Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-12-03


as follows:
America has never seen al ADLER journalist,
more jealous philanthropist, a sincerer pa
trlot, more honest man, than HORACE GREE
LEY, whose loss the country mourns to-day"
Day Breaking Upon a Glorious Future
for Virginia and the South.
1t is not without due reflection upon, and
consideration of Its import and meaning, that we
head this article as above, nor do we doubt that
many will think it eZtravagant and not justified
by past events or our present political situation !;
for, In truth our Sunny South has borne enough
to make her people doubt and look with dis
trust upon prophets Of future prosperity and
greatness, but now is the time, of ell others,
what we should take our bearings, sum up what
we have accomplished since the war, and see
that the facts justify US in looking safely for
ward to in the future; and this We propose to
do, hoping to prove our heading not merely
the creation Of enthusiastic hopes. which cheer
but to delude, but glorious certainty, if we
do but exert the powers within us and act like
men worthy Of past, SO grandly heroic and
renowned.
Take briefly retrospective glance of our
condition at the surrender. Four years of the
bloodiest and most destructive warfare record
ed in History, had left Us truly in the depths
OF the dark valley and shadow Of wee and des-
olation. The fragments Of the ragged, starry
ed, but still undaunted Army of the Great
Lee, had surrendered to overwhelming
numbers and resources" There was woe, and
want, and sorrow, in every Southern State !;
and the Cry Of the widow and the orphan was
heard upon every hand The mother mourned
weeri0g as Rachel, fer her best and bravest
and would net be comforted because they were
not the gray haired father fell from his staff
for the support Of his old age had been laid as
burnt Offering" upon the altar of liberty,
and the widow and the orphan cried out In des-
pair, for the hands that had fed them lay cold
and stiff In death. Our brave boys returned
to ruined homesteads and blasted fields. track
ing their way with bleeding feet over the
scorched EARTH by the funeral mile-posis Of
burnt walls and lonely chimneys, to once hap
py homes, but where nov the enemy had
scarcely left one stone upon another, to tell
that there had once dwelt all that brave hearts
hold dear and precious On earth. None but
those who went through, and saw and felt that
terrible time, can realize the blackness and dark
nrss of cur situation. Business Of all kinds
was PROSTATE; provisions scarce; farm stock
destroyed CT stolen mills burned, railroads
wrecked and the slaves freed and put over us
The hand Of the Lord bore heavily upon His
people, and some, in their despair, even doubt
ed His goodness and mercy. Turn where you
would, all was the blackness of desolation, but
then it was that the same heroism which had
carried the Confederate through sickness, bat
tie, starvation and every privatiou, rose snpe-
rlor to circumstances, and exhibited to the
world the sublime spectacle Of the heroes in
war becoming the exemplars and saviors of
their people in socaIled peace. Blank and
hopeless as the future looked, ominous as we're
the clouds Of hate lowering ever us from the
North, our people did not waste time in use
less repinings over the inevitable, but, throw
ing OF their coats, ''whatever their hands
found to Go, they did it with all their might"
Men who had never worked before worked
then, and the blessing, which always acconpa-
MES the judgment, by the sweat Of thy
brow shalt thou live, ;" was theirs, for soon the
waste places were made glad with the joyful
sounds OF the Harvest Home )" burnt hous-
es, farms and mills we're rebuilt roads re-
paired. and the whole country despite the
petty tyranny and oppression, such as on, en-
Filtered enmity could contrive or use over a
brave and honorable, though fallen foe-as-
sumed aew appearance, ard its progress to
substantial, material prosperity became steady
and certain.
The taunting sluTs On the want Of energy
and Industry in the South by Northern scrib
lers, who never earned cent BY honest labor
have been fully answered By quiet, but steady
and persevering labor, which has ACCOMPLISHED
wonders under disadvantages such as no neople
ever had to encounter before. The men, who,
almost without arms or preparation, snatched
weapons and victory from the drilled and dis
ciplned millions CT tho North and the world ;
VINO followed Jackson and Lee, rivaiing all the
appliances OF steam and electricity in the celer-
lty OF their movements on foot, and supplied
the place OF numbers by sleepless activity and
vigilance, have not much to learn il the schools
OF energy and industry SO prated about By the
superclllous Northerner, and it is to them the
South owes the almost independent position
Sne no" occupies, 10 a material sense. and MT
10 outSide aio from any quarter Those ar,ons
us |ho despond and say Virginia and the Scrtb
will not move" are blind leaders IF the hl;,a
or, worse still, having eyes will not see. and are
not to be trusted Or listened to. L is trna