Year: 1864

that even at this late day, the traitor stands out
fully revealed and exposed. He, can deceive no
true Conservative hereafter.


Gov. Smiths Message. i
We publish below some extracts from the recent
message Of the Governor Of Virginia. in relation to
the employment of slaves as soldiers, and also, rs.
sailing the Courts and Bar of the country. SCI
It will be seen that Gov Smith recommends the
employment of slaves as soldiers, and he does this
to escape subjugation. The recommendation is a
confession of subjugation. In.the language of Mr..
Phillips of Orange, "if the Southern s0hite man
cannot obtain independence in the employment of
constitutional methods of vindicatng that ndepen-
dence"-and, we may add, by his own valor on the
field of battle-then it is because Heaven has de-
MED to him the boom" President Lincoln adopts
one course to emancipate our slaves, and Gov.
Smith recommends another mode which would lead
to the same result Extremes have met The enemies
and the friends of slavery vieng with each other
in the work of destroying the institution. The
greatest and most fatal blow ever received by the
institution slavery was given by the cotton States
when, for no good sufficient cause, they seeded
from the Union. The same men who gave that
blow are still in power and if the institution should
be cut up and destroyed, as we very much fear it
will BE- it destruction will be justly chargeable, in
great degree, to its peculiar friends and cham
pions The abolitionsts of the North are primarily
responsible for the destruction Of the institution
but they would never have been able to accomplish
the result without the active cooperation of the
abolitionists of the South. The two extremes have
played into each others hands for years, and the
result of this game of fanaticsm on one side and
unchastened ambition on the other, is before us -
The Conservative men of the two sections are
blamelrss in all this matter. They are not justly
answerable to God or man for any of the caamities
now upon u.s.


Gov Smith misrepresents the Courts Of this State
when he says they have claimed the right to decide
who shall be exempted from service. Our Judges
have expressly said that the matter of exemptions
belongs to the Legislature.


The following extracts show what Destructive
is Gov. Smith may be regarded as pattern by
which all other Destructves should be moulded.
If any of our readers should be asked, who or what
is Destructive! let them point 70 these extracts
and to their author, Gov. Smith, of Virginia -
:: "When this war began, it was confidently be-
eved by our enemy that it would be of short dura-
ton Relying upon his vast superiority in numbers
and material of war, he expected to overrun us
with facility and ease. But the result of single
years operations corrected this expectation, and
impressed him with the conclusion that he had on
hand contest Of great magnitude-full of danger
: and difficulty. Having soon exhausted his floating
population he openly recruited his armies on the
continent of Europe. Not satisfied with this, he
seized our slaves, and in violation of all civilized
war; armed them against US. Under every dsad-
vantage the war has been protracted deep into its
fourth year, and we find ourselves looking around
for material to enlarge our armies Whence is it to
come? The laws of natural accretion will not
furnish sufficient supply Of men. Foreign coun-
tries are, in effect, closed against US. Recruiting
from the prisoners we capture will not, except to
limited extent supply our wants: and the public
attention naturally turns to our own slaves as
ready and abundant stock from which to draw
This policy, however, has given rise to great diver
sty of opinion. Some consider it as giving up the
institution of slavery. Others declare that to put
our slaves in the ranks will drive our fellow citizens
from them and diffuse dissatisfaction throughout
the country. In reply, it is said that this policy
will effectuay silence the clamor of the poor men
about this being the rich mans war; that there is
no purpose to mingle the two races in the same
ranks, and that there cannot be reasonable obec:
tion to fighting the enemy's negroes with our own
that to abandonment of slavery, it is already
proclaimed to be at an end by the enemy, and will
undoubtedly be so if we are subjugated, and that





. chance of preserving it.


This is grave and important question, aud full
of difficulty. All agree in the propriety of using
our slaves in the menial employments of the
army, and as sappers and miners and pioneers but
much diversity exists as to the propriety of using
them soldiers now All agree that when the
question becomes one of liberty and independence
on the one hand, subjugation on the other, that
every means within our reach should be used to aid
in our struggle, and to battle and thwart our enemy
[ say every man will agree to this; no man would
hesitate. Even if the result were to emancipate
our slaves, there is not man that would not cheer
fully put the negro into the army rather than be-
come slave himself to our hated and vindictive
foe. 1t is, then, simply question of time. Has
the time arrived when the issue is airy.before US
Is it, indeed, liberty and independence or subjuga.
ton, which is presented to US? A man must be
blind to current events-to the gigantic proportions
of this war-tO the proclamations of the enemy
who does not that the issue above referred to is
presented noo. Ard, I repeat the only question is,
has the time arrived? Are we able, beyond ques-
tlon, to wage successful war against power three
times our own in numbers, with all Europe from
which to recruit, and who unhesitatingly put arms
in the hands of our own negroes for our destruc-
tion will not say, that under the Providence of
God, We may not be able to triumph, but do say
that we should not, from any mawkish sensibility,
refuse any means within our reach which will tend
to enable us to work out our deliverance. For my
part, standing before God and my country, do not
hesitate to say that would such portion of our
able bodied slave population as may be necessary,
and put them in the field, so as to have them ready
for the spring campaign, if it resulted IN the
freedom Of those thus organized Will Lot en-
ploy them to fight the negro force Of the enemy?
aye, the Yankees themselves, who already boast
that they have two hundred thousand of our slaves
in arms against us :? Can. we hssitate-can we
doubt-when the question is, whether our enemy
shall use our slaves against US, or we use them'
against him-when the question may be between
liberty and Independence on the one hand, or our