Staunton Vindicator

With the changes in affairs, since the cessation of hostilities, the sentiments and policy of many have undergone changes, and the desire never to see the "Old Dominion" turn her attention to Manufactures, for fear that it might depreciate the value of her slave property or do away with the institution of slavery, must give way before the march of events.

Virginia is fitted by nature to take a stand among the first Manufacturing communities in the world. She is supplied with an immensity of water power, a vast and varied assortment of metals and minerals of the finest quality, a soil which can furnish productions more than sufficient to sustain the immense labor which would be necessary to develop and manufacture the abundant materials buried beneath it, and is blessed with one of the most pleasant and salubrious climates in the world. All these taken together give her the pre-eminance over any of her sister States, in material and facilities for becoming the great manufacturing State of the Union. With no drawback now, incident to the slavery question, to prevent the full development of her manufacturing resources, it is the duty of the hour to look forward to and help her reach an advance step in that direction.

Virginia can compete with New England for the supremacy in this and she must do it. In fact it is the only sure way left her to keep pace with the progress of the other States of the Union, and at the same time retrieve her losses.

With the desire to advance the manufacturing interests of our State there must also be kept in view, as the initiatory step, the increase and improvement of her systems of intercommunication. It has been the fate of nearly all her works of internal improvement to start out for some point they never reach. Whether it is inability, or want of energy, or what not, it is nevertheless true that they stop short of their projected destinations, for an unwarrantable length of time, and consequently but few, if any, of them pay anything. Their stock is dreadfully below par and all from the old fogy inertia which seems heretofore to have possessed the people of our State. Oh! for a live coal to put upon the back of the terrapin Virginia.

Although we desire to see the rapid advancement of all our systems of intercommunication, yet we confess to feeling a greater interest in those nearest us. Especially would we like to see the Virginia Central Rail Road extended to the Ohio River. Then ho! for a double track and many a branch road to bring in the rich deposits west of this point to be manufactured at home, and a big city at the other end, really entitled to be called Richmo(u)nd (or mont,) which, by the immensity of its trade, will rival the queen cities of the East.

With the improvement and extension of all her lines of trade, the development of her resources and the advancement of her manufacturing interests, will come the golden opportunity for the poor, unfortunate Virginia of to-day to amass many times more wealth than she has lost in her devastation and her slaves, and then for the glory of seeing New England, her successful rival of to day, by her overwhelming resources for war, but second best in the great race for supremacy in manufactures, by Virginia's overwhelming facilities in that line fully developed.

Affairs are tending to order and quiet and as their first fruits, the institutions of learning, so long closed, or impeded in their course, by the protracted struggle thro' which we have passed, are, generally, advertising an early resumption. The education of the youth of the country has been unavoidably neglected, but the opportunity is now offered to make whatever amends is possible, for the loss of four of the best years, to many, for cultivating their minds and acquiring knowledge.

Scarcity of money should not be pleaded in this case. Teachers need food, raiment and other things, which Farmers, Merchants and Mechanics can furnish. If the money must, in some cases, be paid for tuition, surely the amount, thus devoted for educating the youth, is not thrown away. It is giving them a fortune which can not be lost, squandered, stolen or destroyed--it is the best legacy the parent can bequeath to the child.

Virginia is endeavoring to resume her place in the Union. She must be represented in its Legislative Halls hereafter as heretofore. She has, thus far, furnished a vast array of intellect to the councils of the Country. The "Mother of Statesmen" must still furnish her quota. If education is not impeded she will. We, therefore, say to all, educate the youth--fill up the Schools and Colleges, and Virginia will, as of yore, "when asked for her jewels, point to her sons."

FREDERICK SCHEFFER ESQ., of this place was swindled a short time since out of goods and money to the amount of $325, in the following manner:

A man by the name of Kuhn presented himself to Mr. Scheffer and exhibited to him a letter purporting to be from the Prussian Consul at New York, stating that he held in his hands $1500 in money which had been sent him from Germany, subject to a deduction of $25 for commission.

He furthermore stated that he had been referred to him by their mutual friend Mr. Cunard as a responsible party who would attend to the collection of the same. Mr. Scheffer not desiring a commission of that sort, turned him over to Messrs Sheffey & Allan (Bankers in our town) who undertook the collection for him.

The matter as to the money being now settled, he said he was advised by Mr. Cunard to consult with Mr. Scheffer as to the propriety of locating in Staunton, and what sort of business would pay best. Mr. Scheffer having learned from him that he was a Cabinet Maker, advised him to buy material and furniture, and go to work at that business, to which he readily assented.

In the meantime he proposed to purchase some goods to sell, in order to employ his time, until he could receive his money. To this proposition Mr. Scheffer (believing all things right) readily consented and furnished him with the amount of goods stated above. He left with the goods, telling Mr. Scheffer that he was going to dispose of them in the neighborhood of Conrad's Store in Rockingham County. A day or two after he left Messrs Allan and Sheffey informed Mr. Scheffer that they had just received a letter from New York advising them, that the letter of the Prussian Consul was a base forgery, and that there was no money in the hands of the Prussian Consul for Kuhn.

Mr. Scheffer started immediately in pursuit of the scoundrel, and learned at Harrisonburg that instead of going to Conrad's Store, he went direct to Winchester.

From the Winchester News we learn that Mr. Scheffer placed the case in the hands of detective Burnet, who not only succeeded in recovering the goods, but in tracking the swindler to Philadelphia, where he was arrested and returned to that place, and is now in durance vile. Mr. Burnett deserves much credit for the manner in which he proceeded in this affair.