Staunton Vindicator

CAIRO, November 23.-A well-known citizen of Mississippi, in whose statements we place the utmost confidence, informs us that some time since the citizens of Ripley, Mississippi, were led to believe from certain movements of the negroes, in that vicinity, that something unusual was going on. Negroes were discovered making mysterious [UNCLEAR] to La Grange, and returning frequently.

The aroused suspicion, and the designs of the negroes. They accordingly held a meeting and appointed two of the number detectives. The citizens to whom the duty of discovering the plans of the negroes had been intrusted, performed their duty well, and obtained the information they desired. They dressed themselves in Federal uniforms, ingratiated themselves into the confidence of the negroes who appeared to be the leaders in the mysterious movement, ascertained that a conspiracy had been organized among the blacks, extending from the Mississippi river to South Carolina, and that an insurrection was contemplated about Christmas.

The plans of the negroes were being rapidly consummated, and had they not been discovered, would undoubtedly have resulted in the horror of San Domingo and Jamaica in the Southern States. Four of the ringleaders have been arrested, two of whom have made confession, and divulged information which led to the capture of the arms and ammunition of the conspirators. Great excitement prevailed for a time. A feeling of security has been created by the fact that prompt measures have been taken to nip in the bud any future attempts of the insurrectionists.

In times gone by it was the custom of Virginia's most gifted sons to seek preferment in the political arena in which they shone with no unworthy or borrowed lustre. Indeed, so illustrious were they that Virginia was honored generally, with the title of "The mother of States and Statesmen."

A bloody struggle for four years has ended in the overthrow of the cause, for the success of which, Virginia had cast her lot with her Southern sisters for weal or woe.--On this account the "Mother of States" is not likely, for a greater or less time, to be accorded the privilege of sitting in council with her off-spring, and dictating from the mouths of honored representatives the proper course to pursue, or drawing from the industry pages of the past, the wholesome words and patriotic advice of her departed sages to guide them in the future conduct of the noble nation, in founding which some of her best blood was spilled, and which, conducted on the principles emanating from our greatest Statesmen, sons of her soil, and thoroughly imbued with her conservative teachings had taken a foremost position among the nations of the earth. This being the case, would it not be well for those, whose ancestry have gained so much of fame for the noble Old Commonwealth in the past, to endeavor to preserve the position to which Virginia has attained, by making her existence felt, if her voice should not be desired in the councils of the nation. There is much to be done. Necessity has never demanded of her a full exposition of her dormant talents.--'Tis true in the councils of the nation she exhibited some of the strength of her mind and in the minor struggles of the nation showed that she had sons capable of wielding the sword, with an ability not dimmed in comparison with those who wielded that powerful weapon, the pen. Circumstances called them forth. So in the late struggle through which we have passed, far exceeding the significance any contest in the Western Hemisphere, and perhaps in the world, she was not found lacking in that material which makes the hero and the chieftain. Not pretending to cast a shadow over the bright fame, and exceeding talents of many who have spring from the loins of other States, but simply to illustrate our point, we believe we are right in asserting that Virginia has produced the brightest military geniuses of the 19th century. Lee, Jackson, Johnston, and countless others, might not have taken the place of a Jefferson, Henry, Madison, Monroe, Randolph and many others, who have made great the name of Virginia in Legislative halls.--Circumstances did not call them to the forum but to the field, and fame has wreathed equally as bright chaplets for them, and Virginia has been proven equally great in council or in war. Possibly to be denied the exercise of her talents in the former, and there being no necessity for display of her genius for the latter, it illy becomes her to remain idle when her future greatness and prosperity demands at her hands the display of a different sort of genius. During the existence of war, when blockaded on all sides. Virginia was not excelled by any of her sister States in her talent for production, nay she exhibited a wonderful degree of talent in this line. The Virginia of to-day is not the Virginia of the past. Imperative necessity compels her to develop her resources. She must do this if she desires to occupy, or even approximate to, her former position among the States.--No outside talent is necessary, if Virginians will but essay it. Besides, the, so to say, untravelled fields of Literature, Science and Art beckon the way to those whose talents lie in that direction. There is a necessity now for the display of a vast diversity of talent. The future of our beloved old Dominion will be great, if her sons put forth proper efforts. Will they show themselves less able to secure a brilliant future for our dear old mother, than they have been to achieve success in Legislation and on the field of conflict? We trust and believe not. Up Virginians duty beckons onward.

Our contemporary of the Charlottesville chronicle, in noticing the improvements going on in Random Row and Cow Street, concludes that Charlottesville has become a city and enumerates the many things which she possesses, to show that his conclusion is not without a sound premise. We could forgive all this, for people do not generally like to decry the place of their nativity, on the contrary, endeavor to create the impression that it is as large in reality as pictured in their imagination. This would be our conclusion but for the fact that, in all his endeavors to create the impression that Charlottesville is a great place, he exhibits his envy of our thriving city. He gets angry if Staunton brain originates a National Express Company and Staunton brain is called upon to manage it, because Charlottesville hasn't brain enough to do such things. And when black eyed peas give out, and some one, in order to get a little pocket change, sends in a quart of milk in a creaking old one horse wagon, with rope gears, on a rickety old wagon, with rope gears, or a rickety old omnibus, dubbed the "Fairy," for the same reason, plies "steady" as two poor, forlorn looking shadows, of what were horses once upon a time are compelled to draw it between the Hamlet and University, without a single passenger for a day at a time, he cries out "poor Staunton." "We feel particularly sorry for Staunton &c., &c." We know that envy is at the bottom of it all.--He sees and appreciates the progress Staunton is making and his desire to live in a place equal to Staunton, has made him imagine Charlottesville is actually a city. We are forced to agree with our devil and he has "Staunton on the brain." And if he does not improve shortly, we would advise his friends to send him over here, for Staunton [UNCLEAR] institution where they cure all such.

It would really seem that the very Pandora's box of crime had been opened in the land. It needs but a glance at the headings of the New York Papers to tell of the frightful carnival of crime there. In the Puritan city of Boston crime is so rampant that the Courier of that city calls for a vigilance committee as the only remedy. Unless the New Orleans, St. Louis, Nashville, Memphis, and other Western journals, greatly exaggerate, crime of every description there is fearfully on the increase. In New Orleans, the murders are said to average about one per day, and the other cities mentioned present a record not much, if anything, better. Despairing of protection from the ordinary processes of law, the citizens are threatening to be themselves the ministers of justice. In Nashville, no man dares to go into the street after dark unless he be armed. Garrotters and robbers hang about the corners, and for every one that is arrested, a dozen escape. In Memphis things are quite as bad. Much of this fearful depravity is due the laxity with which justice is administered throughout the country. Thoughtful people are beginning to enquire where all this is to end.-Washington Star.

Two negro men confined in the County Jail, on charges of murder and horse-stealing respectively, attempted to escape on Monday night, last. One hand succeeded in removing his shackles, and would probably have escaped but for an interlacing of iron bars in the chimney, the existence of which, up to the time of the attempt, was unknown to him.

New counterfeit ten dollar greenback legal tender notes have recently been put in circulation. The notes are dated Washington, March 10, 1862, letter C. The red seal is badly executed, as is also the border of the note, which is made up of repetitions of the letter X, irregularly put together. The general appearance of the bill is bad.

At a meeting of the Staunton Bar, held at the Court House, on Friday the 1st day of December, 1865, David Fultz, Esq., was called to the Chair, and Alex B. Cochran, appointed Secretary, and thereupon Hugh W. Sheffey, submitted the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

1. Resolved, That the members of this bar have heard, with sincere sorrow, of the death of one of their brethren, Chapman Johnson, Esq., who departed this life on Wednesday, November, 29th, 1865, in the 61st year of his age.

2. Resolved. That in the death of Chapman Johnson this Bar has suffered the loss of an honorable man, a genial friend, and a practitioner of the profession distinguished for fairness, courtesy and exalted integrity. Society has lost a trustworthy, conservative and honored citizen, often charged with public trusts of high responsibilities, the duties of which he fulfilled with ability and distinguished fidelity, and his family, a relative whose heart was full of kindly affection and a stranger to bitterness and every tinge of uncharitableness.

8 Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the family of our deceased brother, and that the County Court be requested to enter the same on the minutes of the Court.

On motion the meeting adjourned.

DAVID FULTZ, Chairman.

A. B. COCHRAN, Secretary.

On motion of Hugh W. Sheffy, the above resolutions were ordered to be entered on the minutes of the Court.

Copy Teste,

WM. A. BURNETT, Clerk.