Camden commercial courier. (Camden, S.C.) 1837-1838, October 28, 1837, Image 2
tal applicable to thai object. The eoftft-'i
try. it ie--belteved, contains sufficiency
of capita), if motives could be,.presented
to give it a proper direction. To eiTe. t
this, the committee can suggest no measure.
which in their opinion would be so.
efleet#*I, as a lawijhHftlng the responsibility
of copartners to (he sums which
they shall pat into the copartnership.
A large portion of the capital to which
we must look for carrying on the businessof
direct importations, is in the hands
of planters, and men of fortune who have
retired from business, who would be wil
ling to put a portion of their surplus cap-;
italinto importing copartnerships tinder |
the management of men of character and :
capacity* but would never consent to make
their whole fortunes responsible for the
sudcess of the undertaking. If they nctuall
contribute a certain amount of capital,
and the public is apprized that their
responsibility extends no further* it is
obvious that the credit of the concern will
rest upon the subslnntial foundation of
the capital paid in. Nothing can be more
fair as it regards the public* and nothing
would so effectually direct the capital and
cnterpize of our citizens into channels
whi rr it is so imich wanted. The committee
thi.ik it W"uhl be expedient to memorialize
the Legislatures of the Souther?)
and South-w?stern Slates on this subject,
an 1 recommend to the Convention
the appointment of committees for that
our nose.
I
Another measure which would greatly
facilitate (tic establishment of a system of
direct importations, would be the forma*
tion of a connection and correspondence
between some of our banks and soi/e of
those in England, by which each should
have a standing credit with the other.
This would enable the banks here to fur*
nish the merchants who might wish to
purchase goods in England with letters of
credit, upon receiving adequate security.
The bearer of such a letter would have
to pay interest only from ti e time he ac*,
tually drew the money to pay for his pur*!
chases. This would prevent the loss of
interest which lie would incur if compell
ed to provide himself with mnncv h?fnro
~J "v,w,v
he set out on his adventure. Cotton pur-chasers
from England would derive the
same benefit by obtaining similar letters, j
from the banks there, upon those of ouri
banks, with which they should have ati
established credit.
If in addition to these facilities, our'
banks would establish agencies in Europe, j
and advance a limited amount, upon Cot.
ton consigned to them, it would greatly I
contribute to accomplish our common ob-.1
ject, by enabling our citieen* to export
their own cotton, as well as to import'
their own merchandise, without the intervention
of an) Northern agency.
In concluding their report, the Committee
cannot but express their strong conviction,
that the success of this great.
movement toward* the emancipation ct
the staple growing States irom their com-1
mercial trammels, will depend more upon
individual enterpriie, sustained and supported
by an enlightened public opinion,
than upon any measures of legislation,
however importsn! these may be. The i
business of direct importations must be;]
commenced at once; for it the present s
occasion is permitted to pa?s away ifuim-H
proved, one equally propitious may never.*
occur. The Committee recommend the!
Convention to adopt the following resolutions,
in furtherance of the views expressed
in the foregoing report
1. Resolved, That in the opinion of
this Convention, the present conjuncture
in our commercial affairs is eminently
propitious for the establishment of a system
of direct importations, through our)
Southern and South-western Cities, and
that we are called upon by every consideration
of interest and of patriotism, to
throw off the degrading shackles of our
commercial dependence-.
2. Resolved, That with a view to induce
public spirited capitalists to embark
in this business, the people of the staplegrowing
States be recomrnendtd to give
public manifestations of their determination
to encourage and sustain importa-i
lions thrnmrb iIiaii- -
6" *V? """ 1
3. Resolved, Tl.at two Committees be
appointed by the President of this Con-i
venlion, to memorialize respectively, the'
legislatures of Georgia und South Carolina
on the subject of limited copartnership.
4. Resolved, That a Committee be appointed
to prepare an address to the people
of the Southern and South-western
States, setting forth the advantages audi
practicability of carrying on a direct trade
with foreign nations?exhibiting in detail
the extent of thir resources.
5. Resolved, That said Committcp, in
preparing such address, embody and conform
to the views of the Convention as
expressed in the Preamble and Rcsolu- 1
lions adopted. '1
On motion the Report and Resolutions j
were ordered to be read separately.
The secretary then read the first reso-'
lotion. 4s soon as ho finished Geo. Mo J
Duflfie rose, and spoke in favor of the resolution
and the objects of the convention. '
He wag followed by Joseph Cumming, l
Esq., of Savannah; Seaborn Jones. Esq. I
of Columbus; and Mr. Chappell of Ma- <
con, all of whom spoke at length on the
benefits which the meeting ol this con- j
venlion was likely to produce to the sou- i i
them states, if the citizens thereof would ,?
only take the subject matter into serious |
consideration, and lay hold of it with t
hand and heart. j
After M*\ Chappell had finished spoak-t
ing, Mr. Wm. Hearing of Athcn?, then-f
(0sq and moved that the convention take t
ft rttjftiipufl four o'elocV, which on Wngi
putJ?hPote--was lost.
^pqueiiioD on ihe adoption of the <
fi^eiolution, w?t then pat and carried f
Unanimously. i
. The second resolution was then read by
ll^# secretary and era? adopted without debate
as was also the third. )
The fourth rer.olution was then read,]
but before the question was taken, MrJ
Seaborn Jones rose and stated to the Convention
that he had a resolution which he I
wished to offer to the convention, and that
if approved of, should proceed the resolution
just read; He then read the following
resolution*
Resolved, That it is a sacred duty which
the citizens of the southern and south-wes
tern slates owe to themselves, their poste-j
rily and their country, to gives decided)
preference in procuring , their supplies, to
our merchants who carry on a direct trade
with foreign nations.
Joseph Cumming, of Savannah, opposed
the resolution, - -he thought it was unnecessary
and would do no good?merchants
would buy where they could procure
their goods on the best terms, and
that if the south could not afT-ml greater
facilities than the north?they would
resort to northern markets. But he believed
tne south could afford as great or
greater inducements, and if *he did, then
was no need to appeal do the pntiiotism
of its citizens, for both patriotism and
interest would induce them to trade with
us.
Mr. J ones then replied to the arguments
of Mr. Cummini, and after some furihe:
remarks from. Messrs. Jenkins, of Augusta,
King, of Biunswiek, and Alexander,
of Charleston, Mr. John Bones, of Augusta,
offered as an amendment, that alter
the %vords "decided preference'* the foil- w
iiiK annum dp added ? where the terms mre
equal?w' tch amendme >t wan received by
Mr. June?, ami the resolution, as amended,
was put to the Convention and adopted.
Mr. Srahorn Jones then rose and asked
leave to add to the third resolution panned
an amendment, which he read. Mr MrOufhe
opposed the motion, as did also Mr
J. A. Cuthhert of Milledgeville. Mr
Jones spoke in favor of his motion, but
after a few remaks from Mr. Park man, of
Savannah, he withdrew his amendment, i
The fourth und fifth Resolutions were
ther read and adopted. i
Joseph Cumming Esq., of Savannah, I
then rose, and after a few prefatory re- i
marks, oflT? red the following resolution, i
which was seconded by Mr. Alexander, of
Charleston. I
Resolved, That this Convention recom- i
mend to the citizens of the South and i
Snillll.WBOurn ** '
... nian D HI .1 11 (IVJIII1 U> IfrR ten (
to meet in Convention at \ugnsta on the
first M nday in April, 1838, to continue
the i terest and objects of this Convention
before the people.
Mr. Alexander of Charleston, rose and
made a few remarks; h*> was followed by
Col. Hayoe. of < 'narleston, m ho spoke at
leuglh on the benefits to be derived by the
adoption of the resolution?but the reso- i
lotion being out of order, a call was made <
for the question on the adoption of the I
deport and Resolutions offered by the <
lect Committee, which being put by the <
l/hair, the Report and Resolutions of the i
Committee, with that added by Mr. Jones, i
were adopted. * i
Joseph Camming F.sq, then ofiered his I
resolution, which was adopted.
mr. u. J. Jenkins, in behalf of ihe i
Augusta Delegation, offered the following <
resolution:
Resolved, That at an introduction to a
direct importing system at the South, it is
indispensably necessary that the ciop oi
the present year should be directly exported
by Southern Merchants and Planters,
and that to effect this object the Southern
Bunking Imitations should lend such aid
us they safely and conveniently can.?
Adopted.
On motion of different members, the
following Resolutions were unanimously
adopted.
Resolved* That the thanks of the Convention
be tendered to the Committee for
their nhle and judicious report
Rcsolveti* That the thanks of the Convention
be tendered to the President and
43 * .1 Jt * "
art-mary, ior me aoie manner in which
they have (Uncharged their duties.
Resolved, That the thanks of the Convention
be tendered to the Trustees for the
use of the Presbyterian Church.
Resolved, ThMt the thanks of the Convention
be tendered to the Citizens of,
Augusta for their h spitality. i
Resolved, That the thanks of the Convention
be tendered to the Directors of
the Georgia Insurance and Trust Company,
for the use of their room by the Committee.
Resolved, That the proceedings of the
Convention und the address to the people
of the Southern and South western States
be printed in pamphlet form and extensively
circulated, and that the delegates from
A linnuto Ko nnnninlilll ?? (
i-U t/? U^/pWIMlUU a WUIIIIIIIHCC IW Ml*
perintcnd the publication.
After tins resolution was read, a motion
was made that a subscription be made In
the members of the Convention to defra\
the expenses of printing the proceeding*
af the Convention, whereupon Mr. II.
Dum.ning rose, and in behalf of the An
gusto delegation, stated, that with the p< rmission
of the Convention, they won I '
undertake the superintendence of th<
printing of the Report and proceedings <
he Convention, and would defray all ex
tenses.
Seaborn Jones, Esq. then rose and o ered
the following resolution, which waulo^ied...
[
ikesotvei, Tliat l1*e thanVs of1 tlie Con^"
rentiou bv* tendered to the Delegates from
August* for their liberality in defraying
the expense of the publication- ol the "proceedings
of the Couventiou.
On motion of Mr. Cuthbert, of Georgia,
the Convention then adjourned sine die.
.Committees appointed tinder 3d Resolution;
For S. Carolina?ALEX. BLACK,
D. ALEXANDER,
45. J. SHANNON,
J AMI S Af GKR,
S. G. BARKLEY.
For Georgia?A. II. KI'-NAN,
ADAM JOHNSTON.
; L. JOIINSON,
BEN J. E. S'SlLES.
SEABORN JONES.
Committee to prepare the Address:
utivr M'PUl Fit),
t. ? utlek king,
j\. ii. ? u \l ming,
A. II. i llAPi ELI,,
James gadsden.
From l lie Evening Post.
STORY OF UNCLE SAM AND HIS AGENTS.
UtiAl'ikH t.
There lived not long ago, and perhaps
live?* mill, in a certain erc&t country
known as the republic of Elsewhere, a
worthy gentlemen, commonly called Uncle
Sam by his friends, rich in lands and
having a great revenue coining in everv
year from the trade lie carried on with
his neighbors. Being an active, shrewd,
clear beaded man, lie had all his life
managed his ownaiTairs; with the assistance
ot his servants and men of business
\vln>m he kept a sharp eye on, ni.'d
call- d to a strict account for all their
actions. By these means he prospered
ex -eedingly in his affairs, and if he, from
a failure of his crops, a glut of his manufactures,
or any other unforseen circumstance,
got into debt, he always paid up
like a man, s<? that nolo dy feared to trust
him when he wanted to raise the win 1 on
an emergency.
In this manner he went on prospering
for years, and growing richer, if n-?t wiser,
every day, until some arcli knave, either ,
envying or wishing to share his property
without the trouble of working fir it, put {
into his hind, that havimr such
o - w * **" j
property to manage, and so much money |
in his purse, and so many irons in the
fire, and being with all, on the shady
side of filly, it was absolutely necessary
to have somebody to take care ?<f his money
lor him. They pursuadcd him that
his own servants and people were unworthy
of being trusted?though he could
lorn thnn away when he pleased, and
confiscate their wages ? and, moreover, ,
that bis Strong Box, whera he had kept
Wis cash ever 'ho long, safe and sound,
was liable to be broken open and robbed
not only by thieves from without; hut
rogu< s within.
These notions made a deep impression
on Uncle Sam and when about the same
time he found his affairs in some contusion,
and himself push- d for money, on account
of a great law-suit with his neigh)or
John Bull, which cost him a coufounled
deal of money; us is always the case,
especially when a man has right on his
side?when. I sny, he discovered these
matters, he listened the more attentively
to lliosp losel varleis, and finally alter
much twitching o?' the waistbuud of his 1
breeches, and making many wry faces,
determined to adopt their advice. Accordingly
they procured one of the cuii*
ningrst pettifoggers in the country to
draw up what they called a charter party,
? ? * * -
wnereuy Uncle Sain covenanted and
agreed to place all his money, and pretty
nearly all his power as Justice of Peace,
and Colonel of Militia, in the hands of a
great strapping fellow who went l?v the
nick-name of Bully Mammoth, and boasted
of being worth thirty-five millions of
dollars, all in paper money, which he
swore was worth its weight in gold and
silver, for they were all in niy eye Betty
Martin.
The Bully Mammoth, who was after all
a poor d?1 of a speculutoi, piotnised to
take go-ul care of Uncle Sam's n oney for
him; and render him every month, a just
and true account of every penny. At
first Uncle Sam was mightily tickled with
hav ng got rid of the trouble of managing
his money, and the da tigers of havin-g
his strong box robbed.?Besides this, owing
to a succession of fruitful seasons, an
increasing product of his lands, and a
growing demand all over the neighborhood,
lie found himself gelling rich every
year, and had more paper money than he
well knew what to do with. In the mean
time, Bully Mammoth, as he was called,
took excellent care of Uncle Sam's hard
cash, by lending it out to his friends, ami
otherwise employing it to a great project,
which he hud in his head, lor according '
to the old saying, "Set a beggar on horseback
and he'll ride to the devil.
The project was no other than that of
getting 'possession of all Uncle Sam's
revenues, turning out all his old servants,
putting his own tocd-enters in their room,
and filially installino one Peter Perio-ir*
? ^ in
his place of 'usiirr ot the Fence ami
Colonel of*Militia. For. this purpose he
employed Uncle Sam's own money, which
was like hrcking a man's head with his
own cudgel. *
When Uncle Sam, who was n high
spirited, up and down old gentleman, as
hrave as t aesnr and as honest as the sun at
oonday, first found out these pranks of
Bully Mammoth, he knocked tlie ashes
out of his pipe, stuck it into his button j
hole, as was his custom, and swore, asj
was also his custom, that he would soon
unhorse the feully, and make Mm walk
on fo 't all the rest of his life. "By the
Fternnl," q?'?!h be, Kin i*|l park him
after Packingltam,** which waa one of his
tianal sayings. "I'll make him give in his
accounts and pony up the balances in the
twinkling of a bedpost.
Accordingly, he sent some his lawyers,
of whom he had always more than was
good for him in his employ, to demand of
the great Bully Mammoth ati examination
I into his affairs, and a surrender of the
'balance due him. The Bully therefore
\ told thein he'd see them hanged first,
and Uncle 8am too. He swore that the
I -i?.? - - - - - -
vuurirr party Allowed him to do just as
he pleased, and that he would do as he
pleased in spite of law or gospel. He
! concluded by spanning his lingers, a d
! bidding the lawyers go about their business.
So they went back.with a flea in
! their ear, and told Unc!e Sam that he had
signed a Charter Party which came with!
in a hair's breadth of making the Bully
his master instead of his agent. '"Have
I," quoth the stout old gentleman, "then
by the Eternal, I'll unmake him, for I
never yet tied a knot that I rould not untie
again, or cut through, r| |rh ' take to be
pretty much she same thing."
Upon this he set bin self about getting
his money out of the hands of this bins
tering agent, who bragged lustily about
his wealth, though I never could And lie
had any hut what belonged to Uncle Sam.
The old man had a tough time of it; it
was like pulling teeth, for the Bully had
eleven points of the law in his faTor, that
is to say, he hud possession, and ma e >var
iigainst Uncle Sam, with his own money,
which is prel'y much like maintaining tfn
army in an enemy's country. j
Not to he tedious, and as the affair is
I?n*iiv generally Known to the world, I
shall refrain from relating the particulars
of the contest between Uncle Sam and j
his agent, which kept the whole neighbor-|
hood in h.?t water for a long time. Suffice
it to say, tha' the old gentleman sttceeeded
at Inst in getting rid of the Blustering
Bul|y-coek of a fellow, in so far as
that he no longer managed his business.
Be he could not get his money out of his
hands, and to this day the Bully Mammoth
k< opsin his fist a great sum belonging
to the old gentleman, which it is said
he employs in s aving notes, speculating
in cottons, and paying people for abusing
his employer. I rannot say whither
tlo-se reports are true, as I know nothing
of shaving except mine own beard ;
never spernlat? d in any thing but phre- i
nologv and anio al mairnetism : ml-h*r?l
vr O * """ " ^
all my lift' refrained from al>u>i' g any
body bill ' the The People and the D?d,"
.is in duly bound.
One would suppose that this sample
of the blessings of an ttgenry, might
have satisfied a reasonable man, as Uncle
Sam was?as times ago. Bot experience
teaches us that we have lung been aceiiRtoined
to, we at length imagine we can't'
do without, just as the fo'dish f< How,
who had always run on all fours, would
never be persuaded that he could get on
faster on two. It was thus with Uncle,
*am. He. had been long enough dependent
on others to think he could not de-,
pend on himself. Accordingly he tried a*
second experiment, and to mend the,
matters chose a multitude of agents
instead of one. The result must be left
to another chanter. 1
CHARTER II.
You have heard how Uncle Sam was
li rated by his agents the great Bully
M Htnntoih. and how Ite at length, after
great difficulty, got himself, but not his
money, out of his clutches. But for all
this harsh experience, either the good
gentleman grew never the wiser, or he
was so good nutured as to be over persuaded
by the same mischeivons advisers,
for he no sooner got his chestnut out of
one fire than he thrust it into a d??zen
others; hotter than the first, just for all
the world as a moth, after getting one
wing singed in the candle, never rests till
he has scorched the other.
"In the multitude of counsellors there
is safety," saith the inspired writer, and
"in the multitude of agents ther?? is safety
to your money," said Uncle Sam's uninspired
advisors. "A single rogue is a
dangerous fellow, hut in a multitude of
rogues there is safety, for they will watch
each other. Set a thief to catch a thief
all the world over." It was thus that
the *sc people argued, not hearing in mind
.1 e ? ? *
miii nMMifin 111 uoiifsi man ran stand
alone, ii is the instict (as it were) of
rogues to combine to fleece him, rather
than enrh other.
Be this as it may, Unde Sam being
either over-persuaded, or prrhaps finding
it necessniy from having been so long out
of the habit of managing his own affairs,
that by this time he knew nothing about
them, instead of one agent selected, the
Lord knows how many, and thus fell out
of |I|P frviurr nun !" <> ! *? t*"" "
w ,w J ...0 JMIII !! ??' MIV III C* Alt"
tlionglit?for your brave honest men are
apt to be credulous, that having mastered
the big Bully, he could easily deal
with the little ones, which notion of Uncle
Sam reminds me of a story of a certain
honest fellow, who being employed to
take away a quantity of gunpowder which
guve umbrage to the neighbors, only re- i
moved a great barn 1, and left the whole ,
litter of little kegs behind. Being asked 1
the reason of this negligence, lie replied, i
44Oh I thought if 1 took away the big one, i
the little ones could do no harm. i i
Uncle Sam's new agents performed
their duties to n n iiacle, for the old man I
furnished them with as much good specie
as they knew what to do with, for which.!
they gave in exchange a parcel of pr.imi- I
sea to pay, which promises nobody evcr.1
thought of calling OH thetlivto fulfil. They
Ay new brooms sweep clean, and, as will
appear in the sequel, these new brooms
etnietl in sweeping away Uncle barn's
money nobody knows where. In short,'
they behaved so well ut first, that Uncle
bain's 'advisers, who it is sttongly suspected
were wolves in sheeps clothing, counselled
hint 10 iucrease the number of hm
agents, not choosing to recollect that it is
possible to have too much of a good thing,
as likewist the other equally wise saying,
that too much of a good thing is good
for nothing.
Matters now went on swimmingly for
both wind and tide were fair, and it was
all down hill. Uncle Sam poured* his
ireusure into the laps of his agents, who
?i : l - "
udviiiuiiru m mane bay while the sun
shone* lent it out on interest to every one
that wanted to borrow, until paper money
became so plenty that it made every thing
else scarce, most especially silver, gold,
flour, pork, beef, hay and potatoes. In
short, the whole neighborhood was in the
state of unparalleled prosperity, for every
body owed the agent m >re than they could
pay, and the agents were precisely in a
like situation with Uncle Sam. The "credit
sytteni" was in all its glorv.
Truly hath it been said?or if it never
hath been said, I say it now; for it is high
time it were said?that of all the modes
01 happiness ever invented or dreamed of,
thai of running in debt w^uld be the most
infallible were it only to last forever.
But as the great enemy of man and the
credit system will have it, pay day must
come; the blocking must be unravelled at
last, and then nothing but old rotten yarn
remains. The landlord will have his '
reckoning, and when the feast is devoured
the bill must be paid. It was so with
Uncle Sam's agents, who had not only lent
out all his cash, but made so many piomises,
that on being called on to fulfil them,
and iinding it rather inconvenient to pay
all, like honest teiiows, they unanimously
resolved not to pay any.
A poor, foolish "huge-pawod" day laa
*
oorer, wno demanded payment of five
dollars, and was paid in another promise,
took, the liberty of calling one of them
rascal. "Rascal!" cried the other in a
great passion; do you mean to instill us?
Do we not treat jou all alike, by paying
none of y?u, accotding to the strict rule
of equity, which ordains that we should
pay nobody their just dues, and thus dealing
equal justice to all ?" Report say?
that the poor dolt was not convinced,
thereupon the agent indulgently showed
him the door, aa a fellow that would not
listen to reason.
Things being thus situated, Uncle Sam
thought it high time to look to his own
affairs and call on his agents for the payment
ot the balances due liitn; justly considering
that his cash w.-s in imminent
danger, and that those who could not nor
would not pay a few dollais, \v< uid have
little means or inclination to pay hundreds
of thousands. In reply the agents tendered
him payments in promises, which
nr. they had already broken them, Uncle
SSatn declined receiiing in lieu of silver
and gold the only currency, as he said,
that agreed with his constitution, insomuch
that when he goi a paper promise
of these agents, which he opprobiously
called a "shin plaster," in his pocket, ho .
always got a etich in that side, and could ifc
hardly keep himself upright. The agents
swoie their promises were as good as pie
crust, which every body knew was mad<?
to he broken; and that it Uncle tSam
would not t^ke these he might go and
whistle for his money, for a man who
( id not believe that a thing without value
was equal to a thing of value, was
quite as hod, if not worse, than the
two rogues, who, against the testimony of
b.ilh truth and reason, denied that a crust
of bread was a shoulder of mutton.
"By the eternal," cried Uncle Sam,
"hot I'll he in your inutton, and your
bread basket too, before I've done witli
you. I'll row you up Salt River, my
hoys." "Row nwav." cried these i-nrloic
v w ? ? mi av ?Of
who cared little for either law or gospel,
for they know ihey could tickle the judges
anil conciliate the persons, hy subscribing
to build churches. Experience had long
since taught tin m that the scales of justice
are not always weighed down by
right or reason, and lout the goddess (to
speak profanel) ) sometimes places a bandage
over her eyes, only to shut out the
light of truth.
Plague take these rascally agents,
together with all other agents, past, present
ant! future. Here am 1 with thousands
and hundreds of thousands, good
and to spare from' all debts, dues or
obligations, almost without money to go
to market with ?Wh?it the d?1 has become
of it all ? Iam determined to find
out if I rip the secret out of their gizzards."
So he went to- work, but he
n ight as well have looked for the south
pole in front of ilie barber's simp. He
found that it was rather worse than
searching for the longitude, and was at
Inst obliged to be content with sitting
down in the midst of wealth as poor as
Job* 8 Torkies, of which it took to
1. - - 1 '
ntmr a snanow.
The worthy gentleman who was. now
Bick of auptii*. The wisest wan way ho
picked of hi* feathers once, but?he must
be worse than a goose who takes it a
second time without a fight for it. "By
the eternal," quoth he, but I'll be my own
agent, as I was before 1 turned fool, and
got others to do what I could do much
better myself. These varle's shall, never
touch another dollar of my money. This
hall be mv strong b'ox "cried he, slapping
his hreerhes pocket," and may the old hoy
tly away w ith toy agents froro Bully