The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-02-24

LyscHBuRo, Va, Feb 81, 1864
After three years Of warfare the most unnatural,
sangutnary, and desperate recorded In the anrols
of ancient modern history, the masses of our
people have just begun to realize the s,ubborn
fact of its actual existence. Three months ago
the superficial! observer passing along our streets
W. uid have doubted the existence Of the dangers
by which we were threatened or would not have
credite The fact Of the sanguinary struggles which
| had ensued and were being enacted on our bor-
dcrs, and n the heart o. our country for the
! maintenance of The Confederate cause. Two dis
iinct classes seemed to have been formed
civil and military. The sole object of the former
class was devoted, with all the energies of soul
| aud body, To the one O,j"ct of money making,
iht rcby acquiring wealth and possessions regard
| less of the impending devastation and ruin which
Overhung and threatened To- enguf the millions of
dollars which had been accumulated (by spccula-
i0n foresiahng, cxtortion, &c.,) out of the mise
rics and woes of a devastated, beleagnered, and
| bleeding country. They seemed TO have learned
to look upon the latter class rs mere machinery
which would protect them until all of their ex-
tOrted spOiis We're gathered in, little dreaming that
the day of reckoning and retTibuiiOn which has
been for so long time and so often predicted by
the press was SO near at hand. But, alas :.
the ediet suddenly burst upon them, and Is
now the law of the land. Those golden visions OF
mountains Of accumulated wealth nrc scattered to
the four winds of heaven. They have been re
quired To dlsgOTge portion of their i'll gotten
Inu worse, Tar worse Inan all thfy
called to be component part Of that machinery
which has so long protected them. All now see
that the business of the country Is war, and the
sooner this fact ia realized the better ii Is for all
classes. There Enany which the recent
bills bear hard but 1t is fact, nov generally ad-
mitted, that these stringent measures were mat
ter of necessity. The operations of the military
bill appear to be impar,ially administered by the
enrolling officers in this section, cOnscriptfsg all
from the greatest to the least, except the few
who specially exempted in the military BILL
No plea save that of disability viii serve the un
lucky wight who happens to be between the age of
~ and 45, unless exempt as above indicated.
The meuicni bunrd seous date cd that tho
vice shall not want In numbers, for every man who
goes before them has TO undergo the most strict
and scrutiniZing examination imaginable. This
being the only channel Of escape ON service, the
applicants are much larger in proportion than they
have been at previous examinations.
The effect Of the currency bill on business, In
conjunction with the tax and military bills, has
been sudden, almost amounting to suspension
each man appears to be watching his neighbOr, and
all seem to be 1T a loss what course TO pursue,
though the operation of funding In Confederate
bonds has been exceedingly brisk. The advance in
prices of provisions Is without precedent, and few
are disposed TO sell at these advanced xates There
will doubt soon be great revulsiOn In trade. The
currency bill is regarded by all the best remedy
which could have been applied under the circuEi
stances, and have yet to hes the first dcnuncia-
ton OF il. The tax bill will bear hardest on the
people generally, but no grumbling is to be- heard,
all seem TO realize the truth of the prOverb, that
Hnecessity has no law.'' More anon. X.