Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-01-23

PIC WIZ NOT take tne DondS OF the confeder-
acy; that the currency, which was worth
ninety-ive cents to the dollar in 1861, and
| fifty cents in 1852, is now worth eight OF ten
cents, and will, according. to Mr.. Toombs'
pretty accurate calculation. be worth about
one cent to the dollar in 1864 that, in con-
sequence of the depreciation Of the currency,
his estimates have fallen short of the actual
expenditures by about fifty per cent that
there is no remedy for the evil; and. and to
borrow the language Of his admirw snd
apologist in the Enquirer, Whosoever is
not sorry for Mr.. Mcmminger is truly hard
hearted man."
Could anything exhibit SO wildly or forci-
bly, this miserable mockery of the Govern
ment of the so-called Confederate States," as
this financial exhibit of their Secretary of the
Treasury With his confederate scrip at
ninety per cent. discount and still sinking, an
other victory of the Union arms, East or
West. will at once bring with this tottering
financial fabric Of Davis, his whole establish
ment intp ruins; and oven without another
battle in the interval, the estimated fall Of Con-
federate scrip to ninety nine per cent. dis
count in 1864, will inevitably precipitate the
collapse Of the rebellion. The case is as clear
as the monday sun, from Memminger's con-
fessions and he does not tell one tenth part
of the suffering, desttution, bankruptcy and
exhaustion of the rebellious States.
A NEGRO WoMAN's STORY. - At Fort
Pickering, near Memphis, noticed num-
Der of soldiers of African descent upon guard,
and Chaplain Locke says that they obey
orders more implicitly than our white soldiers
seeming to know and perform their duty just
as they are instructed to. A few days since
woman came into the contraband camp at
Fort Pickering, and asked if she could be
given work. Chaplain Locke questioned her,
and in reply she said: -,
"Massa, I'm from Corinth, and my old
massa done gone away with the Secession
lists, and de white gemman dar tried to keep
me from comm, but, massa, wud come"
Noticing she had bundle concealed in her
bosom. he asked her what 1t was, and pulling
out dirty package, she opened it and dis
played to his eyes glittering pile of silver
and gold.
"How did you come by this" said the
Chaplain. thinking, perhaps, she had not
come by it honestly. te
Moses, me and my ole man knowed dar
would be trubble more dan six year ago, an
we worked and saved dis. for we knowed
what was comm. We heard de white folks
talk about de trubblc, and Use carried this
yere money in my buzum bid ever since dis
fghtin' begun"
"And so." said the chaplain, g. you know
these troubles"
"Ycs, Nfassa. and we've heard of de good
Massa Linkum's Proclamation to free us.
You see dc white folks at the house tell de
servants, and de servants tell de field hands,
and in dc night, when de obersecr is gwine
to bed, one OBJ US runs ober to de next plan
tation and tells de news to do people dar,
oberseer's call de next morning"
"But," said the chaplain, " are you not
afraid you'll be found out ]"
"Lord, no, Massa you see we'se got
secret society, wild signs, and we knows who
to trust. Dc good Lord is ON our side,
Massa, and we'l do anything for our free
DOM"
And this is how the proclamation is known,
and this is one of its effects. Slavery is no
more, and now the master will have to pay
for the tillage of his ground, and the labor
will be more cheerfully performed than here
tofore. The naval officers tell me they find
these contabands very willing to work, and
many duties which they can perform are
done well. They obey orders. and for fire.
men, coal beavers and ordinary laborious du;
ties of the sailors ON the Mississippi. they are
indispensable. Nearly every naval vessel in
the Mississippi squadron employs them, and
every ward-room has ito colored steward. A
new and happy day is dawnins for them
~ Y. Erenisg Post.