Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-12-16
BY THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA
Il PROoLAMA77ON.

"a tne ala OF the State Executive several importa
= points, deem it proper, giving my cordial coo
eration to call upon the officers Of the State civil al
military. and upon the people of the Comnonweal
: generally, to lend their assistance. .4 ss1sss.s -
BY united and harmonious action, our Independent
can and Will be obtained cheerful and ready OBJ
dience to the laws should be given until they Al
pronounced by competent tribunals to be unconstitl
tional. sf8
1t is the duty of every good citizen to sustain th
constituted authorities in their just endeavors to pr,
E.Ote the public welfare.
The President asks for assistance in the enrolmer
of conscrps and the forwarding of them to the Pre-
per points of rendezvous" To render his appeal et
fectua invoke the aid of the Commissioners of th
Revenue, the Sheris and Constables, the Justice
Of the Peace. From their general knowledge of al
the inhabitants of their several districts they have
In their power to find out and report to the enrol
ling officers all persons liable to eenscrpton and vii
render efficient service by expediting the conscrp
| to their several destinations
The cause in which we are engaged. the holy pur
pose we have at heart requires that every man, liable
to military duty. should be stimulated by moral sua
sion, and If need be- by compulsatory process to give
to the country the advantage of his intellect and bis
| physical energies. The country has right to the
services of ALL and should be allowed TO sneak
or skulk from duty. s 34t
The President asks assistance 'sn restoring to the
army all officers and men within the State absent
without leave or whose of absence has expired,
who have recovered from disability, and now
able to return duty" This absence is the OF
the frulte SIS victories heretofore gained. In any
of the great battles which armies have been
victorious, all the force composing those armies had
been present, entertain doubt but that the
enemy would have been utterly destroy ed
and that State would have been relieved om the
curse of invasion and the consequent desoia0n OF the
fairest portion OF territory How essential then
is it that this fruitful of i'll should cease to
exist. An officer private absent without leave is
nothing but deserter. Let the finger of Of the
young and the DID, of the maron and the maiden, be
pointed such delineuents, and if shame will not
cause them to return duty let them be hunted from
tho inn thoua ckptki he
carried back under guard to their encampments.-
The law of Virginia prescribes that, .lf any person
shall fail to appear at the place of rendezvous when
ordered, or shall absent himself without leave, the
commandant of the detachment or of The regiment to
which he belongs, may order him to his proper officer,
and such person without justifable excuse shall be
treated as deserter." There is to believe,
and regret to state it, that it is for
who have recovered from disability, and able
return to duty to continue TO absent themselves
and to draw their pay while rendering no manner OF
equivalent This is burning Disgrace and no faml-
ly should tolerate an inmate who will thus act In
times like these. 1t becomes their friends not only
not ask them to stay, but to impore them to go,
that they may aid their comrades In conquering a
speedy peace. Then and not TILL then, will they be
able, with honor and qualification, to recline under
their own vine and fig trees, and to enjoy the bless
ings they will have secured by their manly exertlOns
for themselves and their posterty.
The President, with an anxious solcltude, asks
Sin securing for the OF the army all
such necessary supplies as exist within the State In
of the people home." have, heretofore, with ear
nest appeals in my proclamatlons invoked from the
people these necessary supplies repeat now, that
the necessity for such supplies still exist, and that
prompt assistance will prevent or at any rate, ale
Viate much suffering. Men who are lighting for US,
and risklng their lives for the common cause have
right to expect that proper eXertoEs shall be made
to protect them by suitable clothing from nclement
weather, and to provide them with necessary food.
1 am happy to testify that have had presented to
me- by individuals, noble examples Of liberal gifts
m cd to hQ yr,tO n Olrf
seen, in all our public prints, ample evidence OF un
bounded charity which would reflect the highest hon
or upon any people. Virginlans have not oeen lag
gar of their means but have opened Their hearts and
their purses generous acts. Such conduct deserves
the thanks Of the State and worthy of all emulation
1t asked of the different States to provide such
laws ssas will enable the Governors 20 command slave
labor to the extent which may be required pros
ecution OF works conducive to the public defence p
The State of Virginia has already responded to this
call and the Legislature has passed an act ample OI
the purpose bat regret to say that the counties
heretofore called on, with few honorable exceptions
have not complied with the acquisitions fully and
promptly as could have been desired. These are
proper laws The slave population is large one,
nearly onethird of the population OF the whole State
not far from being one-haf OF the population of the
loyal part OF the State. The slaves exempted
from serving our armies, they are freed from all
military duty, and tits but reasonable that small
portion of their time and labor should be devoted to
the prosecution of works conducive to the public de
fence The law a liberal one to the owners. It'll
allows sixteen dollars per month as compensation
for the labor of each save besides rati os, medicines
and medical attendance. IL provides that the value
OF all such slaves that may escape from the Confed
authorities and returned to their owners, or
be seized or killed by the public enemy, may, by
want of due diligence the part of the authorities
the Confederate States in any be lost to the
owners shall be paid for by the Confederate States to
the owners, and in like manner allows compensation
'sfor any injury to slaves arising from want OF due
diligence part of the authorities OF the Confeo
crate States.
AS our army is constituted it is but right to lessen
the burdens they have bear and to the earth
works upon torthcaons to be constructed by the
laborers who Injured to such service The County
Courts are authorized to apporon the slaves called
for their respective counties, and they ought TO
ke the appointment in such manner as to be least
onerous upon their fellow citizens particularly
there is appeal from the decision they make. By
careful exercise OF this power, much hardship may
be ayerted If the Courts fail or refuse to comply
with the requistons the law invests the Executive
with thority, by officers and agents of his
lection with the aid of the Commissioners of the Rev.
enue impress the proportions OF slaves demanded
from the county, not exceeding ve per centum OF the
entire slave population thereof The pei eiorma ce OF
this duty the Executive would gladly forego, greatly
preerrng the justices elected by the people, and
who know their situation and circumstances, should
discharge it, but if the failure continues after due no
tice, the duty Will De performed win unshrlnKlng u
dey under the full belief that the labor called for
is necessary and that the prompt completion OF the
fortificaon will greatly conduce TO the public defence.
In addition to these several subjects, deem 1T to
aly but of the county and corporation courts espe
caiy, the necessity that exists for increased
vigilance regard to domestic and county police
Our slaves have hitherto been conented and happy,
peaceabe and trustworthy, and doubt not they VIII
continue so, Notwithstanding the dlsgraeefui procla
nation of the President of the United States and the
shameful attempts of abolition emissaries and armies
to render them disseminated and insubordnate. But
in times like these 1t is proper to DC ever Wachfui
ever on the guard therefore recommend, earnestly,
that the several county and corporation Courts shall
forthwith proceed execute the provisions OF the
State law relative to establishing patrol each coun
ty and to visit, within such bounds as the
Courts may require, all negro quartz and other pa
suspected OF having terep unlawful assemblies,
or such slaves may stroll frcm one plantation TO
another without permlssioD. Let every master keep
watchql guardianship over his plantation anu cause
his keep within their own premises, and pro-
hibit others from making unnecessary vislts II the
county courts cannot assemble fr"mptiy, let each
justice OF tie peace order out PATROLS as the law au
ihorizes him to do, to Continue In service until the
next term of the county or corporation Court
And finally, the President denounces, IN appronTi-
ate terms, the vile spirit OF extofuoh, no" 80 rle IN
all portions Of the Conederacy, and urgently appeais
TO the Executives Of the States to urge upon their sew
era Legislatures the necessity OF passing such laws
will efecually restrain and crush ~ earnestly IL
woke the patriotic everywhere TO dlscountenanee ex-
tortlon and extortoners, and If patriotic appeals Will
not induce the change their policy and abandon
cause then urge them to impress upon their Sena-
tors and Delegates IN the General Assembly the ne
cessity of adopting such Legislation as VIII remedy
the evil at their next session IN January.
We have another struggle to make against our un-
scrupuous foe 1t may not be the last but let it be
at least worthy of our and ourselves Let
it be gallant light IL which shall put forth all OF
manhood of ygor and of courage that has given
us from Heaven Let it be recorded in future
time that Virgnans emulated their glorious sires and
.r,d xro1Nn