Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-02-12
Plain Talk to Farmers.

Gen. Howell Cobb, in his late speech in
Atlanta, made the following powerful ap.
peal to the farmers of the country We
hope it will not be lost upon them.
"We must not only have an army, said
Gen. Cobb, but that army must be fed. -
The country must supply the provisions
and | take it for granted that every one
will say that the soldiers in the field should
have them. In the discussion of this
branch Of the subject + address myself to
my brother planters and producers and
being one of them feel at liberty to speak
freely and frankly. 1t is for the defence
of our property, our plantations, our pro-
duce, our everything that the army is in
the field. It must be protected by our own
army, or seized and destroyed by the army
of the enemy. Does any one hesitate in
deciding to whom his produce shall go?
Do yon prefer Yankee greenbacks to Con-
federate notes? If SO, / trust and pray
that YOU. produce, your grcenbacks and
yourself may perish in one common flame,
in the day and hour that your misery,
treacherous hearts shall have consigned YOU
to the tender mercies of Yankee dominion
-an event which I should not regret if it
could be unattended with injury to your
true and loyal neighbors. do not expect
or hope to reach the hearts of such men, If
there should be any such in our land, but
to true and loyal men | speak-to men
who love liberty more than property, and
who are prepared to make any and every
sacrifice which may be necessary to our
freedom and independence. To you, my
worthy countrytnen, come to-night to
present the claims of our brave soldier
boys, and from you look for an answer
worthy of Georgians and patriots. Our
duty, my friends is to let the government
have our corn and wheat, aud beef and ba-
con, for the army, and it is the duty of the
government to pay for it. fair aud reas-
enable price, if it is able to do so. With
that price, whatever it may be. we should
be satisfied. prescribe no rule by which
I am not willing to..be governed myself. |
inrend that the army shall have my sur
plus, and more, if necessary. If the gov
eminent can pay me fair price, well and
good; if it can pay only one half Of its
value, well and good; if one fourth, well
and good; if it can pay nothing, well and
good The soldiers Who ere defending my
property. my family. MY liberty, my all,
shall not suffer for the want Of provisions,
as long as I have bushel Of corn or a
pound of Heat Co serd them Ifitrequires
all our incorie to support the army, I say
with all my heart let it go. If in addition
it requires portion or all OF the principal
take it, for would rather live freeman
IN poverty's nut. than to Be surrounded in
wealth and luxury, and at last 60 down to
tie grave dishonoredsand disgraced man.
Csn it be. possible that earnest appeals are
now required to obtain from men, their
corn and meat, who have with a lavish
hand given to their country their sons and
brethren? What a spectacle Of disgraced
humanity does the man present, who at the
hrst call of his country came forward to Of
fer his noble boy to that country, to en-
counter all the diseases ofthe camp and he
dangers Of the battle field, but now hugs
With miser's grasp his corn and his ba-
con, when that same country calls or If he
feeds that son and his noble comrades Il
there is one character in our land more des-
picable than all others, it is the man who
loves his gold and his property more than
ne does the offspring of his own loihs and
the liberty Of his country. Whatever 9th
ers may 90, let not this history be written
of U.s.