Valley Spirit

The Abolition journals are much exercised at the proposition, contained in the message of Jeff Davis to the rebel Congress, to arm the slaves and employ them in their armies. They are surprised too, that Democratic editors do not condemn the proposition, inasmuch as they were so shocked at the same conduct in the United States government. In reply to this we would say, that we are not responsible for the acts of the rebels; for those of our own government, to a certain extent, we are, and therefore we condemned without stint the placing of these poor devils in the arm to be shot down like dogs, knowing that they had neither the physical nor the moral courage requisite to make good soldiers, and believing that by their cowardice and inefficiency, they would bring defeat and disgrace upon our arms. There is also another view in which we lamented the employment of the African in our armies, and it is this: The negro at the termination of the war will return home well skilled in the use of arms, drilled, disciplined and to the extent of his capability, a soldler [sic]. Flushed with the importance accorded to him, and backed by a large political party, he will demand at least political equality with white men, and a right to participate in the selection of our rulers. It is an even question whether or not, with the assistance of his Abolition brethren, he will succeed in the attainment of that right; but whether he does or not, he will become an element of danger to the peace of the country, and perhaps at no distant day we may have the scenes of San Domingo re-enacted here. We are opposed to negro suffrage. We desire to have a white republic and no pie-bald mixture of black and white.

We have said we are not responsible for what the rebels do, and therefore care not to condemn anything they may do in respect to arming their slaves. And besides, we believe that if they carry out the recommendation of [illegible] produce an element of weakness rather than of strength into their army, just as we believe that our own government have already done so by enlisting negroes. The bad deeds of the rebels are not ours. They will probably follow any bad example set by the other portion of this mutual admiration society. The meaner the act of one, the more sure the other is to initiate it, and some of the acts of both would render it difficult to decide which was the meanest. But why are not the Abolitionists shocked at the proposition of the South to arm and free the negroes and give them bounty in land! It seems to us that they ought to stand aghast, at having all their thunder stolen by this act of the rebels. Their dupes were made to believe that this was a war for slavery on the part of the rebels, that the negroes--poor oppressed creatures--were heartily praying for the success of the Abolitionists, and now we find these same rebels voluntarily setting free their slaves, placing arms in their hands and marching them against their would be deliverers. What a spectacle for our abolition friends, to be confronted by men in arms who they fondly hoped were ardently praying for their success. Surely our Abolition brethren are stultified by this act of their co-laborers in the effort to break up the Union. It expunges the hope of ending the war by abolishing slavery, and shows their whole theory to be a delusion; that they have been "barking up the wrong tree" themselves and have misled other people. We can see no other way for it, but that they must return to the policy on which the war was first conducted--a restoration of the Union under the Constitution; as they may easily now perceive that, that "sum of all villainies," slavery, may be virtually abol[ished] and the rebellion as obstinate as ever.

We were told by the Abolitionists in the beginning of the war that slavery alone was its cause; we denied stoutly that such was the fact, and attributed it to other causes. Now if the rebels carry out the recommendation of Jefferson I, free their slaves to place them in their armies, slavery being thus virtually abolished, by all the rules of reasoning, the cause being removed, the war ought to cease at once. Every one will admit that the removal of the cause of physical ills soon restores the body to health and vigor; it is so also with political evils, remove the cause of war and the country will resume its former condition. If the rebels free their slaves without bringing about a return to peace by removing the alledged [sic] cause of the war, it is clear that the Abolitionists were wrong in attributing the rebellion to slavery, and we were right in assigning it to other causes. We were satisfied, at the outset of the rebellion, that the Southern leaders cared less about the Status of the negro than they did for some other things. Other causes were at work to bring on the collision and we feel assured that in order to attain their ends they will free every able-bodied slave in the South and place him in the army. Slavery, it is true, was a constant subject of agitation; the fugitive slave law was evaded and nullified by the North; the right of the Southern people to carry their slaves into the territories was denied, but the Southern leaders very well knew that secession was no remedy for these grievances, that in the event of a separation the territories were lost to them; the fugitive slave law wiped out, and their escaped slaves lost to them forever. One of the several causes which produced the rebellion was the desire of these men in the South to rule as the Abolitionists are now doing, they feared that the sceptre was about departing from their hands forever and they determined to set up for themselves.

If the rebels carry out the proposition to arm their negroes it is but following an example set them by the United States government, and if they derive no more advantage from the measure than we have done, we see no reason for alarm on our part.

The season of frost and snow is fast approaching. The North wind sweeps over hill and valley and the mountain tops are whitened by the breath of winter. The green fields, beautiful flowers and incense-laden breezes of summer, have given place to the less agreeable attendants of a more rugged season. To many the approach of this season is ever hailed with delight. The merry sleigh ride, the dance, the fireside gathering and those other in-door amusements peculiar to winter, give it a charm which no other season presents, evoking pleasant memories of the past, and causing the heart to throb with delightful anticipations for the future. To others, particularly in this place where our people have experienced the terrible effects of rebel vandalism in the destruction of their homes and property; the advent of winter is looked for with feelings of dread and foreboding. The enormous prices of food, clothing, fuel and all the necessaries of life will place many in straits for the means of subsistence who never before felt the remorseless pinch of want. Many who have heretofore enjoyed all the comforts and even luxuries of life have been divested of their all and rendered comparatively destitute, whilst others, who even in prosperous times found it difficult to provide themselves and families with food and clothing, can see in the coming winter naught but suffering. Grim-visaged war has stalked through the land for four years and left sad traces of its march in many portions of the land. In this town the ruins of once happy homes and desolated hearthstones attest some of its horrors, but the families of those in our midst that war has bereft of their protectors and support, can alone fully appreciate all its miseries. The charity of our citizens is proverbial; they have in past seasons given out of their abundance for the relief of the poor, with a lavish hand; they have contributed to the comfort of our soldiers in the field without stint, and in ordinary times, no one need suffer who would make his wants known. But these are not ordinary times. The number of persons who will become dependent upon the charity of their fellow, may this winter be increased four fold, whilst the ability to relieve their wants has been seriously lessened in consequence of the destruction of the wealth of our most charitable citizens. On those who have escaped the torch of the incendiary and preserved the property which God has given them, must devolve the duty of providing for the relief of the destitute, and we feel assured they will do their whole duty by organizing in advance, associations for the collection of funds, and the distribution of relief to those whose necessities may require it. Without something of the kind is done, God protect the poor from the pinchings of hunger and the bitter blasts of winter.