The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-03-27
GASES In the Desert.

ments. and thereupon, the Senate took a recess.
Gases lin the Desert.
Every child that has studied Geography. has
read the description Of the Great Sahara De-
sert, that vast sea Of sand in North Africa,
that stra1chss away from Egypton the east to
the Atlantic on the west, from Senagambia
On the south, to Barbary on the north, com.
prising an area Of thousands Of miles. This
great Desert is said TO contain 2 green spot
here and there, called Gases, where Nature
;brews her refreshing beverage, and where
grass and shrub and flower spring up to glad.
den the heart, ind cheer the eye, and rsinvi.
gorate the exhausted system Of the toil-worn
traveller. These spots Are often separated BY
great distances, and many wanderer has
fallen upon the barren waste in the effort to
pass from one to another, and the saNd-storm
has buried their bones amid the solemn sigh
ings Of the fearful simoom.
The great fact in nature, teaches US . great
lesson in morals Our beautiful Southern
country now, from the mountains to the plains
Of the long. leafed pine-from the classic shore
of Old Ocean to tho wild and romantic current
of the Father uf Waters--is 2 vast desert. -
Like that Of North Africa, however, it has On
oasis here and there, tho at times separated
BY vast distances.
Al,ho' We are plain-spokcn and unimagi-
native caterers 10 public intelligence
prone to rhapsody or meta Nhor, nor much
given to weaving webs Of fancy, yet these
thoughts aud these SMILES are suggested by
startling facts as canaected with present start
ling circumstances. In this great desert 80
made by the foot Of the vandal and the poison
Gus breath of Abolitionism, there is, we re-
peat, here and there an oasis, that stand out
bold and beautiful like the landmarks Of the
ancient heritage Of promise. We allude to
those faw noble spirits. who, amid the surging
waves Of speculation and extortion, have had
the moral courage TO, withstand tsmptation.
and who, altho' they may have passed through
the fame. have notithe smell Of fire upon their
garments. Who that has read the account Of
John r. Edmunds. Of Halifax, in this State,
giring fifteen thousand pounds Of bacon r the
destitute families Of soldiers in his county,
has rot fel. his heary beat lighter and his eye
grow noistf Who that has read Of Governor
Brown, Of Ga, giving four thousand bushels
Of corn to feed tie poor, has not felt that ha-
ianityi still lives enid the, moral wreck =
round Us, and that.there is still "a divinity
that shapes our ends I" Who that has read
Of solomon Miller, Of Augusta county. w.,
who sells his bacon at l23 cents, his butter
at Is, and his corn at Is, to soldiers and their
families, has not felt that there is yet one
righteous man in Sodomi
For want Of proper knowledge, we cannos
multiply many such instances as the above,
yet we have heard Of q few others. Among
them, the Greenesboro' IN. C.) Patriot tells Of
Finley Shaw and his two sons, who have OK.
tsnsise mills, and constantly furnish. the f.
miles Of soldiers with -four and meal at the
old prices, when they could get four times 20
much from the wealthy around them. Also
Robert D. Thorn, of the same county, who pur-
sues like policy.
What difference between these and the
most Of persons who have it in their power to
make noney! They are the GASES Of the de-
sert Would that we could put them clsser
together-would that there were more of
them. In all this region. we can point 70 but
a solitary instance Of the kind. There may
be many there may be those who have favor
cd the poor and fed the destitute, who refuse
to let the left hand know. what the right hand
doeth, but the fae. has not come to our know
ledge. But Of those on the other extreme,
we may Say their name is legion. We know
Of SOME who formed noble intentions, who
said they wouldse what they had to spare
at me.ism prises, and would not take more,
Jet prices advance as they flight. The pre-.
cspt WAS one thing, the practice another
When the hour Of trial game, the temptation
was TOO strong for their moral courage, and
the top Of the market has been and is the
measure If their lsbsrality and baasyolsqco.
Others again, and to the shamsof hunSani.
~ they are the masses, like the nadman in.
pursuit Of a:phantom, rush wildly into spscu-
lation, looking neither 70 the right 81 left, but
pressing steadily forward, With theireye fixed
upon money, as the polarsstar Of all their
hopes and aspirations. Nothing can divert
their pursuit. Of the one grost object. Some
Of them are too frail fof the army, yet they
will exnnSa themselves to the nerila nf the