Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-10

athnsa4aton wtSs AsAlsaed u ny lAsl hS@.ss Asa
nothing but the importance lin my ludgmsnt OF tho
measure would eycuss 1tl Of the reeomm ndAln
We must b. In condition TO repl raids and without
organ ,ti2n Il will b impossible to Ao effectively
Such organization can DO Of inf lie VAlus in many
specis in giving protection to our people against the
sudden incuTsions Of tbs enemy.
Il cannot but be manifest TO every observant and
hecng man. that one great object and the greatest
ect that the enemy propose to accomplish Is ~ far rs
possible, to embArrass agriculture, by preventing the
cultivation OF the earth, and thus depriVng u OF the
means oil support Hence Is 10 that persons having no
connections with the Har-privato citizens engaged In
| their daily aEocahons have been stripped OF their
horses mules cattle, the implements Of husbandry do
Stroyed and their dwellings given to the devouring
flames. Hence il ia that families have been brutauy
driven from their homes, subjected to ell the priVa ions
incident to refugee life, and Low that winter approach
nge must suffer It's gors Hence 1t Is that the nipple
ments of the mechanic destroyed and the means OF
acquiring the daily bread whereby his family are fed and
clothed thus taken from hin. Hence Il is that the
temples dedicated 10 the worship Of the living God are
desecrAted and destroyed Hence ia that the obgA-
lions imposed upon is membsrl by old and established
institutions that have existed for ages and which have
heretofore been respected 10 all Wsrs now disregard
ed. Wherever the enemy have passed, public property
and private property have been given TO destruction
And for all this there ID reason, and Is shamelesFly
avoWed by many OF leading enemies and that s to
reduce starvation, and in order TO remove slavery
from amongst u.s. to reduce territory to the oond-
ton OF . bowling Widerness" Their whole mode OF
warfare has been endsh and each day adds to it some
new feature Of Gtroeity and brutality With sGch foe
nothing that foil him in his plans and purposes
| should DO left und2ne
Organisations, such as have recommended, can rem
der essential service in checking raids and In INJECTING
summary punishment upon the raiders. When the raid
ing parties find they must The gauntlet Of home
guards in every nsghborhood through which they are
compelled to pass they Wil be somewhat particular be-
fore the experiment is attempted The hazard IL too
great and they will hesitate long before they incur It.
Il I iHad In infn a
Der of "home guards have been organised in various
counties and that they have all occasions manifested
gallant and chivslrous fprit Whel danger threat
ened they promptly went forth to repel 1t, aud In al
most every ipstsnce, without an inquiry IS to what
consuted "ocAl defence" l! WIS sufficient for them
to know that Virginia thFeaensd TO satisfy them OF
the proprie;y of going forth in her defence.
In concluding this portion Of my Communication,
Ssurn my cordial thanks to the homo guards who hSvs
on so many occaons responded to the calls upon than
for aid from southwestern and other Iarts Of Virgins
They deserve well Of the country and in my retire
ment from ofiOs, It will be pleasant reflection Lha,
these organizations formed during my adnnistfa
ton. will IlsayS think OF them, and look to them
with interest," aud have Gbidpg iah that thsy will
do honor to themselves, Their mother Commonwealth,
and the Confederaoy. -.-L.
SUBSTITUTES.
When this war commenced / was opposed TO the
substitute system, and my opinion was well known.
But In opposition to my wishes and views IL was ADOPT
Cd by the ate and Confederate Gu.hori:ieG. Subai-
tues have been rendered and accepted for three yea
under the law boh Of the State and O0nederacy; and
the policy having been established whether right or
Wong, it is TOO late 10 conirovSrt It, UnGOr the
40 ion OF both KoVernment6 t became binding 0ad
subas ing CONTRACT and such should be respected and
observed. Contracts between governments and indiVd-
uals should ell times be held sacred and involAble.
No government which violates them can long maintain
iis character for honor or integrity. When these are
fOrieitsd BY government the public confidence Is at
, | an end.
Many OF these Iubsitu lois, as understand, now
dsregarded aAd aside Notwithstanding The fact ibAs
the parties have paid large 10 obtain the men who
are 10 Gil their places. This il done upon the idea that
the SAtes had right or authority TO receive subsi-
before the troops were turned over 10 tho
Confederate authorities IL such be the doctrine,
enter my protest against H. and leave il to the parties
to oontoVert the question before the There the
application will receive hearing, and will, have no
doubt be fairly and justly decided | recommend the
subject TO your consideration.
am in favor OF every man doing his duty In this
war; but at the time equally in favor Of the
inViolablity of Wben the government makes
an agreement with party, good faith requires that 1t
should respect is and carry 1t on. No government
which shows disrsgA'd of is voluntarily Incurred Oh
legations can hope prosper Honesty, fair dealing,
and sIc, compliance with obligations: assure conf
| dence and unite the people firmly to the government.
trus therefore, that the ConIorpt Bureau will give
to this question the most serious consideration before
| further steps are taken
Our railroads are admirably adapted to our wants. II
they had been projected with special reference the
existing condition of things, they could not have been
better located for the accommodation OF the people in
peice and aid to them in IL really seems, when
we review the various acts which originated them, aud
under which the works prosecuted, IL some di
vine though unseen hand had guided and directed our
legislation on this suit ect. Without them, would
have been Eeriousy embarrassed In the prosecution OF
the They are now becoming much worn, and eI.
tensive repairs greatly needed AID must be speedily
made The great Difficult which the several companies
now have to encounter is in procuring the requisite la
Dor. see reason why the free negro labor of i
State should not be eXcuvey dedca ed 10 this object
and think can many COED reasons why It Shou d.
In the hst place, ~ they will receive good wsges there
will be no Educemsnt 10 Hbscond to the Yankees. On
the other hand slaves when the border, more
or less tempered WITH aud not unfreqnsnty folSbly
carried away by raiders, to the loss OF the owner aud
the prejudice OF the productive interests Of the country
Ia the second place. many Of tho fee negroes me-
ohanicS and mechanical labor is indispensable to keep
up the rail reads By employing free negro mechanics
the save mechanics would be lett upon the farms whore
their services are at this time greatly needed. This
course will accomplish all that the rail roads hire and
will a. the same time furnish farmers and other cidEsns
of the country mechanical labor, which indispensable
10 them in the prosecution OF their busineSs.
We have Ysrons interests ia our country all of which
demand consideration. We must look to them all, pro-
vide for them all in order sustain ourselves In thi
crisis We cannot prosecute the war without army
aud is therefore Of the fret Importance that the army
| should be 6lsd We cannot keep up an amy u5leSi
we provide -four, corn, beef bacon aud the other Ar
ces necessary sustain fe The army must be clothed
and shod aud lurnshed with transportation, supplied
with arms and ammunition, all of which r.quirss me-
chaucal and other labor. sta esman charged with
the supervision Of all Of these things, should that
all are in sound and healthy condition, that they
working harmonouSy together towards the accom- plsh
ment OF common object. Il can be done without pre-
JUDGE to the army. It subject which addresses it
self to the reflection and judgment Of all officers
Confederate aud State E5eIy patriot desires to the
machinery of the State and Confederate governments
work smoothly and hErmoniousy; and If the engineer
in charge Of each exhibits prudence and wisdom and