Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-01-13
RECONSTRUCTION.

Not having space to publish the whole of th
? message, we give synopsis ofthe most matelis
e portions of it: s .sas sssssss
RECONSTRUCTION
In after times, the origin progresss, and result
of this revolution will furnish theme for curl
Gus speculation and inquiry. twill be "a mat
ter of amaze zeme ut that Government great ant
noble as ours wits, should have been sacrificed
to the fell spirit of wild and reckless fanatic Ism
that large portion of the people should have
been SO thoughtles.s and so wicked as to make
war upon the institutions of minority, and
| drive them into revolution for their defence and
| preservation. But, however this may be, it is
certain that the Union is dissolved; and it is E.
qually certain that we can NEVER again be reuni-
1 ted /; and the man who breaches the doctrine of
REooNsTB ucTIoN is a traitof, and deserves trai-
aor's doom.
THE FEDERAL DIVISION or THE STATE.
The admission of the forty-ti counties of
Virginia as an independent State, by the Fede-
raj Congress, clearly indicates that that Govern
ment has no longer hope of accomp fishing the
subjugation of the South and they ars looking
| to boundary in the adjustment of the coatrover-
sy which they have provoked. They have over
run much of our State ); and this new State thus
formed embraces counties both sides Of the Blue
Ridge. If in any adjustment the portion of our
territory embraced by these counties is to be re-
garded as part of the Northern Government, it
requires no prophet to decide what the future
OF so much as remains is to be. 1t is bound nee
eSsarIly to be free territory. / cannot suppose
III any treaty OF peace that may be agreed upon
Virginia will ever recognize this division of her
territory, or ever assent treaty that will strip
her OF any portion of her dominion. Nor can /
think that the Confederate Government will ev-
er assent to such an arrangement. Wheneyera
settlement shall be made, come when it NAV
Virginia is to be regarded whole, her terri
tory isl te preserved intact, and she is to take
her place in the Southern Confederacy as she
separated from the old Government. Her pro-
portions. are net to be diminished. Virginia is
to be in the future Virginia was in the past--
She IS to be as she has been, ssthe Old Dominr
ION, full and perfect in sll respects We can
not give up foot Of the Northwest-not foot
on the Potomac borders, not foot on the PEE
mnsula, nor or the bay, nor on the James river
1t is better that this war should continue for an
indefinite period of time than that Virginia shall
be even partially dismembered. Let every Vir-
ginlan, then. kneeng at the alter swear that
the old Commonwealth shall remain one and in
divisble, and that he will never assent to an ad-
justment which will take from her one square
foot Of her territory. Il sa gi9
FINANCES OF THE STATE. sset
The balance in the Treasury on the lst of &C.,
tober, 1862, was $138, ,214 "a and the amount re-
ceived from the 1st CT October, 1861, to Sep
,ember, 3Oth 1862, was SS, ,954, ,S33 12. making
upon the Treasury from October, L, 1861 to
September, goth 1862, was So 1858, ,846 AS, leav-
ing balance in the Treasury, October lst 1862,
Of S434, POI. 81. This balance with the estima-
ted receipts up to September 80, 1868, which
are estimated at ST, .324 446 .63, will make Sly
758, ,64S. ID. From this deduct the estimated
expenditure for 1858, $l7 ,69l 1853. 49, and there
will be surplus in the Treasury on September
80, 1868, of $66 881 IS.
OF interest bearing Treasury notes, there were
in circulation December, 1862, 81 ,493 $40. The
issue of these notes in 1861, reached SIS. .O25. $50
and ST, 49,, $50 have been redeemed. OF non
interest bearing Treasury notes there are So 045,
l47 now in circulation. sD r
s48s EXPENSES OF THE WAR.
The total amount paid through the Auditors
office for the war, is 81 ,337 rs SO, of which
sum S. ,3Il, 1851 -29 is chargeabe to the Virgin
ia State Line. 1t is cause for congratulations
that although the pecupiary burden upon Vr-
: inia has been heavy from the commencement of
the war, she has sustained it with a spirit and
courage worthy of her revolutionary fame All
the demands upon her that have been presented,
have been promptly paid as as audited
NO creditor has been compelled to wait longer
than was necessary to adjust his accounts, and
ascertain the amount to which he or she was en-
titled to. F.s.a -7s.s-t5s-, --4.4nf4 q
81. THE SALT QUESTION. F..
The Gove' nor says that after the assage of
the Salt bill by the Legislature, be visited Salt
NJ ~'
lille for the purpose of executing he law, and
found his duty very embarrassing. The owners
OF the works, after the Legislature had refused
to buy them out, had made contracts to supply
several States, and also to supply the Confede-
rate Government with $4,000 bushels of salt per
month. In view of these facts, and the many
obstacles and difficulties which would necsssari-
iy have attended operating the works after they
were seized, he determined to buy salt, which
has been done AID the salt properly distributed.
THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.
There are now over $50 cadets in this institu
ton The Institute has furnished s Brigadier
Generals, 56 Colonels, 80 Lieutenant Colonels,
30 Majors. llO Captaias, 116 Leutenants, II
Aids de Camp, rs Adjutants of regiments, and
81 Adjutant- Generals, Surgeons, Quartermasters
and C"mmissaries-making total of 240- OF
these 81 have been killed and 73 wounded in
battle, and died in service, making total OF
than one half. a
THE CRIME OF ExToRTIoN.
The crime of extortion is denounced in the
most scathing terms. The Governor gives a sin
gle example of cotton manufacturing company
that has already divided IS per cent. of profits
and will divide 25 per cent more at the end Of
the year making clear profit in twelve months
OF lO0 per cent upon the capital stock. The
conscriptlng tlll, IN Its OPP ration takes posses
sion of individuals and puts them in service in
our armies without therconsent If the persons
Vi HcL Cdu Ut tdktu Luc SeTVlCe Oh the COuH-
try, why cannot property and the enormous prof
its Of the extortioner be taken possession of in
the same summary mode, to aid the country's
cause?
PRISONERS CAPTURED BY THE STATE LINE.
One hundred and eighteen. ef the prisoners cap
tured by the State line in the brilliant affairs at
Prestonsburg and Pikeviile,s in Kentucky, ar
rived here ON the morning Of the 9th of last
month. l have had preparations made for their
safe keeping, and have announced to the Pres
ident of the United States the terms upon which
exchanges can alone be made / the meantime
have placed in the penitentiary, and put at hard
work Capt Gramm and Lieut. GKades VINO are to
remain at hard work as hostages for Capt. Dus-
key and Lieut.. Vanner, now in confinement in
the District penitentiary at Washington city.
) 4 have also placed in solitaryoconfnelnen Capt
Thos. Damron and Lieut. Wilson Damroa, and
privates John Howe, Isaac Goble, David "
Auxier, Saml Pack and m: S Dillis, who are
held as hostages for the gallant Zarvona who
has been ID confinement SINCE July. 1851 and
who has been treated (if the halt hear is true)
with a brutality suaparallele / in the history of
civilized warfare Five others, deserters from
the Confederate service, have been turned over
for trial. The other prisoners are confined and
treated as prisoners of war, not to be released
(with my consent until some general rule shall
be adopted in regard to prisoners and private
citizens, which shall be just and honorable to the
people of Virginia, and which will preserve their
rights in future.
FREE NEGROES THE ovERRUN COUNTIES.
The Governor thinks it would be wise to enact
1apv uirip al frap M rpSi6 n