Beware Pharaoh Seward
150 years ago today a Richmond newspaper published a portion of an address by North Carolina Governor Zebulon Baird Vance to the state legislature.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch November 27, 1863:
Governor Vance’s message.
–The North Carolina Legislature assembled at Raleigh, N. C., on Tuesday last. We make some extracts from Governor Vance’s message:
The very important subject of feeding the poor, whose supporters and protectors are in the army, again demands our attention. The results the past year’s operations are most encouraging, and should serve to give our people confidence in the resources of their State. Great anxiety was fell last fall, as you know, on the subject of food, and fears were entertained that suffering, if not actual starvation, would be witnessed in many quarters. Under the authority conferred upon me by your body I purchased and stored away about 50,000 bushels of corn, 250,000 pounds of bacon, quantity of rice, &c., which I expected would go but little way in supplying the general wants. When the season closed and the new crop came in, however, to my surprise and gratification, I found that Major Hogg, Commissary of Subsistence, had only issued to the County Commissioners about one-third of the bacon less than one-half of the corn, and but very little of the rice. He reports still on hand some 70,000 lbs. of bacon, having fed a number of negroes engaged on the public works and sold to the army 100,000 lbs., with 20,000 bushels of corn. I have reason to believe that from various causes the crops this year have not been as abundant as usual, and that the public will be called on to do more than last season. But still I see no cause for alarm, and my last year’s experience has encouraged me to believe that all can be fed from our own resources by proper prudence and economy. I respectfully recommend a liberal appropriation among the several counties, according to population, for this purpose — at least double that of last year — and that I be allowed to buy and store away corn, flour, and bacon, as heretofore.
Reports are submitted herewith of the operations of the Ordnance, Subsistence, and Quartermaster Departments, which I trust you will find satisfactory. The enterprise of running the blockade and importing army supplies from abroad has proven a complete success. You will see from the report that large quantities of clothing, leather and shoes, lubricating oils, factory findings, sheet iron and tin, arms and ammunition, medicines, dye stuffs, blankets, cotton bagging and rope, spirits, coffee, &c., have been safety brought in, besides considerable freight for the Confederacy. Two thousand and ten bales of cotton have been sent to Liverpool, the proceeds of which are deposited to the credit of the State, less the amount of expenses of the vessel. With what we have imported, and the purchases in our home markets, I think I can safely say that the North Carolina troops will be comfortably clothed to January, 1865–should God in his providence so long see fit to afflict us with a continuance of the war — except as to shoes and blankets. Neither the Ordnance nor Quartermaster’s Departments placed too much reliance on foreign importation, but every effort has been made to stimulate home production.–Both the quality and quantity of arms and munitions manufactured have been improved in the past twelve months.
We know at last precisely what we would get by submission, and therein has our enemy done us good service — abolition of slavery, confiscation of property, and territorial vassalage! These are the terms to win us back. Now, when our brothers bleed and mothers and little ones cry for bread, we can point them back to the brick kilns of Egypt — thanks to Mr. Seward–plainly in view, and show them the beautiful clusters of Eschol which grow in the land of independence, whither we go to possess them. And we can remind them too, how the pillar of fire and the cloud, the conch safe guidon of Jehovah, went ever before the hungering multitude, leading away, with apparent cruelty, from the fullness of servitude. With such a prospect before them our people will, as heretofore, come firmly up to the full measure of their duty if their trusted servants do not fail them.–They will not crucify afresh their own sons, slain in their behalf, or put their gallant shades to open shame, by stopping short of full and complete national independence.
You can read the governor’s complete address at UNC. The Dispatch omitted that Mr. Vance’s request that the legislature write laws to encourage the raising of sheep because the fall of Vicksburg cut off supplies of Texas wool.
