Jefferson Davis Letters

J.J. McComb.
26 Drury Buildings
Water Street

Liverpool Aug 27 1875.


W Thompson Gardner Esq
Vice President.
London
My dear Sir:
Agreeable to your request
I will give you in writing a brief resume of my views
in reference to the Mississippi Valley Society and its organization as [explained] to you in our several conversations.
The great water-shed of the Mississippi embrace a vast and fertile territory capable of sustaining hundreds of millions of people, its navigable waters extend twenty eight thousand miles - its soil produce in greatest abundance - Cotton, Cereals, and sugar and in many portions inexhaustible stores of minerals [underlie] its surface. Within my memory this land was the home of the red man and where now are harvest fields he had his hunting ground and the golden [spire's] of Christian temples rise in place of the smoke of his wigwam within the recollection of living men the first steam boat ascended the great river from which our society takes its name. Now thousands float down upon its waters bringing its [productions] to your ships and sending the living current of commerce to your wharves your factories and your [stores]
The primal idea of our Society is 

J.J. McComb.
26 Drury Buildings
Water Street
Liverpool
________18_______
the recognition of the fact that your people are the best customers for the produce of the [Mississippi] Valley, the largest consumers of its grain and its cotton taking of the latter over two hundred millions of dollars value per annum. We would therefore break down all artificial barriers existing to a direct trade with your people who purchase our produce and simplify to the greatest degree the exchanges between your people and our people - the first condition of direct trade is free trade-
Having the same origin speaking the same language we write you to look to our lands for homes for your over-flowing population and to our undeveloped resources for invest-ment of your super abundant capital
In the organization of the Society I think there should be but two offices. One in London. And one in New Orleans the latter having branches where deemed expe-dient in the Cities of the Mississippi Valley.
The first step will be to provide [ ] to sustain the Society
If the Hon Jeff Davis will accept the presidency of the New Orleans Office I am con-fident one thousand life members can be se-cured in that office and its branches during


J.J. Mc.Comb.
26 Drury Buildings
Water Street
Liverpool _______18______
the present year. I think in view of the objects of the Society the high character of its Hon. President and his Co-Officers and the great wealth of its con-stituency, the London office should ocnibture from its abundance as much as we expect from our [ ] as an earnrest of the good will of your people to the movement the best results of which enures to them. If this can be done it will give the Society a Capital of Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars the inter-est in this the annual memberships and fees collected by the Society will give an ample revenue to sustain it in its work
I would earnestly advise that the oper-ations of the Society be confined to the [Mississippi] Valley otherwise it will have no vitality and will fall still born because of the neutralizing effect of diverse interests
With [assurance] of my heart[y] [sympathy ] with object of the Society and my earnest endeavor to promote them
Yours very truly
Charles Johnson


The International Chamber of Commerce
and
Mississippi Valley Society
St. Stephens Chambers, Westminster
London Dec 13th 1875
Hon Jefferson Davis
Memphis, Tenn.
Honored and dear Sir
On the 11 [ ] I handed Mr. Thompson Gardner a copy I made of his letter to you dated 10th [ ] which copy he intended to send to you for fear the original might miscarry. I have in this way become acquainted with the important changes intended to be made in the constitution of the M.V. Society, and, having had constant experience in the workings of the Society, from the very beginning I beg to offer you, and your friends, the result of my experience, and some suggestions derived therefrom.
The Society or the project, was presented by Mr. [ ] to St. Louis in November 1872, at which time he appointed me to be the Secretary of the "American Department" the Head Office of which it was [ ] intended should be at St. Louis. The project was very popular so much so that by the [ ] April 1873 nearly one hundred of the best citizens were


enrolled as members. About that time it was discovered that not being incorporated, each member was liable for whatever of debt the Society might incur. It began to be seen, too, that the Society was intended to be a sort of "intelligence office" for the public in general, as well as for the benefit of those who paid its expenses. As [provision] was made for paying Directors for the time they would have to give to the management of the business there was no stock from which they could derive dividends - no profits- in short nothing to induce either members, or officers, to give any attention to the affairs of the Society. Each seemed to think that having paid his twenty five dollars he had nothing more to do with it the result was that the conduct of affairs was left almost entirely on my hands. The Society was so [ ] complete, in London, in June 1873. But before that date I saw that [ ] plan would not do and informed [Mr] [Greffing] who was there in London of the fact. Some of those who signed as members refused to pay their fee - others paid with expressions of discontent others with orders to erase their names from the roll. And most of the, and of the outsides, regarded the whole project as a Utopian scheme "a humbug" or a swindle. The thing did not much [ ] [ ] they knew that the [ ] always undervalued favors that were thrust upon them they expected

that the Society would aid them each in the promotion of their business projects they had no intention of spending their money for the good of a thankless public they desired that the benefits of the Society should accrue to those, exclusively, who bore the expense they were unwilling to become [ ] for a debt of uncertain amount, in short they wanted the very reverse of what the Society was- a strictly trading instead of a "non-trading Society.
Such was the result. At the end of the first year not one in twenty of the members would [ ] his subscription. Meanwhile and ever since June 1873 I have urged upon the London [Secretary] the absolute necessity of making the Society practical of meeting the [ ] of St. Louisans, which, I believe are the views of the people of the entire valley. I received assurances from Mr. [Griffing] and others that those views would in due time be concurred in by the London Board. Depending on these assurances I remained at my post as Secretary of the St Louis Branch. [ ] I reduced myself to poverty. After pressing the matter on the attention of the Society for more than two years and a half - the last eight months in London. I have the tardy satisfaction to find that my views have been, in fact, adopted by the London Board. I now await payment for my services, after which if suitable arrangements be made



for the future. I will return to St Louis to execute the orders of the Head Office at New Orleans.
The transference of the management of the Society to your city - to New Orleans - is an excellent move. That city is more deeply interested in the Society than any other of the entire valley. Its people know the wants and expectations of our people and will, no doubt, form [] that will [ ] them. And I have no doubt that the London members will be willing accept whatever plan of operations the N. Orleans Board will decide on.
In view of the forgoing I beg to make the following suggestions [expecting] the principles and [ ] [ ] advisable should be adopted by the Society. 1st Let the Head Society and each Branch and Agency be incorporated with limited liability.
2d. Let the benefits of the Society [enure ] to the members exclusively
3d. Have nothing to do with anything which does not promise to pay well for its trouble.
4th Do not lose time forming Branches but put one say the N. Orleans Co. in operation so as to prove its utility in promoting transactions.
5d. [ ] [ ] Co has a capital of $ the more the better. A part, say 1/10ths paid in for expense the remainder for a guaranty fund.
6th. Admit members who pay $25 yearly to all the privileges [ ] of members except those of holding office

as voting at elections (etc.)
7th. Demand a strict account of all transactions of money received and refunded, and that the books shall be open at suitable times to the inspection of members.
In short make the Society a [ ] practical, "live" American institution and it cannot fail to be successful.
I have but to add that despairing of getting these people to meet the [ ] of [ ] I have been, for months past, trying to arrange with London parties to you an international company to do a part of the work I have so [ ] been trying