Newspaper Page Text
(garlu Count]) pins.
eThTgrouby,
Editor, Proprietor & Publisher.
"'BLAKELY:
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, ISG4.
The Editor having been abneut for a
week, is the cniy excuse we have for the
delay of this issue.
Wo had a faint idea of intimating, in
our last issue, that a certain bridge on the
Fort Gaines road was very much out of
order. We hope the Inferior Court will
eec to thi3 matter, before we feed it our du
ty to speak plainly in regard to it.
We learn that a man by the namo of
Washington Johnson, who had deserted
from the Army, was killed a few days
siuce, in Miller eouuty, by a youth named
John Sims.
Russel Harden was also killed, in Wood
rille, 22d ult., by a young lad named
Pyues.
♦ » ♦
In our telegraphic column it will be seen
that exempt ions are entirely done away with,
except for Congressmen, (first of course,)
State Legislators, the President and Gov
ernors of States. By a careful reading of
the telegram, however, we have concluded
that it should read, “ Congress, State Leg
islatures, and such officers as the President
and Governors of States declare necessary
to administer the Government." We give
it this version to keep some of our friends
from '* going up a spout.”
—■ ♦ ■
At last accounts the Yaukees were still
washing ammunition on Charleston. They
were firing on Sumter during tho night
of the 2Sth, when 123 shells were
thrown, 82 of which burst in und around
the fort; two parrot shots, also, struck the
fort. Nobody hurt, nor was any damage
done the fort. On the 29th the flag staff
w»s9hot down, but replaced by,three of tbo
garrison. The bombarduieut continued up
to the night of tho 30th. Two slightly,
»ud one severely wounded, on our side.
—* ♦ »
We are much gratified to see a disposi
tion on the part of farmers, in some of the
Counties, to keep the prices of provisions
down. It has been suggested to hold a
Convention, in Macon, for that purpose,
and we hope and trust that it may he done.
It is true that there are a great many who
would accept the last cent they could get
for any tiling they have for sale; but wo
hope that there is enough patriotism left
in the hearts of the “ honest yeomanry”
of the country to establish the lowest rates
they can afford, and then frown down the
man that attempts to hold for higher pri
ees.
Can the South ever be subjugated?
This is a strange question to find way into
& public print, but it needs answering, from
the very fact that there arc a few timid,
and also jl few ignorant persons, in the
country who were whipped before “ mut
ton eoru ” time of the first year of the war.
llovv any man cau contemplate the hor
rors ot such a condition—the contumely
and insult that would bo heaped upon him
—and the disgrace that would ever follow
his children, is more than we cau diviuc.
Wc are glad they arc few—we are proud
to k;iov. that they are ignorant and timid.
God has never intended the Southern peo
peoplc to be subjugated ! True, thousands
of our sons, brothers aud husbands have
fallen, and many bitter tears have been
shed, and still the enemy requires more
sacrifices—more blood—more tears. But
the noble youths of our country are taught
—yea, the very feeling is instilled in their
nature, that the last life drop must be
poured out for their country rather than •
submit to subjugation.
The nobic hearted women of the South
arc untiring in their exertions to supply
the wants and alleviate * the sufferings of
our brave boys in the field. They are as
determined to day as they were at the cla
rion s first blast, and no peopU uuder Heav
en, ever were, or ever will be subjugated,
who fight in a cause like qurs. Tho ene
my may buru our house?; sack our towns
«ad cities, and lay wa/te our fair land ;
bat our cause is just, And He who “ tem
pers the wind to t>e shorn lamb,” will
surely avert subidjation.
/ »
The War Tax. -
This being a subject that our readers are
particularly interested in, we propose show
ing some of the good and bad features of
the bill now before Congress. From the
synopsis published in the papers, generally,
we find that Congress, instead of levying a
strictly ad valorem tax, seeks to reduce the
abundance of Confederate money by taxing
thirty-three per cent, of profits, in business
first of January, 18G2; five per
cent, of money, ten to twenty per cent, of
debts paid and twenty per cent, of agricul
tural products. It is true that it looks
like the easiest mode of reducing the cur
rency, but is it just? If the planter could
be allowed to pay five per cent, of what, he
is actually worth in Confederate money, in
stead of being harassed by Tax Collectors
every month, and then by Post Quarter
masters until he gets his tax in produce
delivered, he would be saved a great deal
of trouble—the currency would be immedi
ately reduced, and its value greatly appre
ciated. It would leave that poftioa of ag
ricultural products, which would in all prob
ability lay and rot in some of tho govern
ment depots, in the barns and smoke houses
of the farmers, to be sold to the govern
ment hereafter, at prices to correspond
with the improved value of the money.
The tax of five per cent, of tnoney on
band seems to be the fairest feature of the
bill, because there need be no sacrifice of
property to pay it, but thirty-three per
cent, ou profits, although at a glance it
looks like every one would admit its fans
ness, is fraught with the greatest evil to
that class of tax payers. It must not be
presumed that trading men have much
idle money on hand, at any time. Those
who have made money since the war be
gan have either invested it in land and ne
groes, or some other species of property.
Now, if only one third of this property
were required of the tax payer, he could
easily afford to loose it; but this is not
what the bill proposes to do. It requires
thirty-three per cent, of his profits. If,
therefore, he has made thirty thousand dol
lars since January, 1862, aud invested it
in property, tho consequence will be, that
he must sacrifice the property in propor
tion to the appreciation of the money. If
the money gets to be worth three times its
present value, it is plain that the whole
of his property must sell to bring ten thou
sand dollars, which will be about the amount
of his tax.
We have no doubt but that a tax of five
per cent, ou all property, and an extra tax
of ten per cent, an all profits, would suffi
ciently reduce the currency, in less than
six mouths, to purchase five times a3 much
with it as we could to-day.
The Editor of the Savannah Republican
writes to that paper, from Richmond, that
the military bill now under consideration,
in the house, and which has already passed
the Senate, “ extends the conscription age
to all able bodied citizens under fifty-five
years of age and over eighteen ; those over
forty-five to be employed in home duties,
such as the Quartermaster and Commissa
ry departments, enrolling officers, provost
guards, for towns and cities, guards for
railroad lines and bridges, find such like
employments, those now engaged in them
to bo transferred to active duty in the field,
together with all persons enrolled under
forty-live years of age. The exemption
|jst isjinlargsu upon that originally report
ed to the Senate by the Committee. It
embraces ministers of regular congrega
tions, physicians of thirty-five years and
over, who have been seven years in regu
lar practice, teachers of established schools
of twenty scholars, one editor to each news
paper published prior to the 16th of April,
1562, togethev with such journeymen prin
ters as he will swear are absolutely neces
sary for keeping up his journal (book keep
ers, mail clerks, reporters, engineers and
pressmen are not included in the bill as it
stands,) one shoemaker to every three bun*
dred inhabitants, to be over forty-five years
of age and selected by the county courts.
These are all the exemptions, though a dis
cretion is vested in the President and Sec
retary of War to detail such persons as may
be required by the absolute necessities of
tho community. The bill will likely pass
the House without any material change.”
—■
We wish the Inferior Court would have
a certain bridge fixed, on the Fori Gainej
read
(communicated.)
To THE EDDYTSR OP THE NUSE : De*r
Sur —l want to giv you a little dialog hilt
with me au one of my nab era last week
jest to sho you how Korrttpt we're all git
ten. We wersettinon my uew groan fence,
and I says to him, says I, “ Bob, how is
it that you were so rantankerous to git in
to the war, at first an now so fidgety, fun
teria round, to Keep out? “Well Tobe,"
says he “ you no when Davis first blowd
his horn (now you no I always was parshal
to horns) for volunteers, I pitched in in a
perfect fit of patriotism but I had’nt bin in
long before I cum out with a perfeck caso
of rooinvtisin which is almost certiu to ful
ler them sort of fits. Then the doctors rit
me about seven sheets of foolscap sertiffy
cates, but I Kep gitten better an better an
at last one of them fellers that goes about
coverd up with brass buttons, said I’d bet
ter report to the army sergent. It seemed
to me that lie ment something by what he
said, so I cut rite out to the sergeuts offis.
I found thar about a duzzen fellers lookin
like they’d bin tried for sum crime and
waiten for the judge to'pass sentence on
cm. The sergent was a Kweer lookin chap
himself, and was so deef he could’nt hear
himself sneeze, and when he asked tne what
my disces was, I said roomytism. Says he
“ I’m a little hard of heerin,”—so the next
time I hollered out roo-my-tis-um ! purty
loud, au then the sergent says “poor feller,
his lungs are almost gone—l—jest—can
—heer him—say —KonsumpsAun ! Like
a darned fool I waa jest gwine to holler
a 6*'b "hen a feller standin by that node
the rope 3, says “ my frend, you’d better
take Konsumpshun for you’ll uever git thro
on roomytisum, unlest you can make yer
jiuts swell uiorin they do." So I conclud
ed to take konsumpshun, and when I got
back home, I drunk vinegeer an Kawfed
about rite smart, but for all that I could’nt
keep from eatin sassenges, and gitten fat.
About this time Brown called out all the
men over 45, in his state servis, but I got
outen it by tellin the enrolin man that I
wer under 45, an belonged to Davis, and
bo you see I cum cleer—but the darned
war dogs are always on yer track. Jest as
soon as I dun that Davis called for ern from
40 to 45—but you see I was a leetle to
smart for him too, for by that time I was
a leetle over 45, an belonged to Brown.
I tuck a noshun, howsumever, that the en
rolin offiser didn’t bleeve I was that old,
an evry time I’d git wher he was, he’d be
snuffin the breese, jest for the world like
he wa3 “ smellin of a rat," and I begun to
smell that very same artickie, an went an
put in a substytute. TheD I node I was all
rite. I burnt up my sertiffyeates, tbrode
away my Kauf meddasin an Kwit rulbia
my jints, and jest about the time I was git
ten as fat an sassy as ever, Kongrcss made
a law to put us all in agin what had sub
sty tutes. Now 1 toil you, I was in a tite
agin—but I 'did’nt stay [tite long—l was
too patriotick to see our army sale for want
of men, so I let my overseer go to the war
an I got a dstale to oversee the place my
self."
“ Well Bob" say.s I, “ don’t you have to
swar something when you do that ? "
“Oh yes" says he, “ I’ve practised
that so much, here lately, under the Kon
federate tax kollecfcor, that I can do it now
“ off hand y\
I did’nt ray nuthen more, but,hit set
me to studyin how the morals of peeple wer
*0 Korrupted, by this everlastin, “off
bund, swarin. Why sir, when I giv in
my tax, I swore four or five times, in less
than five minutes. I got a lisence to spec
ulate, manufacture, peddle and re tale, an
when he conies agio, I intend to git a li
cence to detale , and then my fortins made.
No more your frend,
Tobe Donkey.
A new disease of fearful futility, says the
Rome Courier, has recently made its ap
pearance in our community. We believe
the physicians call it Mencngelis, and say
pathology is an inflamation of the base
ot tho brains and the spinal nerves. Tho
patient is attacked with a chill, accompa
nied with severe paiii in the head, partic
ularly in the back part, and in the spine.
Thc-[head becomes drawn back, and the pa
tient experiences pains in the neck similar
in kind to lockjaw, and generally becomes
deranged in mind. The disease generally
proves fatal in from twelve to thirty hours.
The disease is not considered contagious,
though it may possibly prove «*pid<wiiwd
Some twenty persons have fallen victims
to the malady in this vicinity in the* past
three weeks.
Richmond, Jan. 20.—1 n tho SenaUtD
day the injunction of secrecy wjui removed?
from the Military bill passed by that body
on the 16th iustant, which provides that
all white male residents of the Coufodorata
States between 18 and 45 shall be in ser
vice during the war. All between 45 and
50 shall enroll within such time as the
President prescribes, and all failing to bo
enrolled to be conscripted into the army ia
the field.
Ail details for Provest and Hospital
guards in the service of the Quartermasters,
Commissary, Nitre and Conscript Bureaus,
agents, clerks, etc., shall be taken from 45
to 55 years of age, now in the army, and
below the age of J 5 unfit for field service.
All exemption laws are repealed, except
mail contractors, and the following substi
tutes : All unfit for servicej members cf
Congress, State Legislatures, and such of
ficers, President, Governors of States, de
clared necessary to administer the govern
ment, Ministers authorized to preach on
the 10th of April, 1862, or/e editor to each
newspaper published ou tbe 10th of April,
1862, regularly published and beeu editor
ever since, and Printers, one apothecary to
each store engaged at that time, and regu
larly since, physicians over 85 in regular
S>ractice seven years, Teachers continuous
y engaged for two years, one overseer oo
each farm of twenty field hands, sole prop
• erty of minors insane femesoule or persons
in service, provided such overseer has been
employed since the 10t’n of April, 1862,
and no white male adult on tbe farm not
liable to service. One person on each
Government, contract with certain restric
tion, any Quartevmasier, or Commissary
not in the field, Provost Marshals, Nitre,
or Enrolling officers, who snail employ say
one liable to service between 18 and 45, to
be cashiered. This is the principle fea
tures of the bill passed by the Senate.
Richmond, Jan. 80.—The Roue® to
day passed a bill that tl/e act to put an end
to substitution shall not apply to any far
mer or planter engaged on the sth inat.,
in the production of grain, provisions or
family supplies. The principal provisions
of the bill, heretofore reported, passed by
44 yeas to 81 nays. Also passed a bill
that all officers, soldiers and seamen perma
nently disable in the line of duty, be retir
ed, but rank, pay and emoiuraennts to con
tinue till the end of the war, or as long ui
they continue on the retired list. The Sec
retary of War may assign them to such du
ty as they are able perform. Ail-vacancie*
caused by retired officers shall be filled the
same as if caused by\aeath or resignation.
The House in open session all day, from
which it is supposed to have taken action
on the important matters in secret session.
Morristown, Jan. 29.—Major Geoer«.
al Buckner has arrived here. Gen. Long;
street’s headquarters have been moved to
this place. The enemy attacked Gen. Mar
tin with a superior force beyond the French
Road on Wednesday, and after a severe
fight compelled him to retire with a loss
of 2 pieces of artillery, and- 200 men kill
ed, wounded and missing.
Morristown, Jan. 30.—Gen. Maris*
attacked the enemy on the 28th, and after
a stubborn fight drove them from the field'..
They retired in the direction of Seviers
ville. The enemy’s cavalry have undoubt
edly been reinforced.
Persons from Knoxville represent
Small Pox raging there.
♦
The amount of talent absorbed in the
newspapers of this country is prodigious.
Any one looking over the exchanges of a
widely circulated journal cannot but be im
pressed with this fact. The cleverest men
ail over the land arc connected with the
newspapers—whose columns aro full of
ideas, which, if they would bo elaborated,
would make the fame and fortune of poli
ticians and authors. In fact we often meet
with thoughts carefully dressed up in mag
azine articles, or listen to them uttered by
public speakers, preachers and -lecturers,
that wc remember of having seen before,
rudely jotted down in some leading article,
or perhaps only half developed in a para
graph. Newspaper writing suits the A
merican cast of mind, and the' American
dislike for protracted application to ono
theme. It requires quickness, brightness
and energy, but energy in fits and starts,
jerks of genius rather than labored cul
ture ) many a raw but clever young
man can'l'eadily write a telling article, and
yet is iueapable of schooling his faculties
to tho production of an essay or a volume
whose excellence should be at all commen
surate with the promise of his paragraph*.
Gen. Forrest.
The Chattanooga llel»il learns directly
from Mississippi, that Gen Forrest, after
various gallant exploits and three severe
engagements, with superior forces of tha
enemy, had arrived safely in North Mis
sissippi with about 6,000 men, of whom
3,000 were unarmed, There were plenty
of arms at Okalona, and his.whole force
is probably by this time fully equipped.
Tbe command was in high spirits ar.d w?U
*c-on be actively c