J. C. MORRILL, EDITOR.
DES ARC, ARKANSAS :
TUESDAY,.MAY 28, 1861.
A Good Suggestion.
It has been suggested, and we fully en
dorse the idea, that every able bodied
male over sixteen and under fifty years of
age, in White river township, assemble at
Des Arc on Saturday next at 10 o’clock,
a. m., for the purpose of effecting a mili
tary organization of the township. Speeches
will be made on the occasion. The Home
Guards parade on that day—every mem
ber is expected to be present.
--
A False Repoiit.—The report that
a portion of Harney’s men, from Missouri,
had taken Pocahontas, is not true. It had
been reported at Pocahontas that a large
Federal force was at Doniphan, Missouri;
twelve miles from the line. Scouts were
sent out, and the result showed that 600
Arkansians and border Missourians were
at Doniphan, besides 300 men at Bucks
well and some 400 more on the road, but
no enemy was found. Our informant,
Capt. John L. Black, of Pocahontas, says
Randolph county had 1000 men under
arms, and that all were determined to
meet the foe on the line and drive them
back. Capt. Black in concluding his let
ter of Sunday night last, says: “Although
the alarm was false, it has developed the
fact that when they conquer Arkansas they
will do so through blood.”
-*-»--*
The White River Mail Line.—
Since the establishment of this line, in
July 1855, a greater impetus has been
given to business and the White river val
ley has increased with rapid strides in all
that pertains to rapid improvement in Ag
riculture, Commerce and the Mechanic
Arts. True, while White river has had
all the advantages ef navigation, other
portions of the Slate have had compara
tively all the advantages in mail facili
ties. But that which we wish to call par
ticular attention to is the fact that Lin
coln’s Government no longer pays Capt.
Coles for delivering the mails on White
river. The rump (iov.erwraeat-h&s burcted
up emphatically, so far as mail facilities
are concerned in this rigion. We still
hear of daily lines of stages from Little
Rock to Batesville, and we shouldn’t won
der that Lincoln patronised certain por
tions of Pulaski county for some time to
come. The Kanawha Valley and Sam.
Hale are good boats, and as they are now
carrying the mails only with a hope that
the Southern Confederacy will remuner
ate them for it, we believe it to be the du
ly of the public to see that they are sus
tained. Steamboats cannot be run with
out the ready cash to pay their expenses.
All Capt. Coles asks, at present, is a
patronage sufficient to pay the running
expenses of his boats. Unless this is done
by travellers and merchants, &c., our
mails will be reduced to once a week, or,
perhaps, once in two weeks. The White
liver mail boats have ever been punctual
as to time, and their business transactions
unexceptionable. Let them be sustained.
-- -I—.
The St. Louis Republican says that the
steamer Iafan has gone into the service of
the Washington Administration, and has
been placed in command of an individual.
by the name of Barker, formerly second
clerk on a boat in the river trade. The
boat went up and down the river several
times on the 16th, but the object of her
trips did not transpire.
A Northern exchange complains
that the text books on military science now
in vogue are the works of Hardee, Gilliam
and Cooper, “all three at this moment;
irahors in arms against the republic.”
The Tax Bug-Bear.
The Comptroller General of Georgia, in
a letter to the Hon. T. C. Hindman of Ar
kansas, puts an effectual extinguisher up
on the tax bug-bear gotten up to frighten
the Southern people from asserting and
maintaining their rights. The following
is the letter:
Comptroller General’s Office, )
Milledgevilte, Ga., April 13. $
Hon. T. C. Hindman, Helena, Arkansas.
Dear Sir : Yours of the 29th uIt., ask
ing to be informed officially as to the “rale
of taxation” in Georgia “before and since
secession” is at hand, and 1 hasten to re
ply to the same.
Our taxes in Georgia are levied upon
the ad valorem principle generally, as to
properly; banking and rail road capital,
however, paying a specific tax, the former
paying 39:16-100 cents on the $100 and
the latter paying one half of one per cent,
upon its nett annual income. Our poll
tax is 25 cents each ; professions, &c., and
persons of color are taxed $5 each.
With the exceptions, then, of bank and
railroad capital, the rate of taxation in
Georgia for the past two years and at
present, is six and a half cents on the one
hundred dollars (or about one-fifteenth of
one per cent.) There has been no in
crease of taxation in Georgia since the
State seceded. The 6| cents on the $160
raised last year $400,000. In view of
the Slate seceding, and the authorized is
sue of $1.000,000 of bonds for her defence,
the Legislature, in December last, author
ized the Governor and Comptroller Gene
ral to raise $600,000 on the general tax
of 1S61. Provided the same amount of
property is returned, this would only make
the whole State or general tax pay a levy
of about ten cents on the one hundred dol
lars, or one-tenth of one per cent. Be
yond the raising of the $600,000 we can
not go. But the levy is not authorized to
be made until after the 1st of August next.
The Governor and Comptroller General
have not determined nor will they deter
.t.„. _ /■„. .
Ill I liv UkJUl uuu II 111 Vj \ ” UIV1J H*v J
can best judge of the wants of the State)
whether or not they will increase much
the percent upon Iasi year.
As, however, our taxes are so very low,
and as we have had to purchase about
$320,000 worth of arms and munitions of
war, besides paying other military expen
ses, it is probable that we may deem it
necessary or proper to raise the $600,000.
and if the same amount of property is re
turned that was returned last year, we may
have to levey about ten cents on the one
hundred dollars, or one-tenth of one per
cent. Of course, if the same amount of
property be returned at a less value than
it was returned last year, the percent lev
ied must be higher to raise the shine a
mount of money. But, even if we do this
our taxes will not then be as high, as that
paid by our Slate a year or two ago, when
there was no war or other disturbances of
the public peace. As pertinent to this
matter, I deem it not inappropriate to pre
sent tiie following, contained in the report
from this office in October, 18-39, to-wit:
“With the slight glance 1 have been a
hie to give the lute Tux Acts, within my
reach, of several Southern States, i find
that in South Carolina, upon lands in cities
towns and villages, boroughs, &,c., the tax
is 12$ cents on the $100, and upon other
lands it is 60 cents, and slaves pay 70
cents per head. In Kentucky, real and
personal estates is taxed at 20 cents on
the $100; in Texas, 72$ cents on the $100.
In Mississippi, 16 cents on the $100 on
lands.; 20 canas—e-n—mstr&y, lid 40'
cents on each slave. In Florida, 16$
cents on the $100. In Virginia, 40 cents
on $100 real and personal estate, and $1
20 on each slave. In Alabama. 2U cents
on the $100 on real estate or other prop
erty, 50 cents on money at interest, and
and an average tax of 60 cents on each
slave, (‘those between fifteen and thirty
years of age being$l 10 each.) In Ten
nessee, it is 13£ cents on the $100.—
In Louisiana it is 29 cents on the $100,
while in Georgia the tax on the land,
slaves and other property, (except bank
and railroad capital,) is uow but cents
on the $100.”
It will therefore be seen that while the
lax in Texas wants but one half cent on
the $100 of being double our tax, the per
cent, tax in the various other Southern
States above named is more than double
that of Georgia, while Alabama and Ken
tucky are more than three times larger;
Louisiana is more than four times larger,
and the per cent, tax in Virginia is more
than six times larger than it is in Geor
gia.
In Wi sconsin it is 12i cents on the $100
nearly double; New Hampshire and
Maine, it is 20 cents on the $100, over
three times as large. In Pennsylvania it
is 25 cents on the $100, nearly four times
is large, and in Minnesota it is 26 cents
an the $100, being four times larger than
aur tax.
In Ohio, the per cent, 31 cents on the
3100, is nearly five limes larger, and in Il
linois, the per cent tax, 77 cents on the
3100, is over ten times larger than it is in
Georgia.
Thus it willl be seen that the lax of
Georgia is so far below that of other States,
hat it may be termed almost a nominal
:a*.
But this is not all. As I have seen it
stated in some of the Northern Abolition
iriuts, that forced loans have been exact*
.•(! in the Confederate States uf the South,
—r«u.K»i mf Ill n n 11 DU I m >■'■< ■ ■ n-TM'iwi
since they have seceded. 1 take this oc- j
cnsion to say no lorced loans have been
exacted in Georgia of any character what
ever. The public debt of Georgia, on the
20th of October last, was $2,670,750. To
redeem this, beside* her taxes, (which
have been annually applied to the pay
ment of the interest and reduction of the
public debt) this State owns the Western
and Atlantic Railroad, supposed to be
worth $7,000,000, which has been paying
into the State Treasury $450,000 per an
num, after paying all expenses, and she
owns also about $790,900 of good bank
and railroad stock—in all $7,790,900.—
The las' Legislature, however, in view of
the anticipated troubles now upon the land,
authorized the issue of six per cent Slate
Bonds, payable at 20 years, for the defence
of the State. Up to this date the banks
of this State and individuals have already
voluntarily and patriotically taken $330,
000 of those bonds at par. and as Georgia
has abundant means to meet any emer
gency, (which fact is well known to her
own people,) if we need more, we have
no fears, about getting what money we
want at home,
Hoping soon to see Arkansas and every
other border Southern Slate ‘again free’
and with their friends, who are ‘now free’
and far removed from an abolition govern
ment, Abolition rule, and Abolition dom
ination and destruction.
i have the honor to be, very respectful
ly, your obedient servant.
PETERSON Til WE ATT,
Comptroller General
A Proclamation.
By the Postmaster General of the Confed
erate Stales of America.
Whereas, By the provisions of an act,
approved March 15th, 1S61. and amended
by the first section of an act approved May
9th, 1861, the Postmaster-General of the
Confederate States “ is authorized, on and
after a day to be named by him for that
purpose, to take the entire charge and di
rection of the postal service in the Confed
erate States,” and all conveyance of mads
within their limits, from and after such day
except by authority of the Postmaster
General thereof, is thereby prohibited :
Now, therefore, I, John H. Reagan,
Postmaster-General of the Confederate
States of America, do issue this my proc
lamation, notifying all postmasters, con
tractors and special and route agents in
the set vice of the post office department,
and engaged in the transmission and de
livery of the mails, or otherwise in any
manner connected with the service within
the limits of the Confederate States of
America, that on and after the 1st day of
June next, 1 shall assume the entire con
trol and direction of the postal service
therein. And I hereby direct all postmas
ters, route and special agents within these
States, and now acting under the authority
and direction of the Postmaster-General
of the United States, to continue in dis
charge of their various duties under the
authority vested in me by the Congress of
the Confederate States, in strict conformi
ty with such existing laws and regula
tions as are not inconsistent with the laws
and Constitution of the Confederate States
of America, and such further instructions
as may hereafter be issued by my direc
tion. And the said postmasmaslers, route
agents and special agents are also requir
ed to forward to this department, without
delay, their names, with the names of the
offices of which they are postmasters,
(givingthe State and county) to he direc
ted to the “Chief of the Appointment Bu
jie-'tjj-, Pet-r G'Iree Deqrarune!T(7"TvIbntgorn
erv. Alabama.” in order that new cnmrnis
sions may be issued under the authority
of this Government. And all postmasters
are hereby required to render to the Post
Office Department at Washington, D. C.,
their final accounts and vouchers for postal
receipts and expenditures up to the 31st
day of this month, taking care to forward
with said accounts all postage stamps and
stamped envelopes remaining on hand,
belonging to the Post Office Department
of the United States, in order that they
may receive the proper credits therefor
in the adjustment of their accounts ; and
they are further required to retain in their
possession, to meet the orders of the Post
master-General of the United States, for
the payment of mail service within the
confederate States, all revenue which shall
have accrued from the postal service prior
to the said 1st day of June next.
All contractors, mail messengers, and
special contractors for conveying the mails
within the Confederate States, under exis
ting contracts with the government of the
United Slates, are hereby authorized to
continue to perform such service under my
direction, from and after the day last above
named, subject to such modifications and
changes as may be found necessary, under
the powers vested in tin* Postmaster-Gen
eral by the terms of said contracts and the
provisions of the second section of an act
approved May Dili 1861, conformable ■
thereto: And the said contractors, spe- 1
cial contractors, and mail messengers are *
required to forward without delay, the I
number of their route or routes, the nature |
of the service thereon, the schedule of ar
rivals and departures, the name of the offi
ces supplied, and the amount of annual 1
compensation for present service, together 1
with their address, directed to the “Chief <
of the Contract Bureau, Post-Office De- «
partrnent, Montgomery, Ala.” (
Until a postal treaty shall he made with I
the Government of the United States for! f
the exchange ul mails between that Guv- ! t
eminent and the Government of this Con
federacy. postmasters will not be author
ized lo collect United States postage on
maii matter sent lo or received iroin those
Slates; and until supplies of postage
stamps and stomped envelopes are pro
cured for the prepayment of postage with
in the Confederate Stales, all postages
n,un be paid in money, under the provis
jous of the first section of an act approved
March 1st, 1861.
Given under my hand and the seal of the
Post-Office Department of the
c ) Confederate States of America,
) $ at Montgomery, Alabama, the
13ih day of May, in the year
1861.
JOHN H. REAGAN.
Postinaster-General.
-♦ ♦ -
Old Parson Brownlow.
This old wretch continues his flings at
the Southern Confederacy. We have long
since doubled the purity of any principle
he advocated through his columns. But
we have an antidote for the poison dissemi
nated by this despicable old reprobate.
The editor of the Homer (La.) Iliad,
Mr. Blackburn, some time since "done
up” this slanderer of the South and her
rights in the following style:
“ Brownlow’, the old unwashed fiend of
hell, who has been permitted to disgrace
the fair earth for half a century, still con
tinues to pour forth his filth and pollution
at all things lovely and pure, which his
craven heart envies, but never can reach.
At the last day, when all corruption and
baseness becomes to he neutralized, dis
solved, changed, re-hashed and swallowed
up in forgetfulness, old Brownlow will be
found among the foulest black dregs, sim
mering at the bottom of the smoking caul
dron; and the stench that shall rise from
the chemical process of his dilution will
constitute an anomalous vapor, unfit for
even the foulest of the damned to breathe.
Poor old wretch! Let him tester and
prowl and howl on ear'll as long as a mer
ciful and indulgent God will permit — the
fullness of damnation which awaits him
for bis countless “unpardonable sins” will
not be abated in its intense wrath by any
slay of judgment which now may seem to
intervene. Spewed up and hissed into
contempt, time and again, by both church
and state, be may continue to indulge bis
vulgar and pointless wrath at both; the
filthy stream will only flow back upon bis
own ugly ‘ sin-beaten” form, and render
him, if possible, more and more uncomely
in person from day to day, until he shall
become (if such a thing were possible)
as uncouth and revolting in bis physique
as be is in bis morals. Any political party
or church organization which is befouled
by the debased tongue or pen of such an
ignus Jufuus of humanity, as “Rev. YV.
G. Brownlow, may well afford to “ stand
still” and claim the approbation and con
fidence of all decent, honest and honora
ble men.
A Wilful Liar.
On the 25th of last month, before the
Legislature of Illinois, Stephen A. Doug
las gave utterance to the following delib
erate lie:
“ No sooner have these cotton States
seceded than an export duty is levied; and
if they will levy it on their cotton, do you”
l.ot think they will levy it on our pork,
and our beef, and our corn, and our wheat,
aTTcTbur manufactured articles and all we
have to sell ? I hen what is the proposi
tion ? It is to enable the tier of States
bordering on the Atlantic and the Pacific,
and on the Gulf, surrounding us on all
sides, to withdraw from our Union—form
alliances among themselves, and then levy
taxes on us without our consent, and col
lect revenue without giving us any just
proportion or part at ail of the amount col
lected. Can we submit to taxation with
out representation? [Several voices ‘No.’]
Can we permit nations foreign to us to
collect revenues off’ our products—the
fruits of our industry ?”
There can be no pretense that Mr.
Douglas was mistaken in regard to the
purpose of the Confederate States, for the
act ol the Provisional Congress, making
the navigation of the Mississippi absolute
ly free to the imports and exports of the
Slates lying North of the Confederacy,
was well known to him. It may as well
be understood at once that lie is the bitter
md unscrupulous enemy of the South, who
s just now inventing falsehoods for the
purpose of exciting the rabble of Illinois
o make war upon us. If be were him
self in the army, we doubt not that he
■vould employ poisoned weapons against
is.
---
gw#” The blockade, says the Richmond
Dispatch, which Lincoln intends for our
njury. is working in exactly the opposite
lirection. We have heard of no less than
our important branches of manufacture
two of them indispensable in time of
var,) which this blockade has taught us
produce ourselves. One of these is
nanufnetured at less than half the price
if the Northern article, and is better in
very respect. The truth is, if he will
ally continue his blockade long enough,
le will prove the most efficient ally of
Muilhern manufacturing independence
hat uc tuuld poestbly command.
ALL SORTS OF PARAGRAPHS 1
&•§“ The Lincoln journals admit ar/
report that William H. Algier has trave!ed 1
as a scout and spy for the Governme ^
through North Carolina and Tennessee
Jg@“ A military company called t| %
“Andy Johnson guards” has been formed
iu Cincinnati.
0®“ Daniel E. Sickles and Edvvatd |
Z. C. Judson, are noble champions , £
Northern civilization and institutions, fu
ladies, of course, will feel secure under
the protection of Sickles and Judson.
The Richmond Dispatch learns
that the Virginia Board of Public WoA,
has ordered the suspension of all Wot^
upon the railroads of the State. In
present condition of the credit of Virginia
it was deemed wisest to throw no more ot
her bonds upon the market, and the dry.
ing up of her resources left no other a|.
ternative.
ffctT The Savannah Republican says;
We have good reason to believe that, if
not already done, a change will soon be
effected in the cabinet of President Davis,
It will extend to Hie war and and attor
ney-general’s offices, and it is understood
Mr. Walker and Mr. Benjamin are to
change places.
The Secretary of the Interior,
Hon. Caleb B. Smith, has refused pay.
meat to all persons in the seceded States HI
who claim compensation for taking the
census. He has also determined to with- I
hold from all persons in the seceded States ||
the benefit of the pension and patent laws. v,j
The War Department of the Con
federate Stales is industrious!v sunnlvuur
- • • V O
llie forces with the most improved weapons §
of war. Fourteen rifl.-d cannon were re
cently landed at Norfolk. The superiority
of this description of artillery is univer
sally admitted.
The Times, Tribune, Herald,
World, Courier and Enquirer, Evening
Post and Commercial Advertiser, of New
Yoik, need never be at a loss for editorial |
themes or material.*. Each has only to |
cot reel and deny the falsehoods of dm |
other. They have for sometime exercised |
themselves in this way, each dunging a
lie on all or some of the others, and prov- !j
ing the charge.
The Raleigh Register suggests
to the volunteers of Virginia and of the j
South, the importance of protecting them* 1
selves against small pox by vaccination.
Most of them doubtless have abend? I
availed themselves of ibis preventive feme- M
dy, but they cannot be hurt by a re-vac
cination. The disease is said to be among
the United States troops at Fortress Mou
roe.
The Norfolk Argus says: “Tim j
Confederate States are as independent to
day as the colonies were afier July 4di. |
177f>. Indeed, they <>re actually more in
dependent, because their action .spring
fmus tlmif f iglit Ti~suvereTgn~fStates; flic m
action of the colonies was not of freemen, i
but of men who were determined to be j
r r-n . n • • C V .
iiiT. j lit* uuuon 01 me one was iihuvh y
colonist, the oilier that of citizens.”
--.
A Proposition to Maj. Anderson.
In referring to the following notice, lor
the information of our readers and the j
public, says the New Orleans Crescent, it
is proper for us to say, that the negroes
bought by our friend Judge Cocks out of
a negro yard, where they had been placed
by Major Anderson for sale to the highest
bidder, .without the privilege usually a)* |
lowed families of slaves, of choosing their
own masters. Without further comment
we submit the communication to the pub
lic :
N evv Orleans, May 1(>, 1S6#.
•Alaj. Robert Crider son—Late of Fort i>
ter, South Carolina. 1
Sir: You hold my three notes for $1600 *
each, with about $1000 accumulated |
interest, all due in the month of March, :
1862; which notes were given in part pay"
merit of twenty-nine negroes, purchased
of you in March, 1860. As 1 consider
fair play a jewel, I take this method to
notify you, that 1 will not pay those notes;
but, as I neither seek or wish an advan
tage, I desire that you return me the notes
and the money paid you, and the negroes
shall be subject to your order, which you
will lind much improved by kind traat*
tnent, since they came into my possession.
1 feel justified in giving you, and the
public, this notice, as I do not consider11
fair play, that I should be held to pay [°r
the very property you so opportunely dis*
possessed yourself of, and now seek 10
destroy both their value ar.d usefulness!0
ine. I ask no more than to cancel th0
sale, restore to vou your properly and kl
each assume his original position. 'hel1 j
then your present efforts may be consider
od less selfish, because at your expert1®
atjd nut mine. JOHN G. COCK8