Charles Francis Adams to William H. Seward., October 3, 1862

No. 229.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, October 3, 1862.

Sir: Since the date of my last I have received despatches from the department numbered from 339 to 349, both inclusive.

The telegraph intelligence so far outstrips the ordinary course of communication that the accounts of the result of the invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania followed close upon the mention in your No. 349 of General McClellan's first success. As yet we are not in possession of the details, but the effect upon the popular mind of what is known has been already very considerable. So strong had the impression become that all power of farther resistance by the government was for the moment destroyed, that many people confidently counted upon the possession of the national capital by the rebels as an event actually past. The surprise at this manifestation of promptness and vigor has been quite in proportion. The great stroke which was to finish the war, that had been early announced here as about to take place in September, seems to have failed, and to have left its projectors in a worse condition than ever. The prevalent notion of the superiority of military energy and skill on the part of the insurgents in the field has been weakened. As a consequence, less and less appears to be thought of mediation or intervention. All efforts to stir up popular discontent meet with little response. The newspapers of the day contain a report of a decided check just given to a movement of this kind at Staley Bridge, near Manchester. On the whole, I am inclined to believe that perhaps a majority of the poorer classes rather sympathize with us in our struggle, and it is only the aristocracy and the commercial body that are adverse. Perhaps it may be quite as well for us if this should be the case. For the present ministry sufficiently reflects the popular side to be in little danger of precipitation so long as no impulse from that quarter shall be manifested against us.

Great interest continues to be felt in the Italian question. There are symptoms of movement of some kind on the part of the Emperor of France, but nobody pretends to foretell what it will be. The position of Garibaldi rouses stronger interest now that he is in prison than it did whilst he was quietly at home. The difficulty of bringing him to trial, in the face of the popular sympathies of half of Europe, is very serious. On the other hand, religious feelings are strongly appealed to in behalf of the Pope. A serious riot took place in Hyde Park on Sunday last, where a meeting in favor of Garibaldi was attempted. All this contributes to divide the attention heretofore so much concentrated on America.

The distress in the manufacturing region rather increases in severity, but I am inclined to believe that the further closing of the mills is no longer made imperative by the diminution of the material. Large supplies of cotton of the old crop were received from India last week, and three hundred thousand bales are announced as far on their way. The new crop will soon follow. What remains is to adjust the proper relation between the prices of the raw material and the manufactured product, which, owing to the great previous excess of the latter, is yet unsettled. In the meantime much attention is given to the invention of substitutes, and some resort had to other materials. More industry is enlisted in the making of commodities from wool as well as flax. There is also a quickening of the products of which silk is a component part. All these things will, I hope, combine to reduce from this time forward the amount of distress in the indigent classes. I judge that the cotton famine has passed its minimum, and that unless the governments of England and France should be so infatuated as to interrupt the natural progress of events, the great risk to the civilized world of future dependence upon an imperious and false organization of society in America will have been permanently averted. In the midst of all this, I wish I could see at home any prospect of a termination of this deplorable struggle. But the infatuation of the dominant class in the south seems to have reached its highest pitch when it dreams of dictating its own terms in our capital cities. There is no dealing with such persons excepting with their own weapons. Here is the conflict of two ideas which cannot be harmonized by reasoning. Much as it may cost, the struggle must go on, and modern civilization triumph, or America will forfeit all further claim to be designated as the land of the free.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Hon. William H. Seward,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

SOURCE: United States Department of State, Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Part 1, Communicated to Congress December 1, 1862, p. 205-6

XXXVIIth Congress – First Session

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.

SENATE. – Mr. Wade presented a joint resolution from the Legislature of Ohio, instructing members of Congress to use their efforts to secure such amendment of the naturalization laws as well grant naturalization to those of foreign birth who serve during the war.

Mr. Wade also introduced a resolution for a national armory in Ohio.  Passed.

Mr. Chandler presented resolutions from the Legislature of Michigan, re-affirming loyalty to the government and hatred of traitors, and asking the government to speedily put down the insurrection; favoring the confiscation of the property of rebels, and asking that as slavery is the cause of the war it be swept from the land.

Mr. Harris presented a petition from citizens of New York, asking that Congress take speedy measures to repeal the present reciprocity treaty between Canada and the United States.

Mr. Harris also presented resolutions from the Legislature of New York, asking a modification of the law for raising revenue so that any amount may be raised by any State, by any mode of taxation except duties on imports; that each State be allowed to assume the amount of tax and assess for the payment and the collection of the same, according to its own laws and by its own officers.  Referred.

Mr. Pomeroy offered a resolution asking the Secretary of War for all orders relative to the force in the military command of Kansas, and whether the same be commanded by Gen. Lane, and whether any change has been made in the military orders since Gen. Lane left the Senate and took charge of the force, and whether Gen. Hunter’s order already published is in accordance with the orders of the War Dept.  Laid over.

Mr. Chandler offered a resolution that the committee on commerce inquire in the expediency of immediately notifying Great Britain that the reciprocity treaty is not reciprocal, and that it be terminated at the earliest possible moment.  Laid over.

Mr. Simmons, from the committee on patents, reported back the joint resolution appropriating $3,000 for the purchase of cotton seed for general distribution, with an amendment appropriating $1,000 for the purchase of tobacco seed.  Amendment adopted, and the resolution passed.

Mr. Anthony offered a resolution that the [committee] on patents inquire into the expediency of making an appropriation to aid in the experiment of manufacturing flax as a substitute for cotton.  Adopted.

Mr. Johnson moved to take up the bill providing for the construction of a military RR through the States of Kentucky and Tennessee.  Disagreed to.

Mr. Cowan offered a joint resolution relative to the lake and river defences of Pa.  Referred.

After executive session adjourned.

HOUSE. – Mr. Lovejoy offered the following:

Whereas, It has been learned by this House that five Illinois regiments did, on learning the contents of the report of Sec. Cameron, lay down their arms in token of their refusal to fight for the same; therefore

Resolved, That the committee on the conduct of the war inquire into the alleged fact, and report the same to Congress.

Mr. Fouke desiring to discuss the subject, it went over under the rules.

On motion of Mr. Baker, it was resolved that the committee on Post Offices and post roads be requested to inquire into the propriety of establishing, by law, a system for the free receipt and delivery, by postmen, of all mail matter in cities containing upwards of 10,000 inhabitants, in conformity with the admirable and economical Post Office system of the principal cities of Europe.

The House then proceeded to act on the Senate’s amendment to the House bill making appropriation for completing the defences of Washington, which amendment provides that no volunteers or militia in any State shall be mustered into service on any ground or condition and confined within the limits of any State or vicinity; and if any volunteers or militia have thus been mustered into service, they shall be discharged.

Running discussions followed, in which it was maintained on one side that Home Guards were necessary in Missouri, Kentucky and Maryland, official provision having already been made to that end; and on the other, that no troops had a right to ask for special privileges, but all should be placed on the same footing.  The House finally disagreed to the above Senate amendment by a vote of 55 against 86.

The House then went into committee of the whole on the Treasury note bill.

Mr. Vallandigham made a speech on the subject.

Adjourned.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport Iowa, Tuesday Morning, February 4, 1862, p. 1

The Cultivation of Flax Seed

From a Prize Essay, by W. B. Colman, published in St. Louis, March 1862

The cultivation of Flax Seed is as simple as that of any crop we have. It requires no more labor to raise and harvest a crop of it than it does to raise and harvest a crop of oats or wheat, and it is less exhausting to the soil than a crop of wheat. It is generally thought that flax seed should be sown on moist rich land, such as creek and river bottoms. This opinion prevails, because the straw of flax grows more luxuriantly on such lands. When flax is sown for the fibre, it should be sown on moist rich land, but the seed is always inferior. The best seed, i.e. richest in oily matter, is produced upon rather dry, rolling, and only moderately fertile soil. The stalks are shorter, branch more, and the bolls fill better. When flax is cultivated for the fibre or the fibre and seed, the seed will always be inferior in quality to that sown exclusively for the seed on dryer land, and when not sown so thick as it must be when the fiber is made an object.

A better quality of seed is also obtained in a dry season than a wet one, the seed containing a larger per cent of oil. The straw does not grow so rank, and the bolls fill with larger richer seed.

SEED FOR SOWING.

“Like begets like” no more surely in the animal than vegetable world – therefore the very best quality of seed should be obtained. As flax seed is commonly raised it is better to sow a small piece, especially for the seed to by used [in] sowing For this purpose the seed must be sown very thinly over the surface – not to exceed a peck to the acre. Each stalk will then grow vigorously, branching to the ground, and the bolls will fill with large plump seed. All foul seed should be scrupulously separated from the flax seed before sowing. The price of flax seed is materially lessened when it contains seeds of mustard, rape, cockle, &c. If these cannot be separated in any other way they must be by a flax riddle. It is bad economy to sow seed from flax raised for the fibre. The stalks are long, spindling, and light colored, and it is impossible for such stalks to produce a large plump berry.

QUANTITY OF SEED PER ACRE.

Farmers differ very much in the quantity of seed they apply to the acre, some sowing only a peck, others as much as two bushels. If the soil is put in fine condition, and the seed is sown evenly, one peck per acre is sufficient. – Where seed is the chief object, not over half a bushel in any case should be sown. By thin sowing the stock will be stronger and throw out vigorous branches, which will produce large bolls filled with plump glossy seed, containing a very large per cent of oil. By thick seeding the plants are less strong, branch but little, the sun can strike only the top of the plants, and the seeds will be smaller, lighter, and will not contain within fifteen or twenty percent the amount of oil that seed will when raised by thin sowing.

WEEDING.

Pure seed being very important, it is highly necessary to go into the field and pull out all weeds that show themselves. The wild mustard and other weeds are very easily distinguished when in bloom. With a little labor at the proper time all weeds may be taken out and the seed left clean and pure.

CLEANING THE SEED.

Being chiefly used for the manufacture of oil purchasers are particularly anxious to obtain pure plump glossy seed. Dirt, Dust, foul seed, or any extraneous matter will distract from its value. It is therefore important to take particular pains in cleaning it and preparing it for market. A prime article for flax seed is always eagerly sought and a poor article will not be bought if a supply of prime seed can be obtained.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Wednesday, April 9, 1862 & in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 12, 1862