James A. Seddon to Circular Bureau Of Conscription, March 21, 1864

Richmond, Va., March 21, 1864.

GENERAL: Among the acts passed by the last Congress there is one to impose regulations upon the foreign commerce of the Confederate States, to provide for the public defense, to which your attention is directed. The President has caused to be published the regulations for the trade by sea and overland to Mexico. The act prohibits the export of cotton, tobacco, naval and military stores, sugar, molasses, and rice, except under the regulations of the President for the Confederate States.

The second section of the act provides that any of the said articles that are laden for exportation beyond the Confederate States, or to any portion of them occupied by the enemy, shall be forfeited, together with the slaves and animals that may be employed or collected for the purpose of aiding therein.

The third section prohibits the landing of such articles, except under a permission and the giving of a bond by the exporter to convey them to their destination.

The fourth section authorizes the collector of the port or district, or such other officer as may be designated by the President, to take into their custody any of the articles before mentioned when there is reason to believe they were intended for exportation, or, when in wagons, carts, or other vehicles, they are apparently on their way toward the territories of a foreign nation, or toward the territory of the Confederate States in the occupation of the United States, or in the vicinity thereof, or toward a place whence such articles are intended to be exported, until bond be given, with sureties, that no violation of the act or of the regulations is designed. The object of the act was to place the commerce in these articles entirely under the control of the Government, that it might secure necessary supplies. There may be an occasion presented of securing supplies that are indispensably necessary for the Army. When these supplies can be secured

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by the exportation of these articles by land into the country occupied by the enemy the Department supposes that it would be prudent and lawful to do so; but great cireumspection is necessary for the execution of any plan of the kind, and all such traffic must be subject to the inspection and control of the department commanders, and should be under the supervision of trustworthy officers, who would under no circumstances abuse it for any personal advantage or to promote speculations by their friends and connections.

In all cases sureties should be taken for the fulfillment of the contracts, and the delivery of the supplies should be a condition precedent to the allowance of the permission. The permission should be countersigned by the commander and strict scrutiny should be habitually made into the manner of the fulfillment of any such contracts. If at any time it should be discovered that any mischief results the system should be abandoned. No trade is lawful except such as is thus carried on, and the directions in the fifth, sixth, and seventh regulations of the overland trade to Mexico are applicable to any such traffic.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Secretary of War.

(Same to Maj. Gens. George E. Pickett and J. C. Breckinridge, Generals G. T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston, Lieut. Gens. L. Polk

and J. Longstreet.)

Nori Richmond, March 22, 1864.

IJ. When owners, overseers, or managers of such farms or plantations as are specially enumerated in the fourth article, tenth section,

of the late military bill, or whose services are of more importance as