Valley Spirit

A speech given by Representative Charles Biddle in the U.S. House of Representatives, discussing the "negro question," particularly the issue of arming black troops. Biddle vehemently opposes this idea, predicting a slaughter of whites by armed blacks. He also believes that emancipation will unleash a horde of "ungovernable" blacks onto the countryside, and he recommends that Union commanders return contraband slaves to their owners.

Discusses the resolutions passed by the Philadelphia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The focus of the resolutions on the Constitution and Union, the editors believe, is an endorsement of essentially Democratic principles, and the lack of mention of abolition is interpreted as a repudiation of that position. The editorial goes on to note that a further resolution proclaiming the willingness of the Methodists to pay the taxes necessary for the war probably does not extend to paying taxes to fund Republican corruption.

Editorial arguing that though the mobbing of Wendell Phillips in Cincinnati should not be praised, rabble rousers such as Phillips should not be allowed to publicly speak.

Celebrates the recent Democratic victories in the spring election in Franklin County and notes similar results in Carlisle, in York County, in Shippensburg, and in Washington County.

This letter writer condemns the Chambersburg Times for fomenting dissension within the Democratic Party and wonders why that editor calls himself a Democrat if he is continually attacking the party. He adds, however, that the Valley Spirit should refrain from engaging in such controversy unless absolutely necessary.

The following is a list of officers elected in the spring elections in Franklin County. CHAMBERSBURG, NORTH WARD: Judge, J. M. Brown; Inspectors, C. M. Duncan, A. C. McGrath; Assessor, Jacob S. Brown; Justice of the Peace, Philip Hammon; Constable, M. W. Houser; Auditor, Emmanuel Kuhn. ANTRIM TOWNSHIP: Judge, Melch Snively; Inspectors, Jacob B. Crowell, Isaac Honneberger; Supervisors, Jonathan Stickell (2 years), John E. Stover (2 years), John G. Walleck (1 year); Auditor, Andrew Davidson; School Directors, Henry Stine (3 years), John Grove (3 years), Jacob Shook (2 years); Constable, Henry Baltzley; Township Clerk, Lemuel Snively. GREEN TOWNSHIP: Judge, Charles Logo; Inspectors, William Kirkpatrick, J. C. McKee; Assessor, C. Hambright; School Directors, Michael Good, William McClure; Supervisor, Samuel Umstat, Henry Lutz; Auditor, Jacob B. Cook; Constable, James Scheible; Clerk, George Dice. GREENVILLAGE: Judge, Robert Barr; Inspectors, Jeremiah Hunter, Isaac Worthington. GUILFORD TOWNSHIP: Judge, David Grossman; Inspectors, Upton Henderson, Jacob Snider Jr., Assessor, Henry Small; School Directors, John Frey, Benjamin Small; Supervisors, Abraham Hurst, Ephraim Burkholder, Fred Thomson; Treasurer, Samuel Frederick; Auditor, John Benedict; Clerk, Henry F. Miller; Constable, Jeremiah Mannon. LURGAN TOWNSHIP: Judge: Samuel Baughman; Inspectors, Henry Shearer, Peter Seilhamer; Assessor, George Mowry; School Directors, John DeHaven, Charles H. McClay; Supervisors, John Sanders, William Shoemaker; Auditor, Isaac P. Grove; Treasurer, William Bitner; Constable, Henry Swanger; Clerk, Josiah Shoeman. METAL TOWNSHIP: Judge, A. J. Noble; Inspectors, William Foltz, Michael Keggeries; Assessor, S.O. McCurdy; School Directors, William Noonan, Jas. R. Brewster; Supervisors, John Gearheart, John Everett; Auditor, J. McD. Wilhelm; Treasurer, J. J. Besore; Constable, J. W. Skinner; Clerk, George A. Miller. MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP: Judge, D. B. Martin; Inspectors, W. Geiselman, David Martin; Assessor, Joseph M. Brewer; Supervisors, William Mowry, John Fry; Auditor, Jacob Elliot; School Directors, James G. Rhodes; Constable, John McLaughlin; Clerk, Daniel Martin. MERCERSBURG BOROUGH: Judge, John Humphreys; Inspectors, David Hays, David Smith; Justice of the Peace, John A. Hyssong. QUINCY TOWNSHIP: Judge, Joseph Rock; Inspectors, Samuel Helman, Oliver Seabooks; Assessor, George Harbaugh; Auditor, George S. Knepper; Supervisors, John Decker, Samuel Stroops, William Rock; School Directors, William Hayman; Constable, Henry Middower; Clerk, Joseph Stull. WARREN TOWNSHIP: Judge, O. E. McCulloh; Inspectors, I. Suffecoll; Assessor, J. H. Thomas; School Directors, I. Stinger, F. Zimmerman, J. Fritz; Supervisor, John Hall, Samuel Secrist; Auditor, E. Williams; Constable, J. R. Divilbiss; Clerk, S. Zimmerman; Justice of the Peace, J. C. McCulloh. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP: Judge, David Hoeflich; Inspectors, ? Shockey, Henry Oaks; Constable, David S. Bonebrake; Assessor, Nicholas Bonebrake; School Directors, F. Gordon, Samuel Young, Jacob Carbaugh; Supervisors, Valentine Kechler, Jno. Snively; Auditor, James McElbany. BOROUGH OF WAYNESBORO: Constable, Joseph Cooper; Assessor, William F. Horner; School Directors, D. B. Russell, David Hahn; Auditor, Thomas D. French. FANNETT TOWNSHIP: Constable, Harris Finley; Assessor, Thomas J. McElbany; School Directors, J. M. Doyle, S. M. Skinner; Supervisor, George Eckenrode (Sulphur Spring), Elias Shearer (Dry Run), William S. Little (Concord); Auditor, John Alexander; Township Clerk, Noah Piper; Judges, Randall Alexander (Concord), John E. Fleck (Sulphur Spring), J. B. Worthington (Dry Run); Inspectors, Matthew W. Fegan and Jacob Roler (Sulphur Spring), John W. Still and James Coffey (Dry Run), Andrew Hockenberry and William Noel (Concord). SOUTHHAMPTON TOWNSHIP: Mountain Rock--Judge Reuben Bomberger; Inspectors, R. C. Johnston, William Reaside. Orrstown--Judges, Jeremiah Bricker; Inspectors, Jacob Hefflefinger, Charles Dehart; School Directors, William Orr, Simon Bittner; Supervisors, Martin Landis, Daniel Cover; Assessor, Jacob Zuck; School Directors, James C. McLanahan, William Kreps. BOROUGH OF GREENCASTLE: Justice of the Peace, John Rowe; Constable, David Hawbecker; Assessor, Jacob Zuck; School Directors, James McLanahan, William Kreps.

Letters dated as recently as March 24 have been received from the 77th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. The division to which the 77th is attached arrived at Duck Creek, opposite Columbia, Tennessee, and is at work rebuilding a bridge destroyed by rebels. Once the bridge is completed, the division will move forward to Decatur, Alabama.

The editors thank the Transcript for providing a roll of Captain Hezekiah Easton's battery and reprints it because so many Franklin County men are members. Officers from Franklin County include: Captain Hezekiah Easton (Loudon), 1st Jr. Lieut. William Stitt (Quincy), 2nd Lieut. Jacob L. Detrich (Upton), 1st Sgt. Peter Cummings (Chambersburg), 3rd Sgt. Robert Snider (Greencastle), 4th Sgt. William Weston. Privates from Franklin County include: William Brooks, Jacob Bricker (Mercersburg), John Cook, Michael J. Cooney, Washington Davis, Harry D. Diehl, Jacob Hoffman, Adam Kaudle, William H. Lawrence, Finley McDowell (St. Thomas), George W. Mudd (Chambersburg), Daniel Shatzley, Simon Shatzley, John A. Smith, Nathaniel Staubs (Chambersburg), George W. Tritle (Loudon).

The chairman of the state committee of the 'People's Party' has issued a call for a meeting on the first of May. The editors wonder if the party will be labeled Union, Republican or the People's party, but predict its defeat no matter which label it chooses.

Provides details of the engagement between General Sheild's division and a number of Confederate regiments near Winchester, Virginia, which resulted in a Union victory.

In a double marriage on March 27, J. Bridge and Emma Witherow of Delphi, Indiana were married at the house of the bride's uncle, William Elder, at the same time that his daughter, Maggie Elder married Dr. G. H. Kerlin, both of Dry Run, Path Valley.

Fanny Housum, daughter of Lieut. Col. P. B. Housum, died on March 29th at the age of 6 years, 5 months and 8 days.

Maria Bear, daughter of Adam Bear, died on March 30 at the age of 1 year, 10 months, and 2 days.

Abraham Kieffer died in late March near Kieffer's Church at the age of 68 years.

Edgar Josephus Brewer, infant son of Isaiah and Elizabeth Brewer, died in the Little Cove on March 9, age 4 months and 14 days.

Argues that the time is ripe to move on Richmond, now that General McClellan has proclaimed it so. The article points out that the newspaper editors in Richmond who have been taunting him are fleeing.