The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1862-10-17

purpose VI supplying tue peopie VI tnelf par
ticular States, having, as we are informed,
entered into arrangements with their State
authorities, have gone to heavy expense in.
erecting furnaces, &C., and now, as we under
stand from the Proclamation, their operations
are forbidden, and the salt they may have on
hand liable to seizure.
Again, that is an unfortunate and untimely
clause, which prohibits the transportation of
salt TO other States of the Confederacy, until
Virginia is supplied. We think this prohibit
ton is simply monstrous. On sober refec-
ton, we cannot believe that Gov. Letcher
will enforce this provision. He is too much
of a patriot and too good man. He hasn't
looked at the inhumanity of the thing; and
if the character of the bill passed for his go
vernment in the matter binds him to it, he
will reconyene the Legislature for reconsidera-
ten and modification before enforcing law
50 palpably unjust and cruel.
Look at the position for a moment. If the
manufacture of salt is alone sufficient for Vir
ginia, this State is to have it all, and the other
States none. And who are to be the sufferers?
The families of the brave and self-sacrifcing
men who have left their own homes to meet
the invader and drive himrfrom the soil Of
the old Dominion-the families of the men
whose blood has hallowed every battlefield
from Bethel to shepherdstown, and who at
this moment, amid priyations at which the
heart siekens. are a living bulwark on the
Virginia border.
There are other clauses of the proclamation
quite as unjust as those referred to, and to
which we will refer when we have more time
and space. We had not intendedto aninlad-
vert upon the proclamation at all in this pa
per, as it came to hand after the larger por-
/. ton Of the issue had been made up, but are
not willing that it should go to the public
without one warning note This we have
done hastily, and perhaps not to the point,
but we will enter more fully into the subject
when we understand it more fully.
ays We see a letter in the Knoxville Re.
gister of the 18th, over the signature of r. R.
Butler, Of johnson county, Tenn, denying
the truth Of a letter that appeared in the CO.
lnmns Of the Register few days previous,
giving an account of the wrongs and depre-
! dations committed by the Union men of John
son county. OF these things we have no per-
sonal knowledge, nor should we notice Mr..
/ Buffers letter, but for. the fact that he dis
: putes the statement made in these columns a
few weeks ago, that 400 tories were Sinking
in the mountains of johnson county, He
| pronounees the whole statement false. OF this,
! also, we have no personal knowledge, but the
statement was made upon the authority of
two as. respectable gentlemen as johnson
county affords, and gentlemen, too who stand
| out openly fair and square, and who would
scorn to carry water on both shoulders.
If the statement was untrue, and injustice
| done Messrs. Grayson and johnson, these CO.
lumns have been, and still are open to them
for their yindication, but it will require some-
/ thing more reliable than the mere exparte
statement of a man who seeks to sustain his
own cause by eliminating Others.