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THE COUNTRYMAN.
m
The Right Spirit.—“ Below, we j
give an extract from an eloquent, and
patriotic speech, delivered by Judge
Gholson, of Mississippi. We com
mend the sentiment, and spirit of the
extract to the attention of those
whose mental vision is so bleared, and
jaundiced, that they are utterly inca
pable of doing justice to Pr. Davis;
who believe lie cannot write, speak,
or act, without, in their opinion, doing
the cause an injury ; whose egotism
is so enormous, that they think noth
ing done right, which they did not at
first recommend, or which does not
accord with their distorted views;
and whose officious presumption is
such that they would dictate to him,
an l all other officials, civil and milita
ry, what, and how, they should write,
speak, and act :
But there is still another class ‘ at
home,’ who do not assist our ‘ citizen
soldiers,’ by steady co-operation.
I allude to that class of fault
finders, and critics, who would have
won every battle we have lost, and
avoided every error we have commit
ted ; who declared Beauregard no gen
eral, because, at the first battle of
Manassas, he did not, with a small,
and untried army, pursue, and take
the whole vankee force, and capture
Washington, to boot ; who were vo
ciferous for the removal, of Sidney
Johnson, because he did not success
ively defend Fort Donelson, and Nash
ville, against overwhelming forces ;
who pronounced Lee incompetent,.be
cause he could not control the seasons'
and overwhelm Rosecrans in the
mountains of Virginia ; who denounced
Jos. E. Johnston, because, with an
insufficient force, lie did not storm the
bteastworks, cut the lines of Grant,
and rescue Vicksburg; who denounced
the conscript law as unconstitutional,
the tax in kind an outrage, the im
pressment laws oppressive, our gov
ernment a despotism, and our presi
dent a tyi’ant. This class bad ren
dered no assistance, but had virtually
warred against us.
Mr. G. thought it was the duty ot
every man to oppose measures his
judgment could not approve, but it
should be done in such manner, dur
ing this struggle, at least, as not to
weaken our government. We cannot
strike the president, without striking
ourselves. Under him, as our chosen
leadei, we must win a glorious inde
pendence, or, under him, go down,
and live under a galling and humilia
ting despotism. He would, therefore,
sustain Mr. Davis as our president,
if be were his veriest enemy. But
he had entire oonfidence in his pari
ty, his patriotism, and his capacitju
No man could have done what he
has been called upon to do, without
committing grave and numerous blun
ders. No one, he supposed, would
sooner admit, than Mr. Davis, that
many and great errors, and mistakes
had been committed.”
Impressment of Slaves.—“From
circulars emanating from the bureau
of conscription, we gather the follow
ing items of interest to our readers.
The number of slaves to be obtain
ed in each state, is as follows :
Virginia 2,250
South Carolina 2,500
Alabama 2,500
Tennessee .* 500
North Carolina 2,250
Georgia ’ 2,500
Florida 500
Mississippi and East Louisiana.. 1,500
Total 14,500
Impressing officers will require the
owners of the slaves, to furnish to
each slave one good suit of clothes,
before he is received, the value of
which will be estimated in the ap
praisement. Congressional district
examining boards may depute single
members of the boards to made •ex
aminations, in the presence of the
owner and hirer, and the impressing
officer, under regulations to be pre
scribed by the surgeon-general.
Slaves will be appraised by the im
pressing officers, together with the
advisory boards of the county.
In localities where there are no
such boards, the appraisement may
be made by persons selected for the
purpose, on agreement with the im
pressing officer, and the owner.
The hire of slaves is fixed by the
secretary of war, not to exceed twen
ty-five dollars per month.
In distributing the impressment in
various localities, regard will be had
to the wants, the condition, and the
position of the localities.
Negroes of refugees may be credit
ed to the county in which they are
found, or to the county they have
been removed from, after investiga
tion of the circumstances, at the dis
cretion of the general of reserves.
Generals of reserves will see that
their impressing officers exercise an
intelligent, and thoroughly informed
discretion, in selecting, for impress
ment, negroes who may be most con
veniently spared, with less prejudice
to the productive and mechanical in
dustry, and that they conduct this
service in the most conciliatory mode,
consistent with a prompt and firm
performance of their duties* receiving
the slave proffered by the owners, if
physically competent. The impress
ment.should be made, in all cases, ac
cording to the rules and regulations
provided for the impressment of
slaves, in the states, and klso, in all
cases, an effort should first be made
to procure the slaves to be hired, by
the consent of the owner.”
The Union Meeting in Savan
nah.—An intelligent citizen of Sa
vannah gives the Examiner some in
teresting information ot the composi
tion, and secret history of the ‘Union’'
meeting held in Savannah, on Sher
man’s occupation of the place. He
said the meeting was controlled by
an armed guard, and that Mr. Har»
triage attended the meeting, without
knowing its object. He asserted that
there was but one man iu the meeting
who had any right to assume to re
present the views of the people of
Savannah, on any subject, without
special delegation, and that was Dr.
Arnold, the mayor of the city. Of
him, a letter from Savannah savs:
‘Arnold is already suffering the bit
ter pangs of remorse, for his contemj
tible cowardice. He has not shaved
since he degraded himself, nor has he
breathed a sober breath ; he goes tot
tering about the streets, - and appears
to be abandoned to despair.’
Our informant states, that he has-
always suspected that the main reso
lution adopted by the meeting, was
dictated by Sherman himself. And
he is confirmed in the belief, by
the remark of Sherman, since pub*
lished, that no conventions are ueed-
ed ; that the people have only to re
cognize the authority of the United
States, elect members of congress,
&c.; that they are, iu fact, not out of
the union, but only in revolt. It will
be readily perceived, that this accords
perfectly with, the leading and most
offensive proposition embodied in the
resolutions of the meeting referred to.
—Aug. Const.
‘‘In the Kentucky senate, on the 27th
ult., resolutions for the abolition of slavt ry,
and for the constitutional amendment for
that purpose, were introduced, and i »
cussed. Finally, a substitute for them w ■
adopted, by 17 to 16 votes. This dec ar »
it to be the duty of the legislature to
such laws as will so dignify laborers, as to
induce free white laborers to settle in the
state. ”
“Mr. Samuel Reid, one of the old
est and best citizens of Troup county
—of which ho had been a resident lor
forty years—died recently, ne.»r La
Grange.”