Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-03-17
NO. XIII.
Correspondence of the Spectator.

Correspondence of the Spectator.
/ RICHMOND, March TO- 1863.
i MR. EDIroR. The papers, doubi not, have kept
you and your readers posted far upon the
| important and current news of the day. 80
i The House to-day repealed the law authorizing the
distiation of grain into Whiskey for Medical and
Hospital purposes which the Senate has yet to act
What will be its fate that body cant opine-
The law has been awfully abused, learn, by parties
who embraced its provisions, hence the plea for its
repeal. In county in Eastern Virginia, Agent,
under the authority of the Act gives out from ten to
dozen cnntrac's to Subagents and you can at once
see, whilst they distiI gallon for the Government
at S 3, government price. they will dstil, say from
TO gallons excess, tor which they get 2 to $50
per gallon therefore, they afford to give The Gov
ernment its quota thus make $25 per gallon for
/ their pockets. ~ .5rf
Two of your delegates, learn voted for the repeal
of the law. Messrs. Walker and Fulton, upon the
grounds that has abused, they anxious
that s.sould husband ali food for the army,
and for the poor families of soldiers the field.
The Tobacco BILL which is to be suppress entirely;
sase for family consumption the growth of the weed
at least to limit many plants to the hand is be-
fore the Legislature and will pass in some form
This is commentary upon the patriotism of our
people, who declare they forced to this course by
Government agents who press their Corn far below {
the market price arguing that they will not press
Tobacco, as it is not needed for man or beast
1t is certainly great infracton of personal and
private rights to say by law what this or that
shall produce The people are the bestudges they
let alone, and know about such matters than
the Legislature of Virginia. But the is sst
gen9as Our Army must have bread But let the
axe be laid the root of the evil. Make these Gov
ernment agents act within the limits of the law give
the farmer the market value for his products and we
will guaranty our people will do right. They are
honest, patriotic and know their business better
than these Government agents, or their representa-
tives
The unprecedented advance Of gold here, is said,
il caused by the exodus Israeites, North to-
gether with Judge Meredths decision but of the
for the depreciation in Confederate notes. and
rise in gold, is the pursued by the blockade
runners, who Offering 40 to so per cent in Cen
federate for Virginia money. This at once strikes
blow at the value of currency here, and up pops
gold Congress says they have power to make
Confederate money legal tender, yet Government
violates ali law, all statute law, and all
tural law, in suffering their agents impress prop
erty without just equiv alent. Last Spring they
took from the people Corn 80 cents, Bacon at 20
cents, and Cattle at cents, which would
mand twenty times that amount. And, these sacri-
fees were borne too by many cf U.S. who by
sary act of the Government left in the Yankee
lines, many of whom fed, however, from their homes
because they could not live under Yankee invasion,
and who compelled 10 pay these awful prices
starve. All this growing out of the fact that Con,
gress will do nothing to make the currency they issue
legal tender give it stability in way, or by
preventing the Yankees directly through the
blockade runners 10 Baltimore and Phi adelphia from
aepreciatng Conf derate notes. which they take
for their goods but who under the rule of Old Abe
allowed to take Virginia money. Thus go. Our
people yet hopeful and bouyant and III believe in
the ultimate achievement of our Independence The
prospects for peace, however, gloomy We have
had any hopes of peace the reign of King
Abraham, His Abo ton Congress, before its close,
gave him plenary powers and declare him Dictator
much the Gear Of Russia We will have to
fight it out. May rule have wisdom, virtue,
capacity and honesty to direct the Ship of State amid
the breakers that surround The mania for the
" Root of all Evil is rife here elsewhere Ran
cid butter, blue poor tough beef, and weak ifuson
dirty rye has caused board rise all the hotels
The rise in beard being signal for diminution in
the fare, both in Quantity and quail y, though the
prices are from IL IS Ter day The hotel keepers,
excuse for their exc bitant prices, will tell you
that butter beef, and all kinds of vegetables have
greatly advanced, aod many other articles which they
bring to their tables but they make ou pay
for them Would you call this exortion 1 have no
name Tor it 1t is alton, however, to see
you pass along plenty OF every thing fat nice and
line all the eating houses restaurants
The Medical College termln aed its last week.
and Virginia may well be proud Of the Virginia Med
cal Col ege, and its able corps of lecturers whom
listened with great interest for weeks Old Au-
gusta usual may boast of the honor conferred upon
one of her sons, Dr. j. T. Lockridge, of Mt. Scion,
who received he justly merttd, the award of $50
for the prize essay on Medicine-Subect Dyptdesia,
that scourge of the human Pardon for tres
passing. Adieu. EXILE.