Shongalo-Carroll Co Missi
Nov 18-'42
My Dear Br
Yours of the 26 Oct arrived yesterday & I pre-
sume I must quickly submit to your imputation
of laziness-or Want of Affection - I do not plead
guilty to the latter & I defy any one to remain long
in Miss & not become afflicted with the former.
This year I have been peculiarly liable-fr. the
fact, that the past-season has been far the heal-
thiest-This community however has been favoured
in various respects- & one, not of the least in importance
is a general disposition to economy- health & an
abundant Crop of every thing- swell the list of
blessings- The value of their products is unusually
depressed- Cotton 5-5 1/2 etc- & that depression is supposed
to be enhanced in N. Orleans-by the change from
a credit or Draft to a Beutonian(?) System- The change to a solid
currency-may in the long run-be safer- but
I can assure you- the operation at present is
having a strong [---?] off their Incomes- I do not see
that this crop will much lessen the pressure of that Steel
Trap- Delit(?) upon such unfortunates as have got
caught- but those who have been wise & preserved
their independence- will now not feel this slightest
of that oppression- A 5ct piece-however-to all -looks
like a Dollar- & a Dollar is now as large as the
moon & about as difficult to obtain-
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From your letter I judge that your section of
country has also arrived at a 'Pause"- but
what are your feelings & opinions- as regards
the course of our present and past condition-?
I cannot but recollect- on my arrival in this count-
ry & before- how easy & regularly- the currency
moved- & consequently- how cautious men were
ere they ventured in the slightest degree- in
their pecuniary affairs- beyond the bounds of
the strictest morality- Some think it all owing
to the Battle at N. Orleans- & thot that victory has
cost the country $1 or 200-000.000!. Some say it was
the grand experiment of uprooting- a U.S. Bank
& building up 15- or 20.State Banks- or to speak in
modern dialect- killing one grand Monster & crea-
ting 500 Little Monsters- Some think it proceeds fr
that Compromise act- which tempted all to buy cheap
bargains as we often do at auctions- where we buy-
not that we want the article but- there it is so cheap!-
Some again think - that is owing to the liberal - high minded
feeling displayed by the State governments- in
issuing bits of Paper with Hyeroglyphics thereon called Bonds- & with then
enticing foreigners to send us- their- money no
but their goods- & again giving us a variety - from
which the good people could make great bargains.
But I hear others again think- just the reverse-
that all our troubles proceed direct from
the misrule of the Whigs- & if only theirselves
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could have the rule in the White house & Congress-
things would come all right- of themselves-
Some think it is all owing to the Bank Whigs- &
the British whigs- & some few think that corpora
tions are at the bottom of all our troubles.
Some think that if no property qualification
were allowed to oppress the poor man- we
would shortly have a Millenium in the Political
world- & some are so visionary as to think the
same end would be attained- where the natu-
ral ties all excluded- & the State or government
made our father & our heir- Some think again
that were we to act up to that grand and [----?]
axiom- All men are born free & equal-
then and not before- would the Pl Millenium occur
Yes- only Abolish all slavery- etc then see our happiness
Some think we should throw aside all old
Roman & Saxon ideas of Government & assume
the Government of the Latter-day-Saints- i.e. Mormons-
& soon the Millenium will appear- Some again
say all thoughts about politics or Government are
perfectly foolish- for- now is coming the time
when the earth shall be burned- and as the
day is fixed by Mr Miller- no care need now
be taken for what we shall eat or
what we shall wear- wherewithall we shall
pay our debts- & as I have arrived at such
a happy Summit- I must conclude that
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where the end of the world occurs this year
or next you need not fear that I shall forget
you or the others of our family-while I remain on it-
Yours-
Sincerely-
Chas