572 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



for the 2J per cent., this disability will be ef- 

 fectual in consummating their designs. What 

 other motive could they possibly have'! 



But, again — I believe that it is conceded 

 that the most, and best grade of shipping to- 

 bacco, is grown in this region of the State. 

 This high standard has ]>een obtained by great 

 care and skill, not only in growing the staple, 

 but also in the handling, order, mode of prizing, 

 and style of cask. Well, sir, a planter has his 

 crop put up in the best English or Scotch 

 style — bone dry — straight as candles — prized 

 honest and witli great care, exhibiting a beauti- 

 ful exterior when stripped, and a water-tight 

 cask. For all of these things he gets well paid. 

 (You, probably, are not aware that there are 

 in the country some planters, and professed 

 prizers, who do not put up their tobacco quite 

 as honestly and carefully aa others.) He 

 sends his crop to a commission merchant, and 

 at the same time directs it and marks the casks 

 to Shockoe warehouse ; for the reason, that 

 since the establishment of this Excliange, that 

 this is the huuse at which the dealers " most do 

 congregate," and he is desirous that all may 

 Bee his tobacco broke and inspect for them- 

 selves. He knows that he has a very desirable 

 crop, and orders his tobacco to be sold at the 

 warehouse where all saw it, and at public 

 auction. All of this, we contend, he has a 

 right to do. What say you? AVell, sir, what 

 does his agent do? He stops the tobacco at the 

 depot, sends it off to DibrelPs — a new ware- 

 house where but few dealers attend, and they 

 have never had a public sale, unless very re- 

 cently, — has it broken — inspected — and the 

 samples taken to the Exchange and sold at 

 auction, or privately, as may suit his fancy, 

 and the planter loses all the benefit of his extra 

 labour and care in preparing his crop for mar- 

 ket. He returtis to his principal an account of 

 sales — compliments the skilf ul n)anner in which 

 his tobacco is put up — lands the sale as being 

 the best of the season — is confident that no 

 other house could have done quite as well — 

 tells him that his directions, sending his crop 

 to " Shockoe,^^ were noticed, but for personal 

 reasons he has determined never to have 

 another hogshead broke at that warehouse — 

 that We [commission merchants) have entered 

 into a solemn and written pledge — having es- 

 tablished an Exchange — 'Uo restrict all offer- 

 ings of tobacco, both public and private, there- 

 at" and for this reason he could not obey his 

 orders, and cooly solicits farther con- 



signments. "Now, this may or may not be 

 very unwise, but whose 'rights' have they in- 

 vaded, or what more have they done than as- 

 sert certain privileges of their own?'' We 

 quote your own language and would be glad 

 for you " to prove that the merchants are alto- 

 gether right in this movement — exercising 

 nothing but their undoubted privileges without 

 the slightest 'invasion of the rights of the 

 planter,' and pursuing, from whatever motiv*e, 



the course of an enlightened and intelligent 

 commercial spirit, whereby they confer a bene- 

 fit on the very persons whose interests they are 

 assumed to be assailing." We ask if the 

 principal, when he thinks proper to employ an 

 agent, has not the vndoubted right to instruct 

 and control him in that agency ? If we, who 

 hold ihQfee simple, have not the right to con- 

 trol our possessions, even though we think 

 proper to give a commission of 2^ per cent, in 

 reversion to another? We do dare maintain, 

 then, this pledge of the merchants, restricting 

 all offerings of tobacco to this Exchange, and 

 refusing to obey the instructions of the owner, 

 as a violation of rights — a " violation of the 

 long and well-established usage of the country — 

 an invasion of the rights of the planter — by 

 attempting to reniove the sale of the great 

 staple of the country from the places appointed 

 by law for its inspection and sale." The law 

 has established the warehouse as a place of 

 inspection and public sale — " the long and well- 

 established usage of the country" has pro- 

 nounced it good, — the planter has rights estab- 

 lished by law there, while he only can expect 

 courtesies at the Exchange, subject to be changed 

 or anmdled, as may best suit the interest or 

 caprice of the parties controling it. 



But you may say, that the plaitter is not com- 

 pelled to employ the agent and go to the Ex- 

 change — that he yet has the privilege he has 

 had always of selling at the warehouse if, " un- 

 der the doubtful construction of a most impoli- 

 tic law, he elects — say — to sell through the in- 

 spector." You must admit that either the ware- 

 house sales, or the Exchange, must succomb. 

 If not, you multiply places of sale, and your 

 machinery becomes more cumbrous. Thatcwm- 

 brous as is the trade, it is not large enough to 

 support two establishments in conflict. You 

 must also admit, that the bald effort is made by 

 the patrons of the Exchange to crush the ware- 

 house sales — that their pledge, "restricting all 

 offerings of tobacco thereat," proves it. If 

 such be the case, we only ask that if the de- 

 mands of commission merchants, their '"in- 

 vasions" and "restrictions" be thus modest 

 now, in the name of the Prophet ! what will 

 they be when your "cumbrous machinery of 

 tiade" will be improved " in conformity to the 

 precedents of other emporia" ? Pardon us for 

 again reminding you, that "the public looks 

 only to results." 



But we have written much more than we in- 

 tended in the beginning, and must close. AYe 

 are at a loss to find any argument set forth in 

 our puldished remonstrance, that the establish- 

 ment of the Exchange lowers the price of to- 

 bacco, unless it is your deduction from the fact 

 that the buyers cann jt see the tobacco as it is 

 broke at the various warehouses. And we 

 have only to suggest to you, that the objections 

 of John Caskie, William Gray, and other vete- 

 ran buyers, is worth more to establish the fact, 

 than any assertion of ours, or individual 



