The countryman. (Turnwold, Putnam County, Ga.) 1862-1866, April 11, 1865, Image 7
219 THE COUNTRYMAN Augusta, March 27.—“ The yankees destroyed, and evacuated Dalton, several days ago. About 1000 of Wofford’s cav alry moved eighteen miles above, on a tour of observation. Wofford was operat ing with 6000 troops. At its late term, the grand jury of Mad ison county, Ga., presented Colonel Don- ough, and his command, as a nuisance. The Savannah Republican, of the 17th, says, that last week, the telegraph cable was cut by a negro, at St. Augustine creek. Much energy was being used to recover the wire. British subjects, at Charleston, have had the following order issued to them: Charleston, S. O., U. S., Feb. 20. British subjects, residents of this place, and vicinity, are desired to register at this consulate, their names, residence, and occupation, at their earliest conveniene. Those who have already received certif icates of nationality, must bring them forward for inspection. All others must be prepared to e'xhibit papers, not only for their nationality, but also their neu trality. H. Pinckney Walker, H. B. M. Acting Consul, Charleston. A very active trade is thriving. Large stocks of goods for sale. Ex-Gov. Aiken, it is claimed by the Courier, has been a consistent union man, and unable to'oppose the confederacy ; that he never used measures, or influence against the yankee government. Legree Yates, formerly president of the Vigilance Committee, has been dismissed from the position of Chief of the Fire Department. Laidler, of the Courier, is employed by the yankee proprietor. Ship Lawrence, with 2,400 bales cotton, that went ashore, at the mouth of the Savannah river, on the 7th, has been raised, and placed on dry docks. The Savannah Ranger, a new confede rate man -of-war, is cruising in the north Atlantic ocean, and two vessels have been despatched to watch the New England coast. Negro balls, under the auspices of the military, with proper guards, arc adver tised to occur nightly. It is announced that the first negi’o troops were regularly exchanged on the 22d Feb. Papers are full of editorial notices, and extracts of Governor Brown’s message. Passenger^ to Richmond, go via Wash ington, Ga., Abbeville, S. C., Alston, and Charlotte. A large number of our paroled prison ers passed through Washington, Ga., du ring the past week, going south to await their exchange.” Yankee Generals.—The Richmond Whig replies, at some length, to a recent editorial in the New York Herald. In the course of its reply, it says that when a general sets out with an army of 120,- 000 men, to take a city in two weeks, fighting half a dozen battles, and is de feated in all of them, and, at the end of ton months, is found no nearer to his ob~ | ject, than he was nine months before, af-1 Yer having lost, in the meantime, two ar- I inies, each the equal of the ono he started \ with, that general is a failures If the Herald doubts this, reference is given to Gen. Butler, who can give a very intelli gent opinion on the subject. It like wise says, a reliable person sent into Columbia to ascertain the condition of that unfortunate city, since its occupa tion by the federals, reports that he found no difficulty in reaching it, Sherman hav- tarried in the place only three days. The enemy, upon entering the city, immedi ately applied the torch to all the public buildings, and to many streets. Three- fourths of the city have certainly been destroyed. Whether it was bis intention to destroy the city, or whether their malice was directed solely against public buildings, and public property, is not known. He burnt Gen. Hampton’s resi dence, those of tbc late Col. Frank Hamp ton, and Col. Christopher Hampton, and many other private residences on Arsenal Hill.” The Policy of Arming Slaves “In the celebrated speech of Edmund Burke, England’s greatest statesman, on moving his resolution for conciliation with Amer ica, 'delivered in the house of commons, March 22d, 1775, may be found the fol lowing language: 4 With regard to the high, aristocratic spirit of Virginia, and the southern colo nies, it has been proposed, I know, to re duce it, by declaring a general enfran chisement of the -slaves. This policy has had its advocates, and panegyrist,sand yet, I never could argue myself into an opin ion of it. Slaves aro often much attached to their masters. A general wild offer of liberty would not always be accepted. History furnishes few instances of it. It is sometimes as bard to persuade a slave to be free, as it is to compel freemen to be slaves ; and, in this auspicious scheme, we should have both these pleasing tasks on our hands at once. But when we talk of enfranchisement, do we not per ceive that the American master may en franchise, too, and arm servile hands in defence of freedom ? A measure to which other people have had recourse more than once, and not without success, in a desper ate situation of affairs. Slaves, as thoseTunfortunate black peo ple are, and dull, as all men are, from slavery, must they not suspect the offer of freedom, from that very nation which has sold them to their present masters ? From that nation, one of whose causes of quar rel with those masters, is their refusal to deal any more in that traffic ? An offer of freedom, from England, would come rather oddly, shipped to them in an Afri can vessel, which is refused an entry into the ports of Virginia, or Carolina, with a cargo of three hundred Angola negroes. It would be curious to see the Guinea cap tain attempt, at the same instant, to pub lish his proclamation, and to advertise his sale of slaves.’ The same argument will apply, with much force, says ihe Columbus Sun, to the present status of tho negro, in bis re lations to the parties to this war. It is now evident that the negro slave is to be | a sort of balance of power in this contest, and that the side which succeeds in enlist ing the feelings* and in securing the Ser vices of the four millions of blacks, must ultimately triumph. It is within our power to secure this aid—to ‘ arm servile hands in defence of freedom.’ By this can we defeat the policy of the enemy, and verify the truth of our oft repeated assertions, that there is no sacrifice which we are not prepared to make, for the sacred cause of freedom, and independence.” Precocious Piety.—“A Michigan law yer tells the following story: Several years ago, I was practicing law in one of tho many beautiful towns in Wisconsin. One very warm day, while seated in my office at work, I was interrupted by the entrance of a boy, the son of one of my clients, who had walked into town—six miles—in a blazing run, for the purpose of procuring a bible. He had been told, he said, that there was a place where they gave them to those who had no mon ey. He said he had no money, and asked me to go with him to the place where they were kept. Anxious to encourage him, in his early piety, I left the brief, on which I was engaged, and went with him over to the stand of a Presbyterian dea con, who had the much coveted books in charge. I introduced him to the deacon, telling him the circumstances. He prais ed the boy very highly, was delighted to see young men so early seeking the truth, etc., and presented him with the best bound bible in his collection. Bubby put it in his pocket, and was starting off, when the deacon said : ‘ Now, my son, that you possess what you desired, I suppose that you feel hap py ‘ Well, I do, old hoss; for, between you and me, I know where I can trade it for a plaguey good fiddle.’ ” Success.—“ A letter from Gen. .Forrest’s headquarters, to the Colum bus Sun, tells how the success of our cause may be secured. It says : If our people will unite; if the war men of 1860 will return, or go to the field ; if rich men will quit, sending tlieir sons out of the country, and poor men quit grumbling for tie want of comforts they never had ; and if men will quit speaking, and writing on theories, but come up squarely to their duty ; uso all our available means, use every nigger, dog, alligator, polecat, catamount, or anything else that can damage or de feat our common enemy, and be sure and do our own individual duty, our independence will be gained. But if we skulk, we are lost, and gone. Nig ger gone, manhood, and all lost. So stir up my old Georgia friends. I learn a good regiment of fire eaters could be raised about my old Atlanta home. Stir them up.” ‘ The prettiest lining for a bonnet, is a sweet faee.’