Staunton Vindicator

On Monday last, Court-day, Messrs. Stuart and Baldwin, members of the committee of nine, addressed a large meeting of the people of Augusta, explaining the result of the labors of the committee, in Washington. We took full notes on the speeches of these gentlemen, but from their length we have not the space to publish them. They report in substance, that they have a prospect of having the Undewood constitution amended by striking out the Test-oath and Disfranchisement, County -organization, Homestead and Church property clauses and in that condition to be presented for the adoption of our people. This we take occasion to repeat is only a prospect, which they account for by saying that the new movement is only in process and until something is accomplished there can be nothing but a prospect of success. This we readily grant the gentlemen and, while we accord them the best motives in all they have done, yet we are compelled to believe they are building their hopes on promises never to be realized. They complain hugely that, having obtained the promise of relief from four out of five very objectionable features of the Underwood constitution, their labors do not meet with the assent of all our people. We submit that to accord the committee of nine more than a patriotic motive at this stage of their labors was not to have been expected.

It was the purpose of those opposed to the new movement to hear Messrs. Stuart and Baldwin patiently and silently. This was prevented by the offering of a resolution, which virtually committed our people to an endorsation of the new movement. J. Marshall Hanger, Esq., objecting to the question being taken on the resolution until those opposed to the new movement could be heard, Cols. Christian and Skinner were loudly called for and responded in able speeches, not only opposing the resolution as ill-timed and ill advised, but successfully refuting the reasons given by Messrs. Stuart and Baldwin why our people should endorse the new movement. During the remarks of Col. Skinner the resolution was withdrawn, leaving the subject just where it should be at present. At the conclusion of Col. Skinner's speech Gen. Echols made a few remarks eulogizing the pure motives and patriotism of Messrs. Stuart and Baldwin, in the course they pursued, a subject which seemed not to be mooted by even the most ardent opposer of the new movement.

This, as concisely as we can state it, was the result of the meeting on Monday, and unless some positive good results, can be shown, which will far out-weigh the objectionable features still retained in the Underwood constitution, according to the programme of the committee of nine, the same result will attend all similar efforts.

We still incline to the belief that the committee will not be able to accomplish anything, but should they secure what they declare has been promised, we can only say so far, so good--but in our opinion this does not go far enough.

In the language of another, "the committee have not asked that any qualification for holding office shall be inserted in the Constitution, thus leaving all negroes eligible to office; nor have they asked that any qualification for jurors shall be inserted in that instrument--thus leaving the very fountains of justice exposed to corruption and defilement: nor have they asked any modification of the 20th section of the Bill of Rights, which reads, "That all citizens of the State are hereby declared to possess equal civil and political rights and public privileges;" nor have they asked any modification of article nine touching the Militia, which does not provide for separate organizations of the whites and blacks; nor have they asked for an additional section to article eight, requiring that there shall be separate public schools for the two races in the State; nor have they asked any correction of the iniquitous gerrymander of article five whereby the negroes secure a majority of twenty-one in the Legislature; nor have they asked any modification of the article on Taxation, which throws the entire burden of taxation on the whites."

Such features retained in the Underwood Constitution, going a bow-shot beyond that instrument, in binding ourselves never to change or amend the constitution on the question of suffrage, makes the labors of the committee, if every point asked by them were granted, so exceedingly unpalatable, that we do not believe they will be accepted by those even who are most ready to sacrifice right and principles on the altar of expediency.

No! the sentiments of a large majority of our people will be those expressed in the following extract from the address of Mr. Stuart, before a large and enthusiastic meeting in our Court-house, in June 1866:

"We have been overwhelmed, but we have not yet been degraded. That can be inflicted only with our own consent, and that consent never will be given. Our rights may be ravished from us by violence but we will never agree that Virginia shall be placed in the position of a political prostitute by giving consent to her own degradation and dishonor."

The position held by this county as a producer of grain, as shown in a former article, would lead to the conclusion that the manufacturing establishments for the conversion of these cereals into flour and meal would hold an important place among those there in operation--and we find that 62 of the 197 in the county were devoted to these purposes, having an invested capital of $287,000, working up raw material worth $391,000; employing 89 hands at a cost of $23,280, and producing $462,255 worth of flour and meal. In the number of its flouring mills, Augusta is by far the first county in the State--Henrico, alone, had more money invested in flouring mills, the extensive establishments in Richmond, unsurpassed in the United States, swelling its total.

Next in point of numbers were the twenty-two lumbering establishments, costing $39,562, using $17,505 worth of timber, employing forty-eight men for $11,220, and furnishing $40,024 worth of lumber, nearly all of it for home consumption. Frederick had twenty-six saw mills, but only produced about half as much lumber, and at a greater proportionate cost; Halifax, with sixteen mills, had more invested, and produced more at less cost; Rockbridge had forty-three, had less invested, and produced more, a result easily accounted for when we remember that she has the advantage of water transportation, by canal, to market; Washington county had forty-five mills, but only about the same amount of production.

The 18 distilleries of the county had $87,458 invested, used raw material worth $58,339, employed 37 men at $9,108, and manufactured $120,777 worth of liquor.--Rockbridge had 20 establishments but only $17,025 invested, using not half the raw material or producing half as much for market; one establishment in Henrico had more invested and produced more, and one in Ohio county, now in West Virginia, produced more. Its 17 blacksmithing establishments produced $21,676; its 12 tanyards, with $29,300 invested, used $21,805 worth of raw material, employed 29 men at a cost of $7,668 and produced $33,647 worth of leather, more than was produced in any other county now in the State, although Rockingham had 2 more tanyards and had more money invested in the business; the counties of Marion, Preston, Harrison and Hampshire, now in West Virginia, were more extensively engaged in this branch of manufacture from circumstances easily explained.

The establishments for the manufacture of boots and shoes were 7, yielding $21,530: 6 for confectioneries; 5 for making carriages, paying out $19,630 for material and labor, and producing $30,700 worth for sale; 5 for cooperage; 4 for saddlery and harness; 4 for wool-carding, consuming $5,000 worth of wool; 3 for making threshing machines, producing $9,300 worth; 3 for making cigars, producing $10,850; 3 for millinery; 3 for grinding plaster, using $11,960 of raw material and making it worth $13,800; 3 for making wagons and carts; 2 for dental manufacture, producing $2,900; 2 for iron castings, making $3,830 of raw material worth $10,000; 2 for tin, copper and sheet-iron ware; 2 for woolen goods, consuming $20,850 in value of wool and turning out $33,000 worth of goods; 1 establishment for making men's clothing; 1 bakery; 1 cabinet shop; 1 gas works; 1 hat making establishment; 1 for making bar iron, using $2,000 worth of material and making $5,000 worth of the manufactured article; 1 furnace for pig iron, with $17,000 invested, and a production of $16,000; 1 manganese mine, yielding $5,250; 1 marble factory; 1 paper mill that, with 11 hands, at a cost of $3,000, converted $10,000 worth of raw material into $18,000 worth of printing paper; 1 photograph establishment, and 1 pottery that, on $200 of investment, cost of raw material and labor, produced $12,000. These make the 197 manufactories in the county in 1860, with $639,000 invested in them, using raw material worth $615,546; employing 471 males and 31 females, at $129,114 for wages and yielding products valued at $915,713.

In the number of establishments, Henrico with its 320, and Rockbridge with its 220, only surpassed it--the one including the manufacturing city of Richmond the other the numerous blacksmith shops and saw mills that produced but little; in capital invested, the cost of material and value of production it was only surpassed by the tobacco manufacturing counties of Henrico, Campbell, Dinwiddie and Pittsylvania, the coal and cotton of Chesterfield, in Virginia, the iron and glass of Ohio, and the salt of Kanawha, in West Virginia. Rockbridge yielded more from the large value of its cement.

These are the facts of 1860--instructive, in showing what had been done to bring the loom and anvil to the land of the plow-share, but far more instructive and useful we hope they will prove when we point out the undeveloped resources, the unused raw materials, that will repay the augmentation, more than a hundred-fold, of manufacturing establishments. Many of those in operation in 1860 were burned during the war, but they are more in number now than then, with more capital invested, using more raw material and producing far more--in many things several hundred per cent., for market. The county has added to its industries the manufacture of "Rockingham" ware and fire-brick from its native kaolin; of number from its own deposits; of improved pig iron, almost as valuable as steel for many purposes, from its own ores, found in the natural state fitted for the process of manufacture; of agricultural implements and machinery, that are finding purchasers even beyond the borders of the State on account of the quality of their material and workmanship; and the opening of valuable quarries of marble, whose products are the demand of fashion in the metropolitan cities; its flour, from its new and improved mills, has attracted purchasers from the city of New York, and secured the patronage of the government. The exhibit of the fruits of its varied mechanical industries at its inaugural fair last fall, (to say nothing of the fair itself, which was a marvel of production.) showed that the county is fully on the course for being the first in the Commonwealth (always excepting our metropotitan county) in the number, variety and value of its manufactures--Enq. & Ex

The Washington correspondent of the Baltimore Sun furnishes the following:

"A most interesting session of the reconstruction committee was held to-day, the case of Virginia being the subject under discussion. Probably one hundred persons were in the room, mostly from Virginia--Col. John B. Baldwin acting as spokesman, addressed the committee. His address, which was entirely extemporaneous, was most eloquent and impressive, and was not without effect upon the members of the committee.

He said that the delegation of which he was one he truly believed represented a large majority of the people of Virginia. Neither he nor any of the delegation were aspirants for political honors, but in all their actions were only inspired by a wish to promote the interests and prosperity of this State. The people of Virginia were kindly disposed towards the general government, and they welcome to their State all those who came among them with fraternal feelings and with the desire to become bona fide citizens. They encouraged the immigrant, and were grateful for his assistance in developing the resources of the State; but they were fully alive to the great distinction between the immigrant and the carpet-baggers, and while they had no disposition to persecute the latter, they had for him the feeling which it is the privilege of the meanest creature to entertain towards the greatest--that of contempt. In reference to the disabilities which are imposed by the reconstruction constitution, it was his honest belief that it disfranchised 95 per cent. of the best people of Virginia.

A member of the committee inquired Mr. Baldwin's opinion as to the present judges in Virginia.

Mr. Baldwin replied that their character was excellent; that he had never heard of any complaints of corruption or partiality on their part from either black or white. He had heard of no desire for a change except from a few people who wanted their places. The delegation came before the committee frankly, honestly, and with a disposition to do all that was right; and they appealed to the honor and justice of Congress to grant them a hearing.

Mr. Boutwell said there was no disposition on the part of Congress to oppress the people of Virginia or of the South, but their experience in Georgia had convinced them that when the people who controlled the rebellion got into power, they were not disposed to deal fairly with the loyal portion of the population, either black or white. This being the case, while Congress was inclined to consider anything that might be preferred in a proper spirit by the class alluded to yet its primary duty was to protect its friends.

Mr. Baldwin, on his honor as a Virginian and a gentleman, assured the committee that no such feeling as this existed among the white people of Virginia. They fully recognized the altered condition of things, and were disposed to do the negro full and complete justice in all respects.

During the course of Mr. Baldwin's address, allusion was made to the questions now in dispute between the Methodist Church North and the Methodist Church South, as to the church property. He spoke of a case in Staunton where the church property was claimed by both parties, the party representing the Northern division of the church having but two communicants, while the Southern division had one hundred and twenty communicants! On this point Mr. Baldwin was replied to by a Mr. Phelps in behalf of the church North. The discussion on this point was renewed before the committee on Monday."