Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-03-25
From the Richmond Whiq.
Should Creditors Receive Paper Nj.


WISHES success to the cause Of the South, that
| there are some among us, who refuse to receive
the currency OF the country, in payment of debts.
| We are persuaded that those parties act without
due refectlon as TO the consequences Of their
conduct. Many of them, we know to be patriot
ic, and anxious to do what they can, to advance
the interests OF the South But they have been
badly advised, and in a spirit of kindness, and
not CT railing, We desire to reason with them.
| We are now engaged in a deadly strife. in
which our all IS at stake. If we are defeated
confiscation and ruin will follow. Our slaves
Will be sent out OF the country, our lands will be
seized by the enemy, and sold to pay the ex-
penses OF the war, orr personal property will be
appropriated by our conquerors, and we will be
ariVen from our homes, or reduced to the condi-
tion of serfdom.
10 ward oil these caamities, we must not only
marshal all our lighting men in the battle field
but W. must sustain them in it, Wemu arm
equip, clothe, feed and l'ay them. To do this,
We must have lai ge sums Of money, and to get
the money. the Government must tax its credit
This can be done only by issuing bonds and
Treasury notes. If we succeed in securing our
liberty and independence, these evidences OF
debt are of the most unquestionable character,
tor they bind the faith and the property of the
whole Confederacy. One or two crops of cotton,
tobacco and rice, will suffice to pay them Off
If we fail, they will be worthless, but our lands
and other property will stand on the same foot
ing. We have risked everything on the hazards
of the battlefield and if we lose, we lose every
| thing. Confederate bonds and Treasury notes,
| therefore, are subject to the same hazards, and
no greater, than lands, personally, and gold and
| silver.
Money has been aptly called the sssinews OF
war;. Without it war Cannot be carried on for
| any length of time. Without it our armies must
be dissolved, and we must be subjugated. The
| cor cj9I inta rSa
with other nations, and the only money that we
| can have is paper money, which is the represent
ative OF the wealth of the country. If this money
/ be discredited we are left without the means of
maintaining the struggle. Whoever therefore.
Idiscredits tie money of the Government dscred-
It's our cause, and shows distruSt of the Govern
/ ment itself
| The only way for every wel-wiSher of the
| cause to keep up the struggle, is to extend a
generous confidence to the currency of the coun-
try. Money has no intrinsic value. Its worth
arises from its representative character, and the
faith that is put in it medium Of exchange.
The intrinsic value of gold and silver is not as
great as that of steel or iron, because the two
| latter can be converted to more useful purposes
than the former. The value of gold and silver
is purely conventional. Confidence will give
! the same value to paper. If al. will agree 20 re-
ceive paper, it will answer every purpose of gold
and silver. Now is the time for patriots to eX-
| tend this confidence.
But if some among US refuse to receive it, 9TH
ers will soon follow their example, and general
distruSt will ensue.' If our creditor refuses to
receive 1t OF us, we must in turn decline to re-
ceive it from our debtors, and thus distrust will
| extend through the whole community. If our
creditor will not accept it, we must decline SELL
ing the property which we had set apart to pay
our debt to him. When the quartermaster or
co lmissary comes to us to buy wagons or teams,
or supplies for the army, we must refuse to sell
to him, because we cannot use the money to pay
our debts The consequences are plain. The
must soon follow,
We repeat, that the man who dscredits the
money Of the Confederacy, discredits the cause
| of his country. He throws his influence into the
scale Of the enemy, and paralyzes the arms CT
his countrymen No more fatal stab could be
inflicted ON our cause. Better join the enemy at
once better spike our guns, or ham-string the
horses which bear our gallant champions in the
battle field than cut the sesinews'' by which eur
armies are moved and rendered efficient.
And what will our cautious friends gain
by it? What will their lands, and stocks, and
bonds, be worth to them, after heir ubjugation
We would not envy their feelings, should that
dark hour come-for their humiliation and suf-
ierng would be rendered doubly poignant, by
the reflection that they were in part responsible
for it.
Let us, then, throw aside this ill-tmed eau
ton. Let US unite heart, and hand, and purse,
in the defence of our country. Let US extend a
generous confidence to our Government, without
thought Of Individual gain, and thus give our aid
to our bleeding country in this her hour of peril
And let Congress make Confederate money a
legal tender.
| Gen. PIECES Retreat from Springfield.
The following is the substance Of Gen. Ster-
| ling Prices official report of his retreat from
Springfield, dated February 2a,) addressed to
Gov. Jakson, of Missouri. 1t furnishes suffi-
Glen, answer to the Federal accounts, and affords
| additional evidence Of the mendacity of the Fed
eral Generals
| A bout the latter part of December, left my
camp on Sac river, ST. Clair county, fell back,
and took up my quarters at Springfield for the
purpose Of being within reecb of supplies, pro-
tecting that portion Of the State from home guard
depredations and Federal invasior, as well as 70
! secure most valuable point Tor military move
ment. At Springfield, l received from Grand
| Glaze considerable supp les Of clothing. camp
and garrison equipage, and having built huts, our
| soldiers were as comfortable as circumstances
would permit. l am pleased to say few COM
| plants were either made or heard. Missouri
having been admitted as an equal member OF the
/ Confederate States, and having my command
much augmented by recruits, was enabled to
r,ise and equip about 1000 men for the Confed-
crate service. A brigade Of these, consisting of
two regiments of infantry, one regiment of cav
airy, and two light batteries of artillery, have
been rendered the Confederate Government.
| About the latter part of January, my scouts
reported that the enemy were concentrating in
force at Rolla, and shortly thereafter they Occu-
| pied Lebanon. Believing that this movement
could be for no other purpose than to attack me,
and knowing that my command was inadequate e
for such successful resistance as the interests OF
my army and the cause demanded, appealed to
| the commanders of the Confederate troops in
/ Arkansas to come to my assistance. This, from
| correspondence, was led confidently to expect,
and, relying upon it, held my position to the
very last m ment, and, as the sequel proved, al
most too long; for on Wednesday, the 18th of
February, my pickets were driven in, and re-
ported the enemy advancing uiOn me in force.
No resource was now left me except retreat,
without hazarding all with greatly unequal num-
bers upon the result of one engagement. This
deemed it unwise to do. l commenced retreat
worthy of mention in any respect. Here the
enemy in my rear commenced series OF attacks,
running through four days. Retreating and tight
ing all the way to the Gross HollowS, in this
State, l am rejoced to say, my command, under
the most exhaustlng fatigue all that time, with
but little rest for either min or horse, add no
sleep. sustained themselves, and Came through,
repulsing the enemy upon every occ sion, with
great determination a: gaiantry. Ny loss does
not exceed four to six killed, and some fifteen Or
| eighteen wounded. ThaU OF the enemy we know
to be ten times as great
Col Henry Little, commanding the 1st brigade,
| with ColonelS B. A. RlveS and j. q. Burbridge
of the infantry, and Col E. Gates of the cavalry,
covered this retreat from beyond Cassviie, and
| acted as the rear guard. The Colonel command