tho Confederacy, ex
empt from military duty, and, in most cases,
making fortunes, who take no interest in
the success of our cause, but do everything
in their power to shake the confidence of
the people in the credit of the Govern
ment, and lose no occasion to speak trifling-
Jy and even contemptuously of the valuo
of our money. We allude, of course, to
the store-keepers and others who will not
receive five dollar hills in exchange for
their goods except at a discount of ten to,
fifteen and even in some instances thirty
three and one-third per cent. People who
act in this way are no friends to our
and the country jvould loose nothing if
they were furnished with a carte, blanche
for the other side of Mason and Dixon's
«
line.
The annexed extract is taken from a let
ter receivod in Richmond from an officer
on Hoard the Confederate steamer Alabama.
It ia dated Singapore, Straits of Malacca,
Dec. 25, 1863 :
Twenty Yankee ships are laid up and
offered for sale. No freight in Yankee ves
sels at & 11. The people are loud in their
praises of the pllantry of the Southern
people, and their whole hearts are in our
glorious c.auee. All the foreign officers
are with us, and the English Government
is bitterly opposed. Yankees are held in
great contempt, and their lying newspaper
reports not at all credited by the people.
A Yankee ship is rarely now to be seen in
this part of the ocean. All are in good
health and spirits on board tho Alabama.
♦ •
Maj. Sneed, of the Savannah Republican,
recently exposed the shoemakers of that
city for their unnecessary and absurd char
ges against sateless people. But the entire
cobler fraternity have got after him with
all their boot-trees, lasts pegging'-awls,
whangs, paste, and dubin. We don’t see
muchchanGo lor the Major in that fight, but
we at once “recognize" him “as a power,"
aud should he have to rotroat will receive
him by a display of all the royalty in our
sanctum “ to boot."
Public Meeting-.
At a public meeting of the citizens of
Early and Miller counties, held this day,
in the town of Blakely, Mr. James Bush
was called to the chair and*Peter Howard
requested to act as Secretary.
On motion, the chairman was request
ed to appoint a committee of five to pre
pare matter for the action of the meeting.
“Whereupon, W. W. Fleming, James B.
Brown, and John B. Mulligan, of Early
county, and J. J. Swearingen and Moses
Warren, of Miller county, were appointed
said committee.
The committee, after .returning, present
ed the following for the consideration of
the meeting, which was unanimously adopt
ed':
We the people of Early and Miller coun
ties in convention assembled, in compli
ance with the recommendation of our
Grand Juries, trusting, that in these days
of military necessity,” the right of peti
tion may still be vouchsafed unto us,
dorespeotfully set forth to those in author
ity our mingled protestations and petitions
as follows:
We respectfully protest against the in
structions isssued by the Commissioner of
Taxes, based upon the tithing law, as
aamnded by Congress at its last session, as
contrary to the spirit of said law, and as
calculated to do great injustice to the peo
ple. A careful reading of the law, we
.think, will show that it could not have
been the intention of Congress to apply its
new provisions to the tithing of last year;
because such radical are made in
some of its provisions, us to render a com
pliance with them, iu many cases, utterly
impossible, at this day, wiiiout working
injustice to those who have already deliv
ered their tithes, as well as to those who
have net. For instance, under the law as
amended, a planter who does not make
over two hundred bushels of corn, shall
not be subject to pay tithes of the saibe.
Under the law as it was before amend
ment, the producer was compelled to pay
tithes of all over one hundred bushels;
hut no provision is made to refund to those
who have already paid their tithes the
amount paid by them more than is called
for by .the new provision. Again, the pro- '
ducer is allowed by the amended law ex
emption frpm paying tithes on his wool
and cotton, unless he produce over ten
pounds of the former and fifteen pounds*)!’
the latter, in the lint, to each member of
the family. Several other exemptions are
made in the amended law that were not in
the original, yet no provision is made to
place thd man who has already paid his
taxes on an equality with him who has not.
Thus it will be seen that it does injustice
to those who have delivered their tithes.
But w.c say it does injustice, in many
cases, to those who have not delivered.
This we claim to be particularly the case
io onr counties. As our Grand Juries
have found, there are a large number of
Soldier’s familes in our midst, who make
scarcely anything towards a support. These
families are of course dependent for sup
plies upon those who make them. Our
planters, we are proud to say, have been
alive to the obligation resting upon them
to see that the families of oar brave sol
diers do not suffer for the necessaries <jf
life. Governed »by this motive, many of
them have disposed of their tithes, to such
needy Soldiers' families as were in their
neighborhood—not doubting but that they
would bo privileged to comply with the
law as it them stood, and pay the Govern
ment the assessed value of their tithes, with
fifty per cent, on; and little dreaming, that
as a peualty for their kindness tq Soldiers'
families, a demand would be made upon
them to pay Jive times the assessed value. ’
Our people have been lead to believe-,
too, that Quarter Masters’ receipts of com
panies and regiments, for corn and other
supplies furnished to said companies quar
tered in their midst, or passing through
the county, would he received in payment
of tithes. Under this impression, many
have furnished supplies of this kind, but
are now refused to have their claims allow
ed by our District Quarter Master. Again, ■
' under an order from the Post Quarter Mas
ter of this District, many of our farmers,
living over fifteen miles from a Govern
ment Depot, were refused sacks in which
to deliver their tithes at the proper time,
and in consequence, sold their tithe corn to
their needy neighbors, at the assessed val
ue. How unreasonable, theD, to call on
these men to deliver their tithe corn, or
pay five times the assessed value. There
are many men, too, who did not make
enough for their own consumption, and
who chose rather to avail themselves of
the privileges of the law, and pay the Gov
ernment the fifty per cent, advance, than
buy elsewhere. The greatest sufferers,
however, by the construction put upon the
amended law, are some of our Soldiers wives;
those who could have spared their tithes
to the Government, but for their inability
to deliver them. All are aware of the .try
ing circumstances in which a woman is
placed, who has never before had the man
agement of outdoor business. Beset-on
all. hands by trouble, they have readily
adopted any plan suggested by their friends
that would relieve them of any part of
their burdens. Hence, when they have
had anything tospare, they have disposed of
it to their more needy neighbors, trusting
that the Government, for the very existence
of which their husbands were fighting, would
do then) the justice to allow them to comply .
with the laws under which they were then
aetiug. But what is the justice proposed •
to be meted out to these Soldier’s wives
now?—merely to compel them to deliver to'.
the Government what they have not got, or
pa vjioe times the assessed value of the same.
Does not then, we ask, the construction
put upon the amended law, by the author
ities, work gross injustice to all partiesT A
Nor can we allow the plea of “ necessity”’
in justification of this attempt to impose:
upon the people such an illegal require*,
meut; for the Government Depots in thie
part, of the State, particularly on the 8. Wf
Rail Road, are known to be filled to over-'
flowing with produce—larger amout»tS:]th*W
cun be moved, it is thought, iu the: ■*>**s
six months; and still there is much
that has been sold to the Government that
will not be delivered until the present -crop
is laid bye. Besides, should it be found
necessary, the Government can resort to
impressment, and thus get supplies out.of
the hands of those who have' them, instead
6f forcing those who have them not to fur
nish them. '
We mako these complaints in no spirit
of fault-finding, nor from any disposition
to avoid the legitimate demauds the Gov
ernment may make upon us for aid, but
from a sense of justice toourselveß. And
we here take occasion to remonstrate
against that principle of interpretation of
the laws of Congress, so commou with our
government officials, which is calculated
to oppress and annoy the people rather
than conciliate and favor them. If per
sisted in, it must ultimately alienate the
affectioD3 of the people from the govern
ment.
We cannot , but look upon the law, as
now construed, as ex post facto, and there
fore contrary to our Constitution. We ap
peal, then, to the Government officials
to modify their instructions as to make
them conform to the plain intent of the
law, allowing producers to deliver their
tithes of last year, in compliance with the'
provisions of the act of 1863,, or suspend
the execution of the law iu this district
•until Congress meet and have time to set
upon it. But appeal to the
Tax Commissioner be disregarded, we.ear
nestly solicit our member of Congress from
this district to use his utmost endeavors to
bring the matter at an .early day before Con
gresS, at its approaching session, that they
may so modify the law, or procure such
instructions to be issued u'pou it, as. will
enab'o a willing to people comply with it*
provisions.
Resolved, That S. S. Stafford, of Early
county, and Samuel J, Dickinson, <*£ Miller
county, be appointed a committee to for
ward a copy of these proceedings to Capt. 11.
K. Hines, Fust Quarter Master of this Dis
trict, and through him to the Commission
er of Taxes, at Richmond. Also to for
ward a copy of the same to Hon. Wia. E.
Smith, our immediate representative in
Congress.
Resolved, That the editor of the Early
County News and Macon Telegraph be re
quested to publish the proceedings elf thi*
meeting.
Meeting adjourned.
J AS- Bcsn, Chairman,
P. Howard, Sec’y.
Blakely, Ga., April 16, 1864.
Mobile, March 16.— A special dispatch
to the Advertiser & Register, containing
dartes from Fort Pillow of the 12th, says :
Forrest attacked this place, with 'Chal
mers’ Division, yesterday. r
The garrison consisted of three hundred
whites and four hundred negroes.
The Fort refused to surrender and waa
carried by storm. Forrc-st led Bell's Brig
ade and Chalmers led McCullough's. Both
entered the Fort from opposite sides, simulta
neously. An indiscriminate slaughter fol
lowed. One hundred prisoners were taken
and the balance slain. The Fort ran with
blood. Many ran into, the river and were
drowned or shot in the water.
Over one hundred thousand dollar*
worth of stores wero taken.
We captured six guns.
Confederate loss 75. Lieut. Col. Reid,
sth Miss., mortally wounded.
Richmond. April 16.—Petersburg pa
pers this morning report considerable ex
citement in Black Water section in conse
quence of an advance of the Yankees. Sev
eral skirmishes had taken place.
Information, deemed roliable, to the
Petersburg Express represents Burnside’s
forces landing in large numbers at Ports
mouth on Wednesday.
We waul all your old clean Ra^