Franklin Repository

No man ever prospered in the world without the consent and co-operation of his wife. If she united in mutual endeavors or rewards his labors with an endearing smile, with what spirit and perseverance does he apply to his vocation; with what confidence will he resort either to his merchandise or farm; fly over land, sail over seas, meet difficulty and encounter danger--if he knows he is not spending his strength in vain, but that his labors will be rewarded by the sweets of home! How delightful it is to have one to cheer, and a companion to soothe the solitary hours of grief and pain! Solitude and disappointment enter into the history of every man's life; and he has but half provided for his voyage who finds but an associate for happy hours, while for his months of darkness and distress no sympathizing partner is prepared!

The present condition of those States that were actively engaged in the rebellion is in painful contrast with their conditions before the war. History affords but few instances of such total and complete destruction, wrought in such a marvellously short period. Had the contending armies addressed themselves to the work of destruction alone, without any other object in view, the work could hardly have been more thoroughly done. The rebellion swept over the south like a fierce tornado, with resistless force crushing everything before it, and leaving nothing in its track but the wreck of former greatness and prosperity. Before the war the South had attained a power she was unconscious of herself, and which we failed to appreciate. Measuring her progress by our own, we were accustomed to speak of her as lagging far behind in the race, never once reflecting that we were measuring her by the severest standard possible. In comparison with the progress made by the North, her's had undeniably been slow, but measured by the advance of other nations, it was rapid. In 1860 her population exceeded ten millions, and she counted her wealth by thousands of millions. Her prosperity in agriculture, in commerce, in art and in science, was only less remarkable than that of the Northern States.The unity of sentiment that prevailed among her people, added to her numerical force, gave her a political supremacy in the Union. She controlled the patronage of the government and dictated its policy. She exercised a monopoly in the culture of one of the most important articles in the markets of the world. She was protected in her interests and institutions by the Union and enjoyed all the benefits and privileges that flow from a mild and beneficent government.

In an evil hour, taking counsel from ambitious leaders and listening to their vain harrangues of prospective power and glory that were to be secured by independence, her people were beguiled from the path of duty. Imposed upon by the ingenious artifices of these same bold and reckless men, they were made to believe that the Union was a curse instead of a blessing, and, maddened by imaginary grievences, they rashly and wickedly struck at the parent of all their prosperity. With this act terminated their prosperity as States. The history of the South from that day to this is a story of fearful retribution. Four years of terrible war have made sad havoc throughout the broad land, and prostrated her proud people in the dust. On everything of interest or value the conflict has left indelible traces, and whatever it touched it blighted. Where but a short time ago there was busy life and thriving industry, there is now utter stagnation; where there was opulence and ease, their is now poverty and despair. Instead of enjoying the high advantages that flow from society well regulated, they are struggling with a sort of anarchy from which they can only escape by the friendly interposition of that power they defied, and which they sought to crush. Cities that were populous and growing into commercial importance have been made desolate, and in some instances almost blotted out of existence. Broad plantations, that were once the source of abundant wealth, no longer yield their rich fruits, but lie untilled. The best and bravest of her sons have fallen in the vain struggle and the land is filled with mourning. Her wealth has vanished and her starving thousands are being fed by the charity of the North. One wide belt of desolation and exhaustion stretches from the Potomac to the Gulf. Such has been the measure of her punishment. Who shall say that it is not just? They sowed the wind and have reaped their whirlwind in the grandest, bloodiest and most destructive war of modern times. The wretched condition of the South to-day is full of warning and instruction, but in her future their is excitement of well grounded hope. She starts now on a new era, released from the mighty incubus that pressed upon her and impeded her in her onward course. Her soil has been reclaimed from the deadly grasp of Slavery, and is now gladdened by the warm sunlight of universal liberty. The glow of that newly risen sun will impart srength and vigor, and as if by magic the waste places will again be made glad. Under its genial influence every thing will be quickened into a new life and her former prosperity return. By reason of her superior natural advantages, the South to-day ought to be far in advance of any other part of our country. In her climate, in her soil and the general configuration of the country, she posseses advantages, which would have rewarded ordinary thrift and energy with a wealth and power that would have been denied severest toil and boldest enterpreise in other sections. Her restoration to the Union and the adoption of the free labor system is the best possible assurance that in the future these will not be neglected, as they have been in the past. As soon as law and order have been established the great work of rehibilitation will commence, and in the near future we anticipate for her a measure of greatness that under the old order of things she never could have attained.

President Johnson issued an new amnesty proclamation on the 29th ult. The following persons are excepted from its benefits:--Civil or diplomatic officers, those who left judicial stations under the United States; all military or naval officers above the rank of colonel in the army or lieutenant in the navy; all who resigned commissions in the army or navy of the United States to aid rebellion; all engaged in ill-treating our prisoners; all who are absent from the United States to aid the rebellion; all rebel military or naval officers who were educated at West Point or the Naval Academy; all Governors of insurrectionary States; all northerners who went south to aid the rebellion; all persons who have been pirating our commerce or raiding from Canada; all who have taken the oath of allegiance and violated it; all persons who have voluntarily taken part in the rebellion whose taxable property is over $20,000, and all who have taken the oath of emnesty of Dec 8, 1863, and not maintained it inviolate.

VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAH-- A letter written from Winchester, Va., says: The valley begins to look up, under the speedy prospect of peace. The farmer has returned to his plow, and the many broken fields--fields which have been red with the blood of both patriots and traitors--testify to his earnestness in trying to redeem his neglected lands, and have them bring as plentiful a harvest as they did before the war's alarm broke on his ear. The removal of all restrictions on trade in Virginia by Secretary McCulloch was hailed with joy by the citizens of the valley. Trains are leaving here daily for Strasburg, Woodstock, Mt. Jackson, New Market, Harrisonburg and Staunton, laden with dry goods, &c., and everything else desirable to a people who have been deprived of even the necessaries of life for the last four years. These goods are mostly the property of Northern capitalists, who expect to receive fabulous amounts for their goods, and that in gold and silver, which these people seem to have in great abundance, which they have held fast to throughout the war, knowing that specie would be worth its value, whether the rebellion succeeded or not.