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.. mi iii?iMirn lmw^r^^MVrr* '<"*** . * ' Vm| m^y- i&fF?., - ' ' J " Jm. ' 1 *3 . * # J.-..' &g ?., g '" ^ ; VOLUME II CAMDEN, SO. CA., FLIP AY, APRIL 24, 1863. NUMBER 26 o ? /j* vii>( viiauiorn QLcnfrtcrfitr, AT THREE DOLLARS A YEAR, PAYABLE INVARIABLY HALF-YEARLY IN ADVANCE. Tonus for Advertising: For one Square?fourteen lines or less?ON E DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS for each insertion. Obituary Notices, exceeding one Square, charged to at advertising rates. Transient Advertisements and Job AVor?* MUST BE PAID FOlt IN ADVANCE. No deduction made, except to our regular advertising patrons. .T. ' T. 11 KItSI 1MA.1SJ, "Editor. FRIDAY, !PRIL 247lS63~ Several articles, intended for this ivsno, have been unavoidably crowded output will appear in our next. Ordinary'* Election. The election held on Tuesday last lor Ordinary of Kershaw District, resulted in the choice of Mr. A..L. McDonald. * To I lie l.adic<. Our lady frk-nds will confer a great favor l?v sending to the Confedeiiatk oflice all the rags they may have on hand, by Friday next, as we expect to send to the paper mill all we may have, on the day following. In a tow remarks introductory to on articlo copied from Iho Edgefield Advertiser, in our last issue, wo expressed the opinion that Treasury Notes it good for anything were good for everything within the range of patriotic uses, among the. rest and especinll)'' for the payment of debts. Those views have called forth a response which wo publish to day over the signature of " Merrimac," who conies forward to defend that much abused and much injured class of society, some of whom wo believed to he enrrying out to-day tho principles of their We l-known prototype, delineated by tho master hand of shaicspfakb, who in his reverenco lor tho sacrcdness of the ohliiwitinn ?r contracts, refused to receive the money tendered in payment of his debt after tho day of its maturity, bttT insisted on the literal fulfillment of that contract, and demanded tho " pound of llosh," as it was " so nominated in tho bond." "Wo maintain that tho refu?nl on tho part of the creditor to receive Treasury Xotes in payment ol a debt due him, discredits and depreciate" tho only currency which ^vo possess or-can possibly possess in onr present circumstances, and that such conduct is unpatriotic and destructive to our best interests. This is tho point in issue, and wo regard the argument " Mcrriniac" moro as an ingenius peaeo of special pleading in tho unseemly squabble about who shall run tho risk of "repudiation," in part or whole-by tho government?who shall hazard the "scaling" systcm, than a jdain and straightforward answer as to whether or not the course of conduct wo condemn does not have tho fatal tendency wo ascribo to it. | "There is,"says " Merrimac," such a thing as repudiation ol debts by governments and individuals?such a th n t as scaling them?such a thing as default of payment of interest on them." Therein is found tho j groat objection to receiving Treasury Notes in pnymsnt of debts?it is a distrust of the ability, and especially, of tho good faith of tho government; and it is tho utterance of these sentiments, and tho acting upon this principal that wo believe to be so injurious in its tendency. It familiarizes men's minds with tho horrible idea of government bad faith and repudiation, and brings them to tegard with complacency, what at first produced indignation and disgust. Let m regard tho character of our Confederacy liko that of Cicsar's wife. .IS " nlirn'n ? 1 1 oiwn, mm mo nauiL will tend to produce and confirm the high tono of public spirit and public faith, indispensable in all successful govern in cut a. "Wo havo already?whether we will or not, placed "all our eggs iuone basket"?tho greater carrying along with it and containing tho lees. Our property* and liberty are tho precious contents of this i basket ; if they aro safe, all is safe, and if not, why ! then it makes no difl'ercnco as to anything else. If tho government securities aro good, then tho debtor does not seek to inflict any injustice on his creditor by offering them in payment of his debt. They aro fundable in stock or bonds bearing a higher rato of interest than tho individual debt, and stand on tho same footing as far as specie pnwnciu of interest or principal of each is concerned?neither ono b ing, in fact, now payable in specie, nor is it possible to (Drcsco when they will be so. Let the "corn, bacon and cotton nabobs" invest in Confederate Bonds, say wo, as well as the distressed and harassed creditor?who, " etrin^halted," stands like a bear tied to a tree, while lie is worried hy his activo and eager debtors?(ceitainly a picture to . cause the immediate and complete transfer of i our sympathies from the side on which art and 8 fiction, in picturing this relation, have delighted v to enlist th.em, and which the magic power of genius, heretofore, has cheated us, under false 0 pretences, to bestow upon the debtor, when it % is actually due to tiio much abused creditor)." p Kut still, one of the best investments which 1 a man caw make at any time, when he lias sold his produce, is to pnv his debts. The high . price which property of all kinds has com- s inanded for several months past, has enabled c thousands in the country to do this, either t wholly or in part. It is comparatively recently 1 that objections has been made by creditors to the reception of Treasury Notes. But now, with distended nostrils, they snuff repudiation j afar off?see in the conduct of their debtors 1 an imagined combination on their part to force 1 all thc?government securities into the hands of n a few, and after they have disposed of all their ' interest in these securities, to be rciidv to send , to Congress representatives of their own moral j complexion, who shall refuse to levy the taxa- 1 tion necessary to timet the government obliga- 1 tion. We believe the number of that eonstit 11 ucncy is and will forever remain small in our country, to whom the description "selfish, do- j. faulting, repudiating, faithless, swindling," is t applicable. If not, then indeed are they un deserving of the precious boon of self-govern- r nient, which thev sin; now striving tiirougli fire 1 * e s and blood to attain, and in the earnest pursuit ^ of which they have displayed great qualities <j contradictory to them all. > Let us not doubt and distrust the good faith t of our government, before it has given us any reason-to do so. Let us cease the miserable 1 contention as to who shall or who shall not ! risk and rely upon that public faith. The dis- , ease is plethora? apoplexy (if yon choose), let I us not not, whilst discu.-sing the means of do- c pletion, vitiate and destroy the life-blood of ( c the patient, by unwise experiments, or render it incapable of circulation, to be followed ? by inevitable dissolution. - j? _ - ? a [for tlle camden* confederate.] Mi:. Editor: No nun is misemployed who furnishes materials for correct thinking upon subjects of impor- ^ tanco to us all. and which involve practical legislation > and individual conduct of the greatest gravity. Tho blending and confounding together ot persons and ^ h ideas where tho dearest diflcienccs and discriminaQ tions exist, in fact and in reason, can never lead to * t< truth and justice, m privato opinion, and never to wiso and profitable legislation by rulers. Instances of this mischievous en or are found in many quarters-in legislative halls and in \our col- , umns, where the seller, or possessor of tho necessaries of life for people and armies, tho extortioner, the speculator, tho enemies of the cause a^id country who re tuso t lie Treasury notes, or hold back their surplus, " because they distrust that currency, or mean t<> loreo ^ famine prices still higher, are ull blended 111 the same ^ category with the creditor, who lent his coin, who has patiently waitecL who asks no payment, but simply , declines torec^^ro what he never lent; what, confessed- * pl ly, is not money; and what will pay no more than one-fourth of his debt. c< What pretext or tuotivo can the proprietor of corn* bacon, Ac, assign for his refusal or distrust of Trcasury Notes? Does lie not receive four or live times *' at the least tlio specie valuo of liis commodity? Can ^ be not take the swollen proceeds and convert them into a sum of silver, that will bo fully two ^ prices for his bacon, (for example) though reckoned in silver? If bo prefers to buy something elso for his notes, he gets that thing at least at its specie price, ^ or thereabouts, for exactness is not attainable in the oUiinato. How stands tlio creditor if he receives the (). Treasury Notes for debt? Every ono of them counts ^ as spocio to him. Every $5 note is coumed as $i> in siiver wnen lie gets it from liis debtor. But when lie goes to that same debtor (if you please) with tho samo $5 note to buv b^eon or butter, how is it estimated ' then ? The pi ice of tho article makes that same note V. the equal only of a dollar in specie, which paid just now $5 of a spocio debt fc>o that when paid by a ; debtor it is $5?when paid to him it is ,$1 Can any- . body misunderstand this? Is it not manifest to the raeano t intellect, that the debtor has pain $5 with $1 f. j Supposo creditors be driven, whether by the usurp! ing arm of government, or by the blind lmwl of per- ft socution, 'to take Treasury Notes as the equivalent o* silver and gold, (though the Treasury cannot pass T them as either, and"does not) is tho transaction not a pnlpnblo violation of the obligation of contracts? Who urges this exhibition of depravity, fatal, when 8< ;eneral, to government and people?extirpating tho 'ery roots of faith and confidence among men 7 debtors urge it, and profit by it. Those who wnnt heir votes concur. If they will not keep their faith hi their own contracts, are they likely to send agents irlio will levy a tax on them that shall enable their government to keep its faith?to observe sacredly ho obligation of public contracts?to pay piinotu illv interest, and finally principal? if a man feels veil founded in morals, in paying his debt only when t is convenient and profitable to do so, will uot the anio man feel well founded in patriotism, in seeking inly a time, through his representative in a legislative )ody, when it is also convenient and profitable to him o aid his government in paying its debts? Antl tin* ess such a man holds the debts of his government, to in amount bearing a large proportion to his entire state, he may be slow indeod to tind any timo when t may be convenient and prolitable to him to pay a icavy tax, in order to maintain the faith and credit o' lie government towards other people. There is such , tiling as repudiation of debts by governments and ndividuals?such a thing as scaling them?such a hing as delimit in paying the interest on them. Who ends a government in such a "slough of despond?1 ts constituency undoubtedly?certainly so. in hepubienn lbrms of polity. And now, mark my prediction: 'lio?v who arc trying to drive others to vest all their neans in government securities, while they avoid, with i holy horror, such securities themselves, will bo tho lanu rcrs, tho leading clamorers, against the necea* ary taxation which must be instituted, and kept up oo, to redeem the government securities. Government repudiation, or bad faith, is but the efiex of individual repudiation and bad faith, where individuals, being a majority, make the government peak their sentiments and immitate their conduct Vnd as sure as you have a selfish, defaulting, rcpuliating, faithless, swindling constituency, so sure will on have a government that will exactly represent hem. ' If we are not satisfied to rcceivo Confederate money in payment of a debt, it is equally worthless to jay us for our corn and our bacon " So say you, sir, n your preface to the article from the Edgefield Advertiser. How so? If the seller of corn and bacon >o n debtor (and tli.it he may or may not be) and his ireditor does not demand payment, does not want it, we all know he can't enforce it) is such a seller of :orn and bacon, who is also a debtor, a worthy object ?f tender commisseiation?an inconsolable sufferer? ' like Patience on a monument smiling at grief? lie 3 in tears, let us suppose, because his pock- ts arc bout to burst with Confederate no es, having recently old bis products at the ruinous prices ol tho day. l'ou offer him sympathy?ask the cause of his distressIc blubbers out, "1 am nearly suffocated b\ Treasury \ote.s?I owe a debt, aud have owed it these ten ears. It is true, as you suggest, my friend, I could ave paid it by selling my truck l.ast yehr, and for a lirreni'v ton th-il- mi' .......i.i i i ? , , v....v im^ vicuhui nuum uuvu Ul'CIl glSCI o take to pay his taxes and procure his supplies at peeio prices; but 1 would have received so little of , that I hated to sacrdico poor cufley's hard labor, ml my creditor did not press me. In (act, 1 forgot it ill I sold m* corn, bacon and cotton last week?and J ow my conscience pricks me, and I am vehementty- j nxious to pay my patient creditor?but alas! alas! he o turn'd tiaitor, I fear?he declines to take my money -and thus (I speak it with sorrow) lie is discrediting | ^Treasury Notes of our common and dear country. I h! my friend, he is fly-blowing tho credit of tho : overnment?and he ought to have the bastinado, np- i lied either by government anathema, and tho hot ! okcr of taxation, or else in the shape of general ersceution, until he shall relievo my pocket and my j Miscieiice, and thus prove himself a patriot." ' You reply, "your case is a very prevalent ono ' ist now; sometimes called tho squint-eyed disease, | h icli makes a man seo a mote in his brother's eyo, and vorlook tho beam in his own?sometimes called opti d illusion, which is shown by mistaking "a hawke tr a hand-saw"?sometimes tho ivallet disease, which Kists when ono slings a wallet across his shoulder ud puts his neighbor's faults in tho pocket before; and is own in that. lwlnnH nl.ro.ra *i r? s ... , umnjis, tnciviuro, inspecting j nd magnifying his neighbors, and never seeing his j \vn. It is"sometimes classed, generally, as tho disuse of self-regarding monomania. 1 have, happily, complete eas}', convenient and speedy remedy." " Speak it," says the laerymoso penitent. You anwer deliberately, Take tne Confederate lionds loith our money! Your creditor does not interfere with ou. The Legislature, God rest its humane soul! has 1 iken care to string-halt your creditor f?>r your ease nd comfort. Don't discredit th> g vernment seouries yourseh by hesitating?cheer up my unhappy iend, and remember " sauco for the gooso is sauce >r ihe gander." Suddenly you hear from tho corm aeon anil cotton sellor. whose credj^or flees from him Uhcr than to him, "Oh! Lord I?and ho vanishos, j uitteiing, "Confederate Bonds! I don't want them." his is not the picture of evory debtor; he whom it iny chance to represent will think he sat for it?and >ho did. Why should not a debtor (ofen richer than his credv / itor) take his duo proportion of the Confederate sectt-<> ritios? If ho sells his produce for say four time# ite specie value, a Bond would cost him only $25 in the hundrod. It costs tho creditor full pnr, it ho mus4' ,* take, or does take the Treasury uotcs at par. "Wha but a false clamor can the debtor raise if he Bliall v driven, as a paid creditor is, to vest his surplus note8 j in Bonds#or Ftock of the Treasury? His creditor can't disturb him?ho is stayed, paralyzed by law. If the securities of tho government be sound for one mafr are they not so for another? How can a creditor hurt his debtor by letting him alone? Would not an 8 per cent Bond give the debtor 1 per cent inoro than he is bound to pay bis creditor, and so far innuro to his clear gaiu? If ho is clamorous, what is it for? Only becauso what ho considers hazardous J.0 him he is not i allowed to transfer to another at his pleasure. He is a falso and impudont clamorcr. Then the poor soldier, with his $11 a month, is introduced. There is a suggestia falsi in this. Creditors ask nothing of "poor soldiers." and refuso nothing, for they have nothing left to oiler the creditor, when tho corn and bacon nabobs have done with thom. Theso most heartless, mischievous and dangerous extortioners, who ailege that Confederate money is 41 worthless to pay ior our corn and bacon," do in fact render the price of poor soldier's labor, privatious and blood? blood spilt chiefly in the cause of these very men? almost litcraliy worthless?demanding five and ten times tho specie value of their corn and bacon, from j the " poor soldier," whose scanty pay was fixed by | the ~pecio standard and so continues. What cousuj mate audacity and hypocrisy to introduce the " poor i soldier" in this connection? Can these rueu be blind to tho tendency of their conduct towards tiie poer soldiers ? Or do they see it. and implied by their greed and rapacity, recklessly drive on to dangerous discontent, to mutiny, internal violence, arson and robbery, involving themselves in immediate disaster, and th% cause of tho country in total overthrow ? I The sclicmo is this, viz: To enable debtors to pay 1 a dollar with a fraction of one, and then to force their creditors to vest their ull in government securities, to put all their eggs in ono basket, to take the hazard, as to their all, of scaling; repudiation in whole or in part; the default in payment of interest by a debtor that makes the currency they must receive; and that is encased in impenetrable armor in all that it does from choice or necessity, against any demand by the creditor; and whose constituents holding few or none of its securities, though they have forced them upon their creditors, may coolly send a representative ta Congress w ho will refuse to levy a tax on them among o hers, to pay the common debt. Take care of the crop to he reaped, fruiir sowing tares when you need wheat If you sow the wind may you not reap the whirlwind? What is tho disease? A plethoric cur" rency. What the euro ? Depletion. Is that remedy applied by transferring tho currency from one pocket to another? Is the appop'.exy cured by puffing one a'ter}* by*the depletion of another? If tho disease is curablo only by ubsorbing tho surplus blood by ? Bond, why not let the first patient bo cured by this I mill' nr/\nnoo w..v iimiouu 01 propagating the disease through several? l.et us have argument, not wind}declamation. Merrimac. j Note ?The foregoing observations must stand upon their own intrinsic merits, hut it may not bo out of place, nor without effect with some, to declare that I have never refused Treasury Notes in payment, either in my private or any other capacity, but have received large sum.-, and expect to continue to receive such currency, and will not unconditionally refuse it at its nominal value. But can any man condemn mo, if I refuso to receivo it as equivalent to coin from the planter who has required and received say $5 of it for a bushel of corn, worth only $1 in coin?who haft ' taken it ut whaj. it is worth?$5 for $1 ? Why shall ho not pay mo $5 lor $1 of my coin debt? '' Fair play is a jewel"?equity is the fundamental principle of Republican government? " Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander." I f ho censure and attempt to persecute and excito odium against me, 1 will donounce him?I'll "lash the rascal naked through the world"?I'll hold him up to the scorn or pity of all men of decent sense or honor as a would-be robber?or unhappy subject of the wallet disease?-a squint-eyed, self-regarding vionomaniac. M. A Wife's Prayer. Tho following beautiful prayer has been handed us by a friond, with a request to publish : " Lord bless and preserve that dear person whom thou hast chosen to bo my husband; let his lifo be long and blessed, comfortable and holy; and let mo also becomo a great blessing and comfort unto him? a sharer in all his sorrows, a meet helper in all theaccidents and changes in the world ; make me amiable forever in his eyes, and forever dear to him. Unito his heart to me in the dearest love and holiness, and mine to him in all sweetness, charity and compliance. Keep mo from all ungentleness, all discontentedness< and unreasonableness of passion and humor; and make me humble and obediont, useful and observant, that we may delight in each other, according to Thy blessed Word, and both of us may rejoice in Thee, having our portion in the lovo and service of Godx forever?Amen.*' \