Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-07-03
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY , 1853
How are Virginia Citizens to be Indemnihed9

losses indicted upon our eILtus VIII DC sl'eu VIC N'
exceedingly The insolvency OF the North, aud the IN
hercut eupidty Of the Yankee forbid even the hope Of
any such resul Five bundled millions OF dol'rs Wouc
IN rauie our people for the actual losses sustained BY
them in The shape of abducted slaves the desOaon Of
property, the plumber Of ali that Was valuable IN alent
homes to which they hEdPenetated and the ourn'ngana
devastation Of towns villsges and private dFehngs-
Who dreams OF lTossibiy Of requital even to this
sxtents Putting out OF view the utter financial ruin
vheA must follow in the wake Of the terrible anarchy
which will prove the inevitable sequel Of this war at the
North no one could reasonably hope for the payment Of
such sum eyea at her present standard of sOlveney
In view Of these facts, what is the duty Of Virginia
whose ,zens are the CD fsugrers by this WARP There
Ar. now in the hands Of Northern capitalists Virgins
bonds 10 the amount believe, OF twenty millions Of
dollars By an ordnance Of toe last Convention, the
nsvmsut of interest upon all Virginia bonds brought
tom the North since the 26th Of June, 1861, is
nsnded until the close OF the This, i will be uu
derstood does not Affect the payment OF the principal
At maturity; and hence hpd that in our own city
where many Of ,hem held, they mautain standard
of value not ouly indicative Of abiding faith in their
nj innate redemption but would seem to advance in an
inverse ratio 10 the temporary losses sustained by the
usD,psiou of interest Even with he fullest guarantee
of their ultimate redemption, all that might
aby ,xueot as to their progressive value would be an
advance pri pasy. vi the accumulation Of supended
t.rr,t L. stored bonds Of Virginia are now held
We believe al about $3.50; and then, if would adjust
the lair value Of her suspended bonds, would only
have to add on two aud half years interest $50
which would bring them to Sl15. What do We 6nd
oweversAeeordais tu=the quotations Of two of our
city papers few days bonds Of this class, with
oils two coupons on, w6Sh means that years in
t-ret is due, bgough. the enormous Of SEQ This
would seem 10 be a strange anomaly; but it admits Of
explanation.
Coupou bonds Of this class are now quoted in New
YORK at S67-iu "green-baeks," Of course Green
hacks in Richmond it is understood, bring 81 90 pre-
MUM, which makes 800 ia Federal money equal to
$500 in Confederate. suspended Virginia coupon
bond bought here al S22O, and sold in New York for
Sal m "yreenoacks" will yield here to the enterpr:-
sing speeulator profit Of Sll5, which upon an OUTLAY
of several thousand dollars wOai make pretty good
fortune Speculation in this form has the peculiar ad
vantage Of comparative security against loss By cap
,nre and exemption from enormous irvigh. aud other
CHARGES 10 hie packages Of blockade goods are subject
a1 hat
,o,.sa iosu 10 so ,na margin as to render them de-
srabs subject. Of speculation Add they are 50 made
70 An extent far beyoad .he idea Of leu unnitia.ed in
the arts aud appliances Of rabid spectators. Such at
least, is our information and the facts above given i'm
part " il the Irresistible force Of truth.
Let Virginia through her next Legislature, conisca
the whole amour: Of her bonds then in Northern hands
and apply the proceeds the extent that it goes, to
the Naturalization of such Of her own citizens as have
sustained losses the hands Of the plurderng marauG-
ing Yankees. To accomplish this cfectualy. 4. would
DO necessary 6st require that all Virginia suspended
bonds in the hsuds of citizens Of the Southern Confed
eraey At the date Of the passage Of the act should be
registered in the office OF the Second Au or within,
say sixty days, after is passage, the person so regis
tering 70 make oath that the bonds which be presentC
tor registration uOs brought from the North sin
the date Of the passage Of the law Il some such
guard IS not provided the sixty days given for re IS
traton viii be awaited Of by sharpers here and else
where to North and buy up these bonds BY the
hundreds Of thousands a. che low deprecated standard
to which they viii inevitably lapse AZ the prospect OF
eouGscatiOn THIS registration law should be followed
By an act eon6seating these bonds take en- Ct at u
close Of the sixty days II the traffic in these bonds
for AGreenbasks goes during the interval between
this and the meeting Of the Legislature bHsky az it
il understood have done for some time few will be
LETT in the South for gstratOn, so that Wall street
win be taken at complete disadvantage, aud paid back,
in some degree for the losses which She in particular
was instrumental in entaiiiug upon Us.
We would ssOrn to suggest much less advocate, any
act on the part Of Virginia which would bear even the
semblauce Of reputation in any degree impair her
good faith aud credit We advocate this as an act Of
the strctesl jusiicean which but family conforms
to that system Of retaliation which forms the fuuda-
mental principle OF civilized warfare For, TO what
degree would carry that principle if We we're to az
ply il in retaliation for other inquites perpetraed upon
our sOn?-tO acts Ct cold blOoded murder Of old men
and non-eombatants; to the Punishment from their
homes Of women aud children, and their exposure to
cold aud hunger; to the violation Of unprotected wO-
mem in short to every act Of iniamy which hendish
10 and Unsuitable ayarce could conceive. Retaliation
in mere matters gain affords but meagre rsquta for
crimes which cry to Heaven for vengeance. It must
be maudlin sensibility, indeed, which for moment
would serupe to apply principle such that we have
referred to- jus. in every aspect that even the word
"juscen ITSELF can scarcely import its enient char
aster.
We are satisfied that the Legislature OF Virginia will
act promptly in this direction; and we sincerely trust
tina: the Legislatures Of North Carolina and Tennessee
who are somewhat similarly cireumstaneed with our
selves viii ioOS the good example and return, in some
degree, the poisoned cup to Yankee lips. We have an
abiding hope that Missouri in due time, viii do her part
in this particular.
To reeapiulAle the advantages to Virginia Of such
policy We will add thai she would benefit by it to the
extent Of about 600 which, in the present rea
tive value OF ate aud Confederate securities would
be equivalent to about $50 900 OOO she would inAct
pretty severe blow upon Wall street. already badly
crippled BY heavy advances upon Federal promises to
pay, which are beyond the hope Of redemption. She
would check to some extent the evils groaiag out Of