Staunton Spectator

The Confederate States have three distinct classes of enemies, which the Memphis Appeal forcibly describes as follows. We think our home enemies are worse and more detestable than the Yankees themselves:--

1. The Government and people of the United States are our enemies. But they are open enemies. They meet us upon the field with arms in their hands, and make war upon us. They shoot down our soldiers, burn our houses, destroy our property, and steal our negroes. We know where to find and how to deal with such an enemy.

2. The second class of enemies are the croakers--the long faced men of faint hearts and weak nerves, who go up and down the country, seeking to impart their own despondency and cowardice to all with whom they come in contact.--Everything goes wrong, according to these Dismal Jemmies. The government is weak and negligent; our officers are lacking in skill; and the army is destitute of courage. If the government has done its duty, this or that thing would not have happened. If the officers had possessed a grain of foresight, they could have held this or that position against the enemy. Nothing is done right, according to these gentry, and everything goes wrong.

The enemy will certainly overrun the country; the Confederate government will fail; and we will all go to perdition together. If they only had charge of affairs, how smoothly and successfully everything would move. Arms would be procured immediately; an army would be improvised in the twinkling of an eye; and the enemy--McClellan, Buell, Halleck, and all--would be driven out of the country the first pleasant day that came. Napoleon would still be the "little corporal" by the side of these wonderful warriors--the mighty men of valor.--Weak of purpose, faint of heart, and cowardly in spirit, they would destroy the confidence of every body else and abandon every thing to the Federals. We would suggest to have petticoats put upon these miserable creatures, and curls hung about their craven foreheads, but for the insult we should thereby offer to our brave women.

3. The speculators and extortioners constitute the third class of enemies. These characters operate upon the necessities of the country.--They are interested in the war, insomuch as it enables them to make money. Beyond this, they care but little who wins or who loses.--They set no fixed price upon what they have to sell. Their price is all they can get. The purchaser may be a poor man, a needy woman, a destitute soldier, or the widow of some brave fellow who has fallen in battle with his feet to the foe. Still, if the extortioner can grind out of her five dollars per bushel for salt, he takes it; if ten dollars, he takes it; if a thousand dollars, still he would take it. As between him and a Lincolnite, we have infinitely more respect for the latter. The one is an open enemy, and meets you on the field; the other is a secret foe who takes advantage of your necessities, and seeks to undermine the cause by oppressing the people and sapping the foundations of our strength.

At a meeting held at the Court-house on Saturday last, with the view to the organization of a regiment or battalion of Free-Fighters for the defence of the Valley, BENJ. CRAWFORD was called to the Chair, and L. Waddell, Jr., appointed Secretary. The objects of the meeting were explained by Col. Kenton Harper in a few brief but highly patriotic remarks, who submit the following.

Plan of Organization:

1st. The object of this organization, which is to be composed of men not subject to military duty, is the defence of our rights and our homes, and is intended to co-operate with and form a part of the Army of the Shenandoah..

2d. While on duty it's all be governed by strict military rules. This is indispensable to its efficiency. As patriot soldiers, we consent to subject ourselves to personal restraints for the day that we may be free forever.

3d. The tender of our services at any time will be for a limited period, but we shall hold ourselves ready to respond promptly to any call of the General commanding to meet an exigency.

4th, The companies composing the command shall consist of not less than fifty, rank and file, with one Captain and three Lieutenants, and shall be mounted and armed in the most effective manner with rifles or muskets. Any number of men too infirm for regular duty may be attached as honorary members, with the privilege of fighting in the ranks.

5th, The drill shall be that of Light Troops of Skirmishers, the men to be dismounted for battle, and the horses used only to relieve the march, and to pass rapidly from point to point, as the necessities of the service may require.

This plan was unanimously approved; whereupon the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, That a committee of six be appointed for each magisterial district of the county, to enroll members of the organization and receive subscriptions in money, and provisions, and also the loan of arms and horses for the equipment of such as are not able to furnish themselves.

Resolved, That it be it recommended to the committees in the different districts to organize the members they may enroll into companies as rapidly as possible.

Resolved, That all monies subscribed by citizens too infirm to engage in the service, and others, together with all monies arising from fines imposed, shall be equitably distributed, by the Council of Administration, to be appointed by the commanding officer for the relief of such members as may need assistance, from sickness, or other cause, while in the service.

Resolved, That when the meeting adjourns it will adjourn to meet at this place on Saturday next (12th inst.,) at 2 o'clock.

Under the first resolution the following committees were appointed, and the meeting adjourned to meet again on Saturday next.

Staunton District No. 1--Henry Harrison, L. R. Waddell, C. C. Francisco, D. S. Young, Col. Wm. P. Tate, Col. Geo. Baylor, J. W. Be_, Capt. R. H. Phillips.

No. 2.--Jno. Trimble, Wm. A. Bell, Alex. Anderson, B. F. Points, Geo. W. Feller and Dr. W. B. Young.

Waynesboro'-- __ Bruce, Jno. B. Smith, W. W. King, Francis M. Finley, G. B. Stuart and H. L. Gallaher.

Fishersville--Col. F. McCue, John Hamilton, Col. S. B. Coyner, Phillip Schumucker, Col. D. S. Bell and Thos. Turk.

New Hope.--Jas. M. Stout, Dr. J. A. Waddell, Wm. Patterson, H. J. Crawford, Col. Samuel Finley and Geo. Mowry.

Mt. Sidney.--Kenton Harper, Robert Guy, Thos. P. Wilson, Capt. Jno. C. Webb, John C. McCue and Wm. Crawford.

Churchville--G. J. Hite, N. Hotchkiss, W. W. Montgomery, W. M. Dudley, Rev. D. W. Arnold, R. J. Glendy and Ken Craig.

Spring Hill.--John A. Patterson, Jacob Streekhise, D. Theopholis Gamole, U. D. Poe, Dr. Ro. Gamble and Wm. Howell.

Mt. Salon.--Col. J. M. McCue, Gen. Messersmith, J. G. Fulten, Richard H. Dudley, Hatch Clark, and Chesley Kenney.

Middlebrook.--Jacob Baylor, Dr. McChesney, Wm. Dunlap, David Baylor, Capt. David Martin, and James Buchanan.

Greenville.--John Newton, Jas. Bumgardner, Capt. Jas. Henry, Schuyler Bradley, Jas. Henderson and John Churchman.

B. Crawford, President.

L. Waddell, Jr., Sec.

A number of the citizens of Staunton, satisfied that the laws have been very inefficiently administered within the Corporation, during the last year, earnestly recommend to the voters the election of the following ticket. They have no complaint to urge against the old officers, except that their time has been so much occupied with other duties, that they could not attend to the proper regulation of the Corporation. The ticket proposed, is composed of men who are in no wise connected with the business of the Confederate States, and can therefore give the proper attention to municipal affairs.

Should this ticket be elected, it is confidently believed there will be no necessity for martial law, in Staunton, and there will be no repetition of the scenes of riot, drunkenness, disorder and crime, which have ben of such frequent occurrence in the last twelve months.

For Mayor--W. G. Sherrett.

Town Council--Wm. G. Campbell, George M. Cochran, A. D. Trotter, Wm. B. Keyser, Robt. G. Bickle, Charles T. Cochran, George Baylor, Alex. F. Kenney, John N. Hendren, David O. McGuffey, and B. J. Crawford.