Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-08-20
- - For the Spectator.
To Major Winfield ScOtt.


\ A Virginian not .tar from your own sge, one
who has watched with interest and often with
admiration, the progress OF your life and its va
ried achievements takes the liberty OF address,
ling you. cannot speak to you as could once
have done with pride, as asVirginian. You have
repudated your venerab e mother-the mother
of States. You have set at nsught all her coun
els, turned away from the bright examples Of
Hher honored history, despsed her Institutions,
stained her soil with blood, and used your best
Efforts to subjugate and ensave her sons. You
have preferred, tor self aggrandizement, to lick
your destinies with Lincoln, Seward, Bennett and
Greely, and such like enemies OF the South. You
have signaly failed in all your aspirations, de-
signs aud efforts. TIE memorable field Of Ma
nassas has deprived you in single day of the
glory you, have labored for through long life.
10 marching n;on that field you committed one
biunder " hich a Roman Consul would have been
ashamed OF. You took your triumph before the
battle with q pomp and parade never before wit
messed on this continent. The Roman would
have waited until after his victory, and then
demanded an ovation. You lost all your batte-
| ries; you lost more small arms than those you
call rebels carried to the fed; you lost no. far
from &c, 900 men OF your grand army, in killed,
wounded and missing; you lost, also, more than
one hundred wagons, loaded with all the muni-
! tions of war, the best OF provisions, and the
choicest of liquors. You, yourself, escaped from
the field by a stratagsm, by flying in one direc-
ton and pushing forward your chariot on the
lime OF the grand route. Thus have you fallen,
/ fallen like Lucifer, pever to rise again-a fitting
epitaph for your tomb stone. e
Il The allusion just made to the spois and tro-
lphies captured by the rebel forces on the glori-
ous 2lst, suggests the main object of this letter.
| A a
/ without endorsement, either upon the ehicle Or
Tits furniture, geng to show their destination or
use-it was freighted with HAND CUFFS. You
sir, can inform Inc, f,r it was part of the pro-
gramme of your grand march, and In anticipa-
| tion of undonbted victory. Be good enough to
satisfy anxious inquirer and, through him, the
civilized world. ..sssss s..,. .s.s.s 7ts :.
/ A few additional remarks will satisfy you of
the impression made upon the Southern Ii ind by
this painful discovery, and also of the precision
asked for in your reply. If those manacles were
intended for the freeinen OF the South, in case
victory had crowned your efforts at Manassas,
especially if it were intended to place them in
! front OF yeur lines as breast work for yankee
protection before the fortifcatons at Richmond,
then allow me to say, that the -Xpedient so new
to civilized warfare, SO wicked in it's conception
and SO cruel in its application will consgn you
to infamy among all right thinking men, and pre-
pare for you the blackest page in coming history.
Be assured, to use the language OF your master
to the venerable DR.. Fuller, "there was no
/ Washington IN this, there was no Jackson in
this" but, s'mathematically speaking" there was
great deal in it Of the Devil himself. This snp-
Iposition, however painful, derives support from
the fact, that in the battls at Manassas your own
forces did not hesitate to hoist the Confederate
flag, in order to protect themselves against the
i
of Southern troops. Ii yankee eowardice and
yankee trickery might resort to this last expedi
ent, it may we'll be suspected of the first. Again
if these manaces were intended for Southern
slaves to be captured on the grand march from
the Potomac to the Gulf of Mexico, and from
thence to be hurried off as contraband of war tc
some Spanish port, aud there exposed to sals fol
the purpose of replenishing the empty Golfers o
an Abolition Government, then take leave tc
say that you have ully disclosed the base by
pocrisy ard still baser treachery of q Black Re-
publican philanthropy to the black race. Then
indeed, with pretended opposition to the reopen
ing OF the slave trade at the South your rea
purpose, and that of your yankee allies, has beer
] to be the first TO do so yourselves. This latter
theory, in regard to the band. cuffs derives forcs
from certain omnous words put forth by GER
: tain officials under your command, after this
fashion. sAs to the slaves, we shall take cars
that all such guns shall be spiked" 1t is still
more strongly confirmed by the fact. that your
heaviest attacks upon the rebels have been made
on the Sabbath, the rest and holiday of slaves
, especially, when they go forth in numbers tc
catch the gossip of the day and satisfy their Gu
riosty. You, however, ike your infamous fore
runner have encountered sad disappointment
The difference between John Browns raid anC
that OF Gen. Scott, is simply this: the former
hal x,;tb 3D. -.
North to rob us of our slaves and land them il
Cauada at the fixed price of one hundred an(
twenty-five dollars per head. lSee Dr. Breck
inridges letter) You intended to rob US in like
manner, but instead OF transporting them to some
tree State, your purpose was to realize ten time:
the amount CONTRACTED tor by Brown, by offer
ing them to the highest bidder in foreign slave
State. But mark you, that in using the Sabbath
for so unholy design, you rendered to Almighty
God game of strategy, and woe to bin who
thus profanely challenges his Maker. A portion
OF this woe, without doubt, you now suffer.
But after all these manacles may have been
intended to oyer-awe your own mercenary hire
lings, lest, catching the Inspirations of liberty
from the throbbings OF the Sout;.orn heart, they
might forsake you in the hour of need If this
be SO, then you have blasted the reputation OF
your own Legions, opened their eyes to your
bfuo cDaracter dS Inlilaly tyranC, and f0reve
prevented them from again re-assembling at your
! bidding. They, in their turn and measure, will
Laugh at your calamity and mock when your
fear cometh"
j.. II there be any other theory with regard to
the contente of the mysterious wagon, am un-
able to conjecture it. History, undyihg as time,
awaits your response. Humanity, civilization
and religion are all alive to tue Importance of
my inquiry. The recording angel in the courts
OF Heaven stands ready to make minute of your
reply, and file it away among the sacred archives,
only to be Reproduced when the records of time
shall have been consumed by fire. | will add
that althou. feeling little sympathy for you at
present, can truly commend you to the tender
mercies of your final Judge.
1t was my first intention to seek the iBforma-
tion desired, either from the editor of the Her
aid, or the Tribune or the Times, and through
the columns OF the organ | might select. But
having come TO the painful conclusion that these
journals were edited subs antialy by the Father of
lies, and not being disposed to give aia and com
fort to the great enemy of mankind, reasons sat
slactory to myself, turned my attention to head
Quarters. Be assured, however, no compliment
was intended for the Commander in Chief of
Black Republican armies. Atany rate, it would
be too attenuated to excite the vanity even of
Maj or General Scott. SENRx
For the Spectator.
'Hospitai Relief Associations,