"Food for Cotton"

[John Stanton]

Awhile back we discussed the "New York Crowd" and the "Food for Cotton" exchange. Is anyone working on either of these subjects? They are almost interchangeable. I just read some mind boggling stuff, that someone might use. For example: the "Food for Cotton" was legal and MANY people participated. The main ports were New York, Philly and Norfolk. Then Grant decided the the North should "Starve the Rebs", but the exchange continued, if you had an existing "permit". If you didn't have a permit, that's OK, we'll issue one (for A price) and backdate it. This is the strangest story I have ever run across. The basis was MONEYPure and simple. The New York Crowd was making money. Money, Money, Money. It wasn't illegal to accept Cotton, it was illegal to send food. So, the smugglers wern't smuggling Cotton, they smuggled food. And the US Army Generals helped the smugglers, for a price. (Butler was forced to resign). There has to be oodles of documenta available to read, there even was a Congressional investigation. Are you interested in more? I am not interested it "Writing" this story, but I sure wish I knew more.

[RJNorton]

In Lincoln and the Economics of the American Dream historian Gabor Boritt writes, "The good Whig Lincoln saw commerce as a glue that bound the Union together. Throughout the war he showed much more leniency toward trade across hostile lines than did Congress, not to mention the military. Immediately after the firing on Sumter. As Lincoln shifted the tactics of his peace work in 1863, cotton came to play an increasing role in his thinking. He tried to be careful, recognizing inherent dangers in his policy, fearing an atmosphere where 'profit controls all,' even the army. Nonetheless by early 1864 he prepared a careful program with the aid of Chase, and others, that invited Southern planters, for three years unable to freely market their cotton, to take the oath of allegiance and sell their product to government agents for twenty-five percent of its market value. They were to receive the rest of their purchase price after the war, provided they had remained loyal to the United States."