April 15, 1863, Montgomery Weekly Advertiser
We transfer to our columns, from the Richmond Examiner, an article commenting in terms of merited severity on the recent demonstrations which have been made in Richmond, Salisbury, and Atlanta, and believe with it that exhibitions of the sort witnessed in those cities should be put down in such a manner than they will not be likely to occur again. They have been denominated “Bread Riots,” but it appears from the conduct of those engaged that bread is the article they need least. We have no doubt that some persons of good character have been induced to participate in these movements, but the leaders and instigators are professional thieves, prostitutes and gallows birds of every hue and nationality. Many of those implicated are doubtless in the pay of the Yankee Government; others have had their fears and passions excited by the gloomy and discontented in our own country, who have been constantly holding up a picture of starvation and final submission, while others again, intent on theft and burglary, have eagerly seized upon a diseased popular sentiment in the hope that it can be made to yield them a rich harvest.
In every instance where these so-called “bread riots” have occurred it will be found on investigation that the parties mainly responsible for the movement, are either those who have no need of public assistance or those who have been fed by the hand of charity until they have learned to disregard the rights of property, and to look upon the allowance meted out to them by the benevolence of their fellows as only a small portion of what they have a right to demand. Their followers are not all, however, of the same stamp. Wearied and worn by the cares and duties incident to the present condition of the country, some of the more ignorant among the people may have been induced to lend their aid to a measure which involves them in lasting disgrace, and for these poor dupes no feelings but those of pity can be entertained, but for the guilty ringleaders there should be no sympathy and no mercy.–They have chosen to take advantage of the peculiar situation of the country to accomplish their own purposes, and should be treated no more leniently than other malefactors.
These demonstrations in themselves considered are comparatively unimportant, but the influence of example is contagious, and unless they are properly met and sternly rebuked at the outset they may lead to other movements which will endanger the safety of the Confederacy. The very worst spirit of agrarianism is developed in these outbursts, and every man and woman interested in preserving society from anarchy, and in preventing the spread of a sentiment of utter lawlessness is morally bound to use all necessary efforts to put a stop to such exhibitions in future.
That much inconvenience and some suffering have been experienced by the poorer classes during the past year, no one will deny, but we believe it capable of demonstration that the poor of the south have been better cared for, and their wants more fully supplied by the benevolent, than the poor of any other country ever were. Cases may have occurred in our cities, where parties have suffered for food, but those cases we have reason to believe, have been very few, and will bear no comparison to the thousands which daily occur in the heart of the great city of New York, or in the manufacturing districts of England. There it is not uncommon to see hundreds destitute of food, and without the means of procuring any; but in the Confederacy, thousands and tens of thousands of dollars have been given freely by the charitable to aid in supplying the wants of those who are straitened in their means of subsistence. Free markets have been established in nearly all the cities of the South, and all who were in need have been invited to partake of the public bounty. Thousands have availed themselves of the invitation, and we doubt not in many instances have fared better than they did before the war. If others have not, they alone are to blame; but they should have sense enough to know that any violent demonstration on their part, looking to a forcible seizure of property belonging to their neighbors, but will be almost certain to result disastrously to those who have been content to accept the proffered hand of charity.
In this connection it may be well to call the attention of the citizens to the importance of organizing on a proper basis the Free Market of this city. The institution now in existence has been freely sustained, and we believe none of our poor have suffered for food, but it is too much of a tax upon the time and attention of one man, and measures should be taken to relieve him. It is now settled, that the Free Market must be sustained, and no time ought to be lost in effecting an organization. There should be in every ward of the city, persons whose duty it is to examine into the claims of those seeking assistance, and award it to those really needing it. In this way charity could be properly dispensed, and the pestilent agitators who have created unhealthy excitements in our sister cities, could be exposed and their machinations defeated.