The Merchants of Death - Ludwig von Mises Institute

DU PONT—PATRIOT AND POWDER-MAKER 31
to old traditions, he refused to send his product by railway,
and long mule teams made deliveries even to great distances.
Du Pont, like the military traditionalists of England and
Prussia of that day, turned down guncotton, which later
he was forced to use. Indeed there was not much reason why
he should yield to these new things, no strong necessity why
he should go along with change, for his natural conservatism
was aided by his dominating position in the backward economic
system of the time. Governments had to come to him
with orders, and it was a matter of indifference to him
whether he sold war material or not. Competition in the
powder business was not keen. Besides, the winning of the
West required so much hunting and blasting powder that
he did not care whether cannon fired or not.
During the American Civil War Du Pont was again the
patriot—at least the Northern patriot. Two days after the
fall of Sumter, when Secessionists were offering huge sums
to war dealers for supplies, Du Pont wrote to his Richmond
agent: "With regard to Col. Dimmock's order we would
remark that since the inauguration of war at Charleston, the
posture of national affairs is critical and a new state of affairs
has risen. Presuming that Virginia will do her whole
duty in this great emergency and will be loyal to the Union
we shall prepare the powder, but with the understanding
that should general expectation be disappointed and Virginia
by any misfortune assume an attitude hostile to the United
States we shall be absolved from any obligation to furnish
the order." Naturally, the war brought Du Pont large orders
and he was the mainstay of the Northern government.
The Civil War had created a virtual partnership between
Du Pont and the government. When the war was over, this