Year: 1864

Of fge 4olitisal, gotia
CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY
MURDER OF THEIR NEGRO GUIDE BY THE


RAIDERS.


There now remains no doubt of the bar.
barous atrocity of the Yankee raiders in
the murder Of an inofensive negro, who
was captured near the Rapidan. The vic.
tim of their brutal wrath was boy named
Martin, the propertyof Mr.. David Mems,
Of Goochland. It appears that the negro
was impressed as a pilot, and had informed
the Yankees that they could cross the river
attitudes ferry, aboutswo miles from Dover
Mills. The river was, however, fuller than
usual, although it is very probable that the
negro advised the raiders according to the
best of his information. For no other Of
fence than the imaginary one of misleading
the enemy, the negro was hung to tree,
where his dead body was found few hours
after life was extinct. s-'1 49, ~


It4is now quite certain that the Yankees
intended to cross the river 80 as to attack
the city from the south side and disconcert
our defence by the various directions of
their attack. They were, however, disap-
pointed in their attempts to cross the river,
and left no other recourse than to cut their
way through to Fitzpatrick. The wagon
train which accompanied them was loaded
with arms and equipments and tits con.
jectured that these were provided for.the
prisoners, whose release from Belle Isle was
undoubtedly one object of the excursion.


The only damage done to the canal was
tie destruction Of the wooden part Of the
aqueduct at Dover mills A few hundred
dollars will repair it.


- Our Money.


The Immediate effect of the Currency
Bill, says. the Richmond Eraminer, seems
to have taken tbeT mass of the people by
surprise Prices have risen instead of go-
Ing down, and Confederate money, which
is now really worth more than ever, is .lav-
ished more profusely than ever on articles
of luxury, as we'll as Of prime necessity
Sober and rejecting men are not carried
away by. the panic; they look with compla-
cency on the last agonies Of the financial
nightmare, and await with calmness the ar.
rival of All FOOLS Day, which will termi-.
nate this Feast of Unreason. But sober
and rejecting men. constitute very small
portion of any community. and knowing
this, merchane and producers generally
have advanced their prices, partly to meet
obligations, which fall due after the first Of
April, and which must be discharged in
better currency, partly from the very natu-
raj desire to make as much as they can be-,
fore the withdrawal ofthe present issues
HoWever, some business men who were
bold enough SO loag as the advancing tide
of the currency was bearing them on to an
apparent fortune, bewildered by the change,
have suspended operations altogether, and
hold on to their wares with tenacity which
may be ftly compared to the desperate en-
brace with which the pedant, in the old
jest book, clung to. the sheet-anchor Of the
foundering vessel. When the crisis is over,
many of them will have sunk to the bottom
below the "full fathom fve"-beyond the
reach of any speculative drug. owe will
now wait and see how the scheme. will
work." is the cry Of many, but the scheme
will work SO rapidly that while they are
waiting they will be overwhelmed by the
ruin which they arc seeking to avoid BY
keeping quiet. - -


A very large proportion of the present
currency is ID the form Of one hundred
dollar notes ;sand these notes must be fdn-
ded. Phey cannet be exchanged, like the
Others, at the rate of three for. two Of the
new issue, and as they are subjectto hea-
Wy additional imposition if kept back until
afterthe first of April, it is fair to presume.
that the great bulk of them will have dis
by that time. OF the remaining
notes, goodly number will be used in the
payment & taxes, by small property hold.
ers, and even if all the rest are converted
into the new currency, the circulation will
shrink to reasonable compass, and within
that compass it can and must be kept!


For while there may be suspicious that
Mr.. Memmiuger's press will have grand
Avatar, and that after the crash of the COM
ing spring it will be possible to repeat the
old process of borrowing bad money, pay.
ing worse, and pocketing the difference,
but the severity Of the Tax Bill will dispel
the fond illusion, Henceforward We are to
pay as we 60, and if new, enactments are
necessary we shall have them. The first
Tax Bill was thought to be trenchant e.
nough !; but no one had any conception how
deeply itwould cut until it was put into
operation. And now, close on its heels,
we have second cupping machine, which
will still further -deplete our plethoric sys-
tenn. Whatever may the hardship or even
injustice of these laws in individual cases,
our new plan of taxation is admirable from
moral point of view. 1t is virtually
disgorging ordinance. Every man who has
speculated, whether in self-defenee or not,
has contributed to the monetary confusion,
and must pay the penalty. Those who have