Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-10
RICHMOND WHIG.
TRIALS OF THE REVOLUTION.

ertO doated upon tan infuriaed parent turned lts
whole force upon the astonished and helpless cpring
would be type Of the relations between Great Br-
tain aud her Colonies at the commencement OF he Rev
O.u'iou,
Taught ~ believe the armies Of England invinoble,
aud her resources without limit, the Colonies looked
with doubt upon their defective arms, scanty am.
munition and limited revenues with dismAy.
As yet there were few manufactures Of Cloth, iron
ware, arms or guOpOwdsr in the lJnes. All inust be
imported The waat of arms kept thousands from the
3D. The want of clothes tents, medicines sent "tWo-
thirds Of the army to the hospital.
The fuancal resources Of the common government
were based on the Constitution Of ,as states 1t had no
income OF ;tg ogn II had not the authority to CON-
m4ud the troops remain in the held until they
dsplued bu. PEELED to Obey the popular ideas
OF combining he pursuit OF private interests with the
defence Of the country.
Trss, such ssuses the currency Of the country was
'baseless fabric" which sark With every reverse OF
the public fortunes The army was lactuating mass
which sSeed with every casual advantage OF our arms
aud melted into insgp6cancs with the ycafes Of tie
eocmy.
waist other Colonies had no doubt their difficulties
to contend with, there none which surpassed Vir'
sua in the magnitude of her troubles or the energy
and wisdom wih which she NE: them. She was not
only the hea but the backbone of the revolsdon and
We shall illustrate the sutj OF this ariel, by refer.
ence to her history she had been early invaded. Her
Governor was her frs traitor. Her ory sespe! city,
was burned Her waters rayasei and bloeGade1. Her
oomme e 4s ~ al sHd and che must cepend upon her
self Yet sbe had accumulated capital and no manu-
fsctures sd,qlate TO tto eIgency 0n her western
oaer the snvages making constant and murder
Gus incursors She was charged with the defence of
Illinois and Kentucky In addition 10 ihese she had en-
e,cle5ascal question OF nuVh difficulty TO deal With.
Let Us look how Virginia met these complicated diff
eulies
She recognized the principle OF general toeration in
religion, aud suspended the payment Of religious dues
She organized a military system remarkable for its
emprch u.iyeness sud minu of detail. Il brought
uto the fld troops who grew be veterans, and dsin-
cu'.l ed themselves il every well fought deld.
Sac established manufactures of arms and paid
bouuy of hfy cents pOuud for ssltpere and sixteen
sulphur, employed IL The mluuiacuye Of sunPo#deT
She rented the lead wrn,l o. WyiEc aud authorized
the GoyesuGg to tire Or purchase slaves to control the
Operators,
The price OF grain having to fifteen shllngs for
wheat aud rye and tho great qu,uity OF grain con
zumed ia the disteri,s having increased the ehrmug
ssa.cty, the ti-ullcu Of all grAia vas prohibited IN
DIR heavy penalties.
We have S usrrd from the oIlc,iors Of those who
have mOuopcls'i sal during the extreme scarcity Of
that article, Hear what Virginia s.id and did under
sullar cGeums aacss:
where's divers evil disposed persons have possessed
"hemse,ss Of large quantities of salt Whc1 they have
40, oay refused 10 s- at any reasonable price, but TO
eharoe the value of their sal. and pteyeut heif
,loEc,l ,ns from being supplied With TIA! Necessary
a,rcls Of lie unless they WI sabnig 10 their eIorbl.
liant temauis have plrohls, up large sutIc' from
The several re.i dessrs 10 this STATE, by voluntarily
" ring uger prices IN the Wholesale way, than those
.retaiI dealers were nc lily ling the Tor by the
single bush l. which iuiqlitous practice calls loudly for
"redres-"
All such sal. was therefore sez,d and delivered to
s,l. cou.uis Ol,rr, in each conGy ID distributed by
retail.
Besides the Legislature established public saltSorEs
for the evaporation OF seawster aud took other mea-
sure5 to suyply tn public wants.
The utpsiucip!ed sp cal4tOr who oppTessc7 and de.
r uis his fellow citizen 10 hire 4 substitute for the war
aud buy indulgence from Abe Lincoln had hs example
In that dsy Tnoy were described With Justice and
city alrost scrpiural; "Whcrses iirrs pHI5nS.
,Ge.5ing Msas'ioes 10 agarios aud szortor aud in.
IlegGiuJ 10 amd.s reksS hs rGi, of ihsy couatrv
"or rsacksroly bstray Il into the hands Of its sHs
mi have i.dusroUsly bought up, aud already got
"no their posI sion great proportion of the pro.
VISIONS usually brough: TO market a. that season, thst
There is litIc hope OF bcipg able to lay up such
or.s thereof Sil b, requisite for the purposes #
The ensuing campaign g..
The remedy wa, IN every respect Iast. It punished,
.'h oo,G ,icn, Imprisonment CT pj'loGy, al Wlo
ught articles their Ssy to market, With view TO
AZ enhancement Of pfc,-sh who made prof. on the
purchase aud resale OF "yiculls" 1t GuhOrr the
zure Of any supply of fool beyond a twelve months
supply for the family where t lcuad aud punished
with heavy pen lilies all who purchased for re aale at
profit any goods, wares, or m,rcbsudz, imported into
tie State.
Those we're domestic to eou1tcract special
evii,. .ide., Virginia contributed, In men, money
aad aims, much more than her qloIa to the continental
csu'e'.
But there we're ui,ls of the people at that day that
ne can ne.es realize.
The destirution Of clothing in armies, that Wash
ingon's army q. the North neatly naked Whilst o.
Grc.u's army, OF the South could not appear on
parade Tor wsut Of clothes Many of lbs soldiers had
isle more clothing than strip Of blanket around their
lOas aud for bedding there one blanket Tor four
men.
The wan: Of in the Northern army We have men
toned in the Sjutherl i. was G9 lad. The militia
h,yiog no blyo1cts, were invariably charged by the
esitsb, aud, Of course, broke and ID.
The anxiety and disuC1scs OF the people, whose
friend' in the amj separated from them by dis
tat aud toisome marches with whom there little
communication By mail, must have been intense, ard
must have added greatly 10 the reluctance to enlist