Newspaper Page Text
dßitrlg fantg Jlctos.
E. H. GROUBY,
Editor, Proprietor & Publisher.
BLAKELY:
.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 1804.
We have had a great deal of cold and
rainy weather lately, and all the roads arc
literally torn up.
—
The Yankees are said to be selling fine
rebel mansions in Fcrnandiua, Fla., at five
dollars each.
1 . ♦ -4- ;
A rigid bill to prevent the escape beyond
our lines of parties subject to military ser
vice is now before Congress.
The Yankees are offering §7OO bounty
for each volunteer to supply the late call
lor 300,000. At this rate the cost will be
§210,000,000 to muster in the force.
*
Whisky having “gin out” in Blakely,
the Editor and everybody else have had
quite a “ dry ” time of it lately. Don’t
believe we’ve bad a drink in over a week!
We will again state that we will not,
positively, deliver mail to any one on Sun
days, aud no one need como to the office
expecting us to deliver them • papers l or
Iqtters on Sundays.
—* * — ♦
We wanted to write an article about our
“ Jew woman scrape” this week, but not
haVing yet rocovored sufficiently from the
“scare ” (!) she gave us, we have conclud
ed to hold off a while.
The cost of the war to the Confederacy
■ is given in a Virginia paper at 8519,368,-
659 for the uine uiouths previous to 20th
October. Duriug the last year the Yan
kees expended over §900,000,000.
' 4 —4-
The Savannah Republican says that a
merchant of that city, who was exempted
by substitution, offered the city marshal ten
thousand dollars fora birth as night watch
man. lie desired shelter from the con
script officer.
♦
Knoxville dates to the 7th represent
(Irant as having visited the army .there,
and making a speech*. The Federal troops,
whose time has expired, have re-cnlisted to
obtain a bounty of 8400 aud a warrant for
laud in Tennessee.
- ♦
Rev.JDr. Wilson reported the Thermom
eter at eight degrees above zero at Atlanta
on the 2d inst., the coldest weather in the
South within the last forty years, except
the bitter Saturday and Sunday in Febru
ary, 1835, when the Thermometer fell be
low zero.
We are requested by Col. 0. P. Fannin
to state that he has just received a large
lot ol corn sacks, which eau be procured
at Judge Brown’s office in Blakely, aud
,nt Howard’s and t’ortoi-’s Landing by those
who have not yet been supplied with the
same for putting up their tithiugs.
4.
Wc Tiave frequently heard of I “cocktails,”
“ bob-tails,” “ lung-tails,” “ short-tails,” and
almost all other kind of “ tails,” but, out of
all the “ tails ” that we have ever heard
of, the “ dc-tails ” seem to be the ones most
sought after of late. Wo believe the
“ boys ” arc keeping Col. Stafford pretty
busy now writing the very much desired
creatures—“ dc-tails” —but the way lie
makes them smoke for their “ tails ” is a
“sin to Crocket! ” But, surely, if it ain’t
worth tweuty. dollars to get a (de)“ tail,”
to keep out of the army with, it ain’t worth
anything.
We would again call the attention of the
Inferior Court of this county to the miser
ably bad condition of the bridge on the
Fort Gaines road a lew yards off the pub
lic square. It is the duty of the guardi
ans of the county to see that the bridges
on all public roads be kept in good order,
and as such it becomes the duty of the In
ferior Court to have this bridge put in a
traveling condition. The first thing any
one knows somebody will get their horse’s
leg broken in this old wreck of a bridge,
and the county will have the “bill to foot.”
Gome, gentlemen, you should see to this
> matter at the earliest possible mtmicuf.
V v&c 1 *
We learn from the Richmond Examiner
that Mr. Foote, of Tennessee, and Judge
Hanley, of Arkansas, members of the com
mittee to investigate charges against the
commissaries and quartermasters, came, to
blows jn the committee room the other
day. Mr. Foote, it seems, laughed at some
of the evidence elicited. Judge Hanley re
plied that he (Mr. Foote) need not laugh.
Mr. Foote said bis laugh was an honest ■
laugh, at least. Judge Hanley said he
doubted that. Somc'other beligcrent words
passed, and Mr. Foote arose and struck him.
Both clenched, and blows were given and
received by both parties. Mr. F’oote laid
violent claim to Judge Hanley’s shirt bo
som, tearing it out from hi 3 bosom. Mr.
Commissary Northrop was knocked igto
one corner of the committee room like a
man of mgs, which he is not; committee
tables were overturned and the record ev
idences sent hither and thither. More ink
than blood was slied. The witnesses preseut
in the room observed their neutrality, but
strove to allay, hostilities by seizing both, of
the combatants by their coat-tails and at
tempting their separation. Judge Han
ley’s coat-tail gave way in the struggle, in
volving the severe loss on the wearer. Fi
nally, both desisted, and the business of tho
committee proceeded.
♦ 4-
The general orders from the Adjutant
General’s office, in regard to substitutes,
have been published. They require those
persons who have furnished substitutes to
report as volunteers or conscripts, without
delay, to the enrolling officers; and all who
delay beyond the Ist day of February, 1864,
will be considered as haviug renounced the
privilege of volunteering, and held for as
signment according to law. Previous to
enrollment as conscripts, all sueli persons
will be allowed to volunteer in companies
in service on the 16th of April, 1863, pro
vided the company chosen does not at the
time of volunteering reach the maximum
number allowed; and upon such compauy
being selected, the volunteer will receive
from tho enrolling officer a certificate to
the effect that he has so volunteered ; and
no volunteer will he received into any com- .
puny except on such certificate. • Persons
who fail to make their selection at the time
of enrollment will'be assigued according to
existing regulations. Persons who report
to the enrolling officers will be enrolled,
and may be allowed a furlough of ten days
before reporting to the Camp oi Instruc
tion.
This being leap year, we invite the at
tention of “ our girls,” says an exchange,
to the following extract from an old volume
printed in 1606, entitled “ Courtship, Love
and Matrimony : ” “ Albeit, it is now be
come a part of tho common law in regard
to the social relations of life, that as often
as every bissextile year doth return, the
ladies liavc the sole privilege, during the
time it continueth, of making love unto
men, which they may do either by words
or by looks, as unto them it secmetli pro
per ; moreover, no man will be entitled to
the benefit of clergy who doth refuse to
accept the offers of a lady, or who doth, in
any wise, treat lier proposal with slight or
contumely.”
As we have lately been elected Coroner,
several of our friends have called on us to
hold inquests on animals of various kinds,
and among the number was a dead hog,
the property of our friend aud neighbor.
Col. B n. For bis iufonnatiou we
will state that, in accordance with his re
quest, we held an inquest, and found that,
upon very close inspection, his hog died
for the leant oj corn. As the law allows
us an X for each inquest held, wo hope the !
Coloucl will “ fork over ” the “ rino ”
though, as we arc not Very particular, we
had about as soon take out the amount of
the bill in some of the Colonel’s fine six
dollar calico.
The Provisional Council of Kentucky
have recently convened, and, among other
things, have passed a law by which they
authorize an election to bo held, on the 10th
of February uext, for Representatives from
Kentucky to the Congress of the Coufed
„ crate States. The act requires an election
by general ticket, and permits all legal vo
ters now in the army, as well as refugees
from tlic State, to vote, aud provides that,
officers of regiments, &e., may conduct the
election. It also requires one Represen
tative to reside iu each of the twelve Con
gressional District: in the State.
We have spoken frequently of Extor
tioners, and now a word with their twin
brothers—the Liars. Eying is the order
of the day, and truth the most unfashiona
ble of all things. Why, a man who pre
tends even, these times, (a business man
especially,) to adhere to the truth, would
at once be considered a fool or partially
iusane, and be ruled out of the speculating
• fraternity. There wa3 a time when people,
our people, placed some value on truth—
we do not mean Jews, who have always
considered- it a virtue to lie and cheat, in
common with certain other classes of peo
ple from Europe and Yaukeeland—but our
people, men who are native and to the
manor of truthful dealing born, even
these have caught the compound oontagiou
of extortion and lying. Everybody, it ap
pears, has, as if from dire necessity, turned
hypocritical, particularly those who carry
on any business. They say it has become
necessary to lie—they are compelled to do
it in self-defense—if they did not, their
- lying neighbors ijijrd friends (!) would strip !
them of everything they had i* the world,
or they would- be left so far behind i n their
business relations and money making gen
erally, that they would never be able to
catch up. Now there may be some tmth
in this ! Some few, very few, admit that
the truth is good when not carried to an
extreme; but the too frequent us% of it,
now-a-days, has a great tendency to injure
the prospects of those who are simple
enough to indulge in it. Like medicine,
it should only be given at certain times aud
in certain quantities—for if dispensed too
largely, it might have a serious effect upon
the proper operation of lying—which is so
essential to the speculative system. Mer
chants touch it very lightly, but their
clerks never use it at all! Owners who
want to sell leave all the truth telling to
their honest auctioneers aud agents. Law
yers, from time immemorial, have never
been known to practice truth telling, their
profession forbids it, an% until the present
epoch—when people had some conscience
left—it was considered on special occasions
a simple and necessary condiment in the
large dish of lies they always hatch up.
The doctors, poor devils, must keep pace
with the times, and use but little truth iu
the practice of their professions and char
ges —authors in their books must,.it seems,
touch it sparingly—as well as editors in
their puffs— and managers in their play
bills. This, apparently necessary feature
of every day life, was at one time thought
to be contagious, orconlincd to the city alone,
but it has uow r become an epidemic, and is
spreading broadcast throughout the Con
federacy. Under circumstances like these,
the truth is not expected to have a chance
-of being heard, to say nothing about being
practiced. • In olden times it -was consid
ered very foolish to tell the truth when
going to commit a murder, a grand or petty
larceuy, when about to pawn your watch,
or when hiding from a creditor. It was
also considered foolish to tell it in a tavern,
at the funeral of a fool, or at the dinner
table of a cod-fish aristocrat, or to hear it
from an officer of the government or a
member of Congress. It was considered
iudiscreet to mention it in presence of a
Paul Pry —to an ugly woman, when speak
ing of her person, or to the mother of an
ugly child when referring to the looks of
her baby—but the people now are placed
under heavy penalties never to speak it
at all.
Humanly speaking, an honest man is the
noblest work of God. This is an old max
im ; aud that it should have sprung up in
the world proves that honesty is esteemed
a cardinal virtue; and that the truly hon
est man is held iu great repute. It is diffi
cult, however, for men to be persuaded,
and to act upon the persuasion, that hon
esty is the best policy. They are prone
to sin against this truth, and to flatter
themselves that that is the best policy
which brings the best profits. This woe
ful error has led many victims to the rope’s
end and the felon’s grave. Honesty is
truth, dishonesty is falsehood. To act dis
honestly is to tell a lie. It is to swindle
our neighbor—ta rob him of what justly
belongs to him, aud feloueously appropri
ate to our own use. Without a strict ob
servance of, and close adberance to the
requirements of this virtue, we quickly
abandon truth and justice, and ally our
selves at once with the instigators and up
holders of fraud, deceit aud corruption.
He that to-day engages his neighbor a
bushel of corn or pound of meat at a given
price, and to-morrow lets it go to another
aud higher bidder, in ono sense perpetrates
a theft, for lie appropriates a profit to hia
own use, which, iu law and morals, belongs
to another, and that, too, without that oth
er’s knowledge or consent. Such an one
is a dishonest man, for he tramples under
foot, for a paltry sum, his promises'and
agreements. He eats his own words as a
thing of naught. With such the love of
money is stronger than the love of hones
ty. To swear to their own hurt, and to
change not, is no part of their moral code.
To comply with their engagements, to ful
fill their promises and agreements, instead
of being the rule, are exceptions in their
dealings. Where the question is dollars
and cents, the enquiry with them is not
what did I sell and engage to deliver my
goods, my cotton, my grain or my psork to
Mr. A. at, but, as the price has risen, Jiow
much will I realize as clear gain by break
ing faith with Mr. A., and accepting Mr.
B.’s higher and better bid ? It is not a
question of.honor and fair dealing with
them, but one of loss and gain. If they
can take care of the dollars aud cents, they
are willing that morals shall take care of
themselves. The world is full of such
faithless, perverse dealers. They promise,
and agree to-day, and to-morrow cavil and
deny, and finally back out, violating their
promises and engagements and trampling
their words aod honor in the dust. These
facts arc verified by daily occurrences 'be
tween raau and man. lie who is not 83
strictly and firmly bound by his word of
promise as by his bond, is, to that extent,
dishonest aud a rogue. The same princi
ple, or lack of principle, that prompts or
permits him to violate his word, to disre
gard his promises and obligations, for the
sake of gain, will make him, under suita
ble circumstances, commit theft, if he can
accomplish his ends in no other way. “ God
mado men upright, but they have sought
out many inventions.”
• Public Meeting.
At a meeting of citizens of Early county,,
convened at the Court House January 18,
1801, on motion M. T. Alexander was cho
sen President, aud W. W. Fleming request
ed to act as Secretary.
The object of the meeting being stated
by Col. 13. 11. Robinson to be to adopt a,
schedule of prices at which planters would
sell their surplus produce to the' Govern
ment, a Committee of five, consisting of
Benjamin Collier, John Gilbert, Z. Cow
art, A. Barksdale and B. 11. Robinson, were
appointed to prepare a list of prices for the
consideration of the meeting. The Com
mittee presented the following schedule of
prices, which were adopted :
Corn, per bushel $2,50'
Pork, on foot, gross weight less than
200 lbs., per lb 75
Pork, on foot, gross weight over 200
lbs., per lb 80
Pork, slaughtered, per lb 1,00
“ salted, “ 1,25
“ pickled, “ 1,25
Bacon, per lb 1,50
Beef, on foot, gross, per lb 25
“ butelTered, “ 00
“ pickled, “ 4(j
“ dried, 50
Cuba Syrup, per gal G,OO
Chinese Syrup, per gal 4,00
Transportation to bo paid at the rate of
three cents per 100 lbs. per mile for all
articles delivered to the Government. Pri
ces for driving stock to be reasonable com
pensation for the time employed.
On motion the Editor of the Early Cb«n
ty News was requested to publish the pro
ceedings of this meeting.
M. T. Alexander, Pres’t.
W. W. Fleming, Sec’y.
We suppose the above named meeting
thiuk they have paid us quite a public no
tice by “ requesting ” us to publish the pro
ceedings of their meeting. They put up
the prices on their provisions, and, if we
want anything they have got to sell, will
charge us like the devil for the same,
while they 6cnd in their printing for us to
do for nothing! Ed. News.
1 rom a glance at our exchanges for the
past week, we notice that the Southern
hxpress Company comes in for some pret
ty general puffing. We are not at all pre
pared to conincide with our contemporaries
upon the uutility of this organization, and
by no means prepared to accept as a fact
that it is “ a model institution.” It is as
unlike the Express of the olden time as
night is to noon-day. Like everything else
almost, iu these selfish times, according to
our experience, it is about as much demor
alized as any other money-making con««
cam in the Confederacy.