The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1862-12-19
BY THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.
A EsEg

/ EEAVING received a communication from the
! IL President of the Confederate States invok.
ing the aid Of the State Executive ON several i'm.
portant points, deem it proper, in giving my
cordial cooperation, to call upon the officers q
the State, civil and military, and upon the
people of the Commonwealth generally, to LEND
! their assistance.
By united and harmonious action our indepen-
] dence can and will be obtained A cheerful
and ready obedience to the laws should be given
until they are pronounced by competent tribunals
| to be unconstitutional
It's the duty of every good citizen to Sustain
! the constituted authorities in their just endea-
vofs to promote the public welfare.
/ The President asks for assistance Gin the en-
rolment OF conscripts and the forwarding Of
! them to the proper points of rendezvous" TO
render his appeal effectual, invoke the aid OF
| the Commissioners Of the Revenue, the Sheriffs
and Constables, and tue Justices of the Peace.
From their general knowledge Of all the inhabi-
tants Of their several districts, they have it in
their power to fud out and to report TO the en-
rolling officers all persons liable to CONSUMPTION,
and will render efficient service by expedlting
the conscripts to their several destinations
The cause in which we are engaged, the holy
purpose we have at heart, requires that every
man, liable to military duty, should be stimulate
ptlsatory process, to give to the country the ae-
vantage Of his intellect and his physical ener-
gies. ghe country has right to the services Of
all, and none should be allowed to sneak OF
skulk froIa duty.
The President asks assistance Sin restoring to
the army all officers and men now within the
State absent without leave. or whose term Of
absence has expired, or who have recovered from
disability, and are now able to return to duty.3'
This absence is the cause Of the fruitless ycro-
ries heretofore gained Il in any one of the
great battles in Which our armies have been
victorious, all the force composing those armies
had been. present, none can entertain q doubt
but that the enemy would have been utterly
crushed and destroyed and that our State would
have been relieved from the curse OF invasion
and the consequent desolation OF the fairest por-
ton of our territory. How essential then is it
that this fruitful source of i'll Should cease to
exist. An officer or private absent without leave
is nothing but deserter. Let the finger of !
scorn of the young and the old, of the matron !
and the maiden, be pointed at such delinquents,
and if shame viii net cause them to return to |
duty, letsthem be hunted from the ga5orhoodsaE
IN which they are skulking and be carried back |
under guard to their encampn,ents. The law |
Of Virginia prescribes that-s.H any person I
shall fail to appear AZ the place Of rendezvous
when ordered, or shall absent himself without t
leave, the commandment of the detachment or of
the regiment to which he belongs may order him |
to his proper officer, and such person, without I
]ustlnable excuse, shall be treated as o deser-l
ter. & There is reason to believe and | regret I
to state 1t, that it is too common for men who !
have recovered from disability, and are now able I
to return to duty, to continue to absent them |
selves and to draw their pay while rendering no I
x,af al
grace, and no family should tolerate an inmate
who will thus. act in times like these. It be-
comes their friends not only not to ask them to I
stay, but to impiore them to go. that they may
AID their comrades i'll conquering a speedy peace.
Then, and not till then, will they be able with /
honor and qualification to recline nlder their
OWN vine and fig tree, and TO enjoy the blessings
hey will have secered by their manly exertious
or themselves and their posterity
The President, with an anxious solicitude.
isks assistance .sin securing for the use of the
army all such necessary supplies as exist within
he State in excess of the quantity indispensa-
Die for the support Of the people at home.n l
rave heretofore with earnest appeals in my pro-
lamation, invoked from the people these neces-
airy supplies. report now, that the necessity
or suchisupplies still exists and that prompt as
lstanee viii prevent or at any rate alleviate
much suffering. Men who are fighting for us
nd riskng their lives for the common cause.
ave a right 70 expect that proper exertions shah
'e made to protect them, by suitable clothing
rom inclement weather and to provide them with
ecessary food. am happy to testify that /
ave had presented to ne, by individuals, noble
Examples of liberal gifts. to add to the comfort
# our troops, and that have seen in all our
,ublic prints ample evidences of unbounded
harity, which would reflect the highest honor
pom any people Virginians have not been lag
ard of their means, but have opened their
carts and their purses in generous acts Such
onduct deserves the thanks of the State and is
7orthy OF all emulation
1t is asked of the different States to provide ]
UGH laws s'as will enable the Governors to COM j
land slave labor to the extent which may be re- /
ulred in the prosecution of works conducive ]
. the public defence" The State of Virginia /
as already responded to this call, and the Leg {
stature has passed an act ample for the purpose.
ut regret to say that the counties heretofore i
allied on, with few honorable exceptions. have I :
otcomplied with the acquisitions as fully and f.
romptly as could have been desired These :
re proper laws. The slave population is a large +
ne, nearly one-third OF the population of the
hole State, not far from being one half Of the =
opulation Of the loyal part of the State. The :
ayes are exempted from serving in our armies. =
ley are freed from all military duty. and il Il =
ut reasonable that small portion Of their time
ad labor should be devoted to the prosecution n
works conducive to the public defence. The t
W is liberal one to the owners. It allows Y
xteen dollars per month as compensation for n
e labor Of each slave besides ratioils, medicines Il
I'd medical attendance. 1t provides that ..the e.
alue Of all such slaves as may escape from the c.
onfederate authorities and not returned to their
vners or be seized or killed by the public ene- n
y, or may, by want Of due diligence on the i,