T I J ' ' . MM VMM . THE BEE W ir Ann GEBENSBOEOTJGH, 3ST. O., DECEMBER 34, 1868. Volume XXV. Number 1,381. -1L rU.JJ.lUL- -.-. i V ' i , ... 4 i ! i i Written for th Patriot. AHTTI OF SOUTHERN FREEB8M. T 1A1IT H A lie Friend after friend depart ! Who baa not lost a friend T" Liter. 'COL. OBSBT UABrift 01AT. Hewar of parting !" (a a curt, significant axels tuatiun of Sir. ?.. Uulwer Ljtton in nil (pleaded Ro mance, What will be do with it?" Ht aaya : "Th tru adnM ia not in lb pain of tb parting, It ia la the Whfuandthe How yon are to meet again with the face abo-it to vanish from your viw !" Tbt deep, melaucholy, overwhelming meaning in thi abort pbras. thengb, mayhap, not ceucbed in that phrase ology "d by Mr Kdwerd, waa keenly felt by the gal Unt officer, whose name eland at lb bead f thi nivle, when he selected the pot in Hopewell rhurebyard where hia remiioa ahould repoe, before ).c r(,.k hi laat farewell of her who waa tb light of Km life and (he darling boy who bad blasted him with the sweet name of father. They all met again; bm aim: the pint of tb buiband and father waa absrat from the body and the aignet of the pale an Kl waa upon the noble brow of Robsbt IlAtria Or a v. Hubert Harper w bora in the county of Ran .l..!ph, North Carolina, on the 10th of January, 1831. lie waa the second Bon of Gen Alexaader and Mra f rli Harper Oray. His lev of military lif and martial glury was inherited. Hi grandfather, in ibe maternal line, Jedutban Harper, waa a Colonel in the first great Revolution on tbi continent and tok a distinguished part in some of the dangeroua Mill bloody scenes which were then enacted ; and lua Uthrr, who was on of the rr.ost prominent men m iii county in tb beginning of thi century, was ciuiuiio:d lirigadier in the war of 1812, and w oidered with his brigade to Charleston to meet the ltritish ; but peace waa declared before he reach--l the ctne of action. His eon Robert w JH ctr I, hni frame was notjitroogly constructed, nd ho whs, lis. Caasius, always lean, uncorpulent. His body, however, wa inhabited by a clear, vigor oui and hr-lliant mind, be waa, emphatically, a youth of grrat nl uncoramen geniua. AIout a (juartcr of a century ago, the pot wber Trinity College now stand, waa an unehoppd, un cultivated forext. Imbosomed in tb thik woods ws sn old log-bouse where an English school waa uught by a gentleman of the name of Brantly York, uho hath since made some reputation in the world !' let 1ms as an author. There and under that in structor, while yet fjuite a small boy, Robert Harper commenced hi education. Sometime afterward a nrw and brttur building waa erected on tb same mte, and the Rev. Lr. Craven, then a young man ju' out of New tiarden School opened an academy, which wit called the I'mon Imtitute. To him Rob rrt recited, until hi father determined to aend him r the tJrrenebero' High School in tbi place. Her he continued, until he completed hi preparatory rourvf. lie entered Davidson College, then a flour Uhitig seat of learning under tb charge of the l'rrit) trriena of the tat,;in the year 1847 when h was but little over sixteen yeare old. Before be left the Hign School, though exceedingly youthful and nnt largely versed in general literature and biatory, he Kv promise, by his effcrt in the Hermian 8o o.t''.. ot which he was a prominent member, of be uf a fluent, energetic, elequenl aud brilhant deba ti t 1 was a member of tb skni Literary coterie ai .1 h i'l t he pleasur of bearing hi first attempt at oiatury. Hi tvpxi tfrlorum,lht elegant simplicity i Lis style and the pointcdneae of his argument were tn.ly r. markaMe in one of his year. ;.tn 2 to-college, unlike it is to many, waa no rr to him. lie had not ot.ly a strong and shining in ntala endowment by uature, but he possessed in iuisititanks of mind in an eminent degree. II wa lianpiniid at the thought of becoming a eollegian and ol enjoying the rich and fascinating scene in t!,.- wideotilTrrsecf knowledge through which he was t I e led ly the hands of the learned and to which t.i mi irii. x of that institution invited him. He did t. t, lu'rViT, confine himself eiclnsirsly and closely t u t bunks. He eared not what hi teachers, r i lie worl.i m.ght think of bis conduct ; be regar. i!,-l only the craviags and immortal longings of hia m.fi I Nor he wrong, though we would not in . iik' tie non attention, as a general thing, to the reg ii!nr CMit-se of studies laid down at colleges and uni .'ti'ir , yet we honestly btlieve it is not most ad vtnt iroiii lor all persons to do so. In fact, very min i, can pursue a Axed, prescribed, dry c urc uf readiug with contentment and profit. unretlectiug mind may, active, inquir i t rilliant one-t canuol ! To be entertained, in- .ru!c., developed, enriched, they must b allow v i ' liv Ift p pool of lore in which to dive and 'dra uii'rowned honor by the Ucks," and the ethe real heights of elegant learning in which to bathe tlir wings .f their fancy and to dazxle the eye of t h ir eiuii' '. It you crave to read a particular book, or to investigate a particular eubject, drop all else, bn kle down to it, master it, which can be done in halt the time and without the irksomeneis and ex huu.it ion required if undertaken whtn the mind Miijcht not its acquaintance, and, then, you will r.ac tiom U str nger, wier, better, moreenlightened. thtougb n iooW, aiol your heart not in it, nor v. .: mini upon it, ana it is time lost, far worse than lo't, a baoit ol inattention, aud burnedness, and n lrinr, ia fixed, which like the pot of the leop ard .-an ueter be changed. Such was the judgment jf )-uiig tiray. though he was, at times, a close, dil igent, utiwearied student. Whataoevsr he did, he did with all 1m hcait, might, soul and body. He w.ut to I'uvi Non College to study ; but he had in dej'vnJai.ce enough of public commendation to pur ne diligently -hat. which lie felt, wa most condu r m t( Ins laating benetit. He was exceedingly '. 1 t l.e Id -port and the ehase, and oftn, by day ai. i y night, turned out with his associate to re- 1 11 !,..,, Itl l MlJ llltirorite iiia fr..l ,,.!...... I. r- - VH,UHIV, !oti.n iu Ilia Masques, he held, that. Hunting is the noblest exercia. Mva.' nen labinous. aciite ,r;' R h,a!ih, and doth the spirits delight 1 is-n, hearing, and the sight: ' V '"'" rt. (hat never slip . . . . . ' It I .me memory,,,, norBBtMhip iiUb.eh all ,U xhwp .. M.t m..,i of ! i.,pPk, with bi. book, or h","inl"; h"-L CrlW'didnotbli.v io ire -.nerely, that Am ;ool ot w .rtb sublime w,H H,4T.n Si : 1 o bght on man, as from the passing air . I !.r lamp of genius, though by nature lit ' . " 1" "ctd. prun d, and fed with' rai 'in of runs to waste with fitful flare " f H- wa, no aspirant for hongr in bis class ; but - m - ..h ,e-y i, stoo.J roreanost in legant and M. - w n.,.1,. , el epraking. He rad o much and so . thoroughly, that he h.,1 a Urg, and rich of , ... ... .ur.jpcif tuat wer pruDgupatb HalL Hi pacB at the commencement of 1851, whew h graduated, waa on "Napoleon at Waterloo." He choae tha Uat grand strugg 1 of "th brightest genloa thi world baa ever produoed," to bar row bit own Unguage, aa tb tkem on wkicb be ahould make hi dtbut in public The "Man of Dtiny" and the "Iron Duke," th wr top ic, which were worthy the mo.t grful rhetoric and th happit elocution. Hia thonghU were so tirring, hia language o plndid, that th gay and fickle eiowd with ,4mute attention hung upon hia lipa." Returning to hia father home, Mr. Oray rexeiv ed at hia handa a rich and cultivaUd plantation in Randolph, only a few milea aouth of th North Car olina Central Railroad, and a auffieiency of serranta t keep and till it. That waa the realisation of the aireaitles of perfect human felicity, which had bean bodied forth by hia imagination in it rihet picturing. He had no Ut or dir for any of th learned prfaions, he wihed to be an independ ent cintilc agricultoriet and a gentleman of let ter and learned leiaure. Thu be lived batcbloring it, for even yara. Meantim, he read every thing in hltry, philoopby, politics, romane and belle le'.tree which came in hi way. Nor did b read hurriedly, or uperfieially ; whatever he took up h perused with great care and thought. To the ancient classics h devoted no little tin. He waa not, however, very fond of Greek, ai.d while at College, though he had studied it are full before, he read ooly enough to maintain a rspetabl stan ding in hia class ; but Latin he always loved. Thia h continued to read. He reviewed Virgil, Horace, Cicero and in fact his whole course of schol astic studies. Like Arcbias, the poet and friend of Cicero, from hia claesical reading, he "imbibed the principle, that glory and virtu ahould be the dar ling object cf life and that, to attain theae, all diffi culties and danger were to be despid." He did not lay aside and neglect the work of Homer, Xen ophoa, Thucydides and Sophocles because b was unwilling to undergo the labor or unable to under aland thir great and dep thoughts, but for the rea son that hewa much more amitten with the sweet poea, sharp wit, splendid eloquence, and astute and dee? philosophy of the Romans. This industri ous people bad Incorporated and transferred the rich learning of the Greeks into their own magnifi cent language aid had corrected and bettered it by there-investigation, re-study and re-writing. Ruing from these pleasing pursuita of literature, he could, with the accomplished Tully, have truthfully said : "Ilttc ttudia aUletctniiam alunt, sentetuUm oblectant, $cunda4 rti ornant, adveriit ptrfuimm ae tolalium prxbent, deleetant do mi, non imptdiunt fori, pernoet mnt nobiicum, ptrigrinantur, ruiticantur !" In 1858, he changed his mode of living. His books, his field-sports, his duties as a citizen and hia business aa an agriculturist, dij not content his mind. He obeyed the Scriptural injunction and took unto himself, aa'his help-meet and partner, Miss Martha Uorney, the,only daughter of Alexander S. Horney, t'sq., of Franklinville in bis county. Then he first enjoyed "Domestic happiness, that only bliss Of paradise that haa survived the fall." No political troubles of any moment, at that time, un settled the pillars of State, or prognosticated the civil internal war, which has aince and is now deso lating the beautiful land which than smiled with gladness and prosperity. Polticians wrangled, and blustered, and fretted, and strutted; but th fa res t disoe rniug and sagest statesmen did not seriously apprehend, that they would, by their dangerous and unscrupulous teachings and acts, early and, in so dreadful a wise, "deal damnation round the land." Mr. Gray read and atudied the political history of th past and wa familiar with the "men and meas ures" of th time ti.en passing; and he was a strong, ardent and decided Whig; still he kept himself afar off from the dusty areqa of politics and p jrsaed "th noiseless tenor of bis way" mid the sequestered vale of rural life. He loved the country, be loved the lif of th husbandman, he loved hia books, he lov ed to atudy and to meditate, he loved quiet and soli tude, he loved his home all the more that now it was radiated by the loveliness and attractiveness of an amiable and accomplished woman, and he weuld not suffer aught to allure or seJuce him from those pleasing and delightful pursuita and enjoymenta. The honors, which glittered iu the path of po litical preferment, had no charms for him. He es teemed them hollow, unsubstantial, unsatisfying and full of vexations and disappointments. Thus was he passing his life, and thus was he determined to live, on that sad and evil day, when President Lin coln plunged, by his folly aad madness, the freest, greatest, moat truly blessed people of the earth into the direst and most stupendous civil, fratricidal war which ha cursed the world since the begin ning of time. Stirred by his patriotism, by the jus tice of the defence which the South resolved to make, the martial spirit kindled and glowed brightly in hi bosom. At once, he made up hi mind to spend his time, his talents, his physical strength, his all if need be, in the defence and maintainance of South ern institutions and right. He mourned to leave his home and its endearments, his wife and his chil dren; but duty called and he was too proud and pa triotic to disicgard its pleadings. On the Ibth day of June, 1861 he was commissioned captain of a company which he had raised in his own county and of which he had been chosen the commander. Ik- was placed in the 12th Regt. of North Caro lina Volunteers, now known aa the 22 Regt. of State Troops. Of this regiment the talented, learn ed, accomplished Pettigrew was elected Colorel. He commanded it for near a year, and by drilling and judicious discipline, he made it on of the beat in th Confederate aerviee. Col. PettigTew was emi nently skilled in military science, and he was unu aually affable and agreeable in his intercourse with hia fficars and men. All leteJ him, all admired his great ability and large acquirements, and each officer cheerfully and gladly a at at the feet of this Gamaliel of military tactics and ecience and learned hia duty as a aoldier. None was an apter or more delighted student than Capt. Gray. His regiment wa first sent t Evansport on the Potomac whrit remained until the Spring of 1862 At the tim of the grand retreat from Manassas by Gen. Joe. E. Johniton, Pettigrew regiment moved back toward the Capital, at d, then, marched down en the Peninsula and took its place there in line of battle. It was in the reserve at the engagemente at "est t'ointand Williamsburg. Nor was it in any important engagement, until the battle of Seven Pine wM fought. Col Ligblfoot was in command of th resimnt on that day, od Gen. Pettigrew of th brigad. Thia noble regiment, en that day, gave incontestibl evidence to the country of the Vndid part it wa destined to act In th awful lrgi which were afurwerd to redden and im mortli other and more hotly eontetd fields. Capt. Gray waa at th had of hi chrvalrio compa ny and endeared himself to hi men by his heroic courage and daring. On th 13lh Of June, tha rerim,nt rt.l I ui,r "ript Act. Juuee Conmer wu elect ed Colonel; Cnpi Robert H. Gray. Uaatnat-CoL; and Capt. C. C. Cole, Major. Captain Grny wa per sonally popular not enly with hia own Best bwt with the of&cert and private of the regiment. Bis ma jority in that election wa large. No better man could have been aelactad. Hi personal curg waa ne4 surpassed by any, and he afterward evinced In -the camp and on the field extraordinary uat, sh.ni and ability in govern ing men aad in handling hia regiment in action. Scarcely were the new emcrbrofcs into the har ness of the war-horse, when the beaming of cannen announced th commaneement of the terrific aad dreadful battle) aroand th Southern capital. For ward thy dashed to th fight, the very first to meet and set in motion the retrograde march of IfcClel lan and hia well-drilled and magnificent army. Gol. Connor waa wounded early and badly. Lieut Col. Oray then took command. His noble brother-soldier, Maj. Cols, in speaking of his assuming com mand, wrote, that "Col Gray will manage his regi ment very well He is Tory firm in his decisions, a very necessary ingredient in such aa officer-" He wa on Try fild daring that vn days' fight ; was always at th head of his gallant regiment ; ever had his eye on the foe aad on the color of his command; aad was never touched in his peison with any miaaile thrown by musket, rifle, or artille ry. Ou the day and in the sharp contest with the euemy, in which Lieut. Charlss lost his life, ' CoL Gray," writes Maj. Cole, 'missing the color, rush ed forward to inquire after it, fearing it had fallen into the hands of the enemy. . As he reached the spot where Charlea fell, Sergeant Greenleaf, of Co. K , seeing it fall, had rushed in, gathered it up and was waving it over hia head and crying eut : 'Colo ntl, htrt it our Jiag !' " Here seven of the color guard had fallen, either dead or wounded ; her the flag-staff wa cut in two just beneath the color; here the top wa cut off by a grape-shot; here the flag waa completely riddled with bullet and frag ments of shells. His regiment won Immortal honor en every field which they entered. They were in almost every fight and the thiekaal of it; and they returned to their old camp, after the enemy had em barked, fearfully reduced in numbers and exhaust ed in strength. Such was the bearing of Col. Gray, throughout thia series of brilliant and biasing bat tles, that his brave men afterward only loved him the more. He was naturally sociable j and the soldier-life only increased and more fully developed that quality of hi heart- He loved the men who could proudly and unflinchingly "eek the bubble reputation at the cannon's month," and when he was off duty, they were allowed to approach him a a familiar friend and make themselves easy and un restrained in his society. He patiently heard, their wants; deeply sympathized with them in their self denials and hardships ; spoke words of oheer, as few tongues could, in their hours of despondency ; and fait keenly for them and their safety in the dread hour of battle. "No matter where he was or in whose presence, whether a brigadier or a private, he bore himself with the Bame nonchalance and un ceremoniousness. The force of his brilliant intel lect and the genuine goodness of his heart were such. that they ever elicited respect and even admiration from all who came within the circle where he moved. On the drill, in the field, in the regular discharge of all hia official duties, he was firm, decisive and com manding. Every man had to know his place and b in it; nor did any offender ecape just and merited punishment through a morbid sympathy or a false judgment on his part. He knew how to be both ge nerous and just, nor could anything cause him to swerve from the plain path of duty. He chanced to sec the field glass and case of Col. Simmons, a Yankee officer who waa killed in one et the fights in front of Richmond, in the hands of one of his men. He sought the history of it, and, think ing they would be a precious memorial to his sorrow stricken friends, Col. Gray purchased them and sen1 them to Brig. Gen. Geo. A. McCall, of the U. S. A., who responded to him in these handsome words: "I have received, to-day, through Mr. Stoke, the Field Glass andCaje of the lat Col. S. G. Simmons, U. S. rmy, which was taken from his person by a soldier, whi weucded on the battle-field of June 30th ulti mo ind purchased by you. I beg leave to assure you that I appreciate the noble feeling which ha prompted you to restore thi memento to hi family . and I shall with grat pleasure comply with your wishs in this respect." There was true nobiliiy of heart and mind in that act. H could fel for the bereaved companion of the gallant dead and could appreciate the overflowing tenderness with which she would greet that beautiful memento. Ay, be could rise above that sordid, grovelling baseness, which can see no chivalry and magnanimity in bis foe, such as are manifested in the note of Gen. MeCalL His hatred of the enemy had not caused him to for get the beautilul teaching of Christ "Love your enemies," nor the golden rule "Do unto other as you would have them do unto you." While they were resting and recruiting from th severities of the seTen-days' toil through which they bad just passed, three ladiea of Virginia placed the name of the battUs, in which thy largely shared the glory, upon their battle-flag For this kind act Col Gray thus felicitously wrote them: "Allow me, in the name of the officers and men of the 22nd Regiment N. C. Troops, to thank you for the honor you have done us in placing upon our Battle flag the names of the conflicts in which we have participated. Rendered now more dear and sacred to us by the labor of your fair hands, it will be our pride and glory to bear it forward wherever duty may call : And rest assured, that it will never be furled or trailed in the dust while we have arms and lives to devote to the defence of it and of the homes of the fair ladies whose generous handiwork it bears upon its folds. Permit me, Ladies, in my own name to thank you for the kindness you have done ns ; and to express the hope, that war may never impose upon you any more painful or unwelcome task than that you have so gracefully performed in decorating our Banner." Soon, thereafter,' they were put in motion and bore forward, toward Cedar Run, that new and elegant standard ef Southern freedom and independence. Bat it trailed not in the dust on that well-fought field, nor ever afterward. Thos were not the men to permit it such a dishonor. They felt, that though "the path of glory leads but to the grave," yet the path of duty leads to a higher and better destiny, and they were prepared to tread it firmly and manfully. Cedar Creek, or Slaughter Mountain, was a glori ous little battle-ground I CoL Gray's men, with him at their head, acted moat conspicuously on that day. They ware engaged about an hour and a half, and charged farther than any others. In this su perb charge, they cut a regiment of Yankee Cavalry to pieces, and repulsed and routed their infantry most disastrously. They always spoke of it as the most handsome engagement in which they ever participated loftier chivalry will never be display by any troops. Thence, Col. Gray, who was seixed with typhoid fever, was sent home. He had been absent over a year from his family. Though sick, that was a joy ous day to him. After he had thrown himself, all tired and exhausted, upon the hard pound to sleep, he had often, in his dreaming ear, heard the voices ef his loved wife and his dear little Alek and, ia the bliss of the moment, he, time aad again, fancied, that he beheld that other child, as ' ' " It lay upon its mother's breast, , thing Bright as a dew-drop when it first descends, Or a th plumage of aa angel's wing. Where very tint ef rainbow beauty Meads." Now. the ecstaey of the dream was to be realised in aU the pleasantneas of reality. A few days' travel, and the father stood at the threshold where he beheld his three jewels wife, son and babe ! But his tay wa not of long eontinoai.ee, Ia sixty 1 days, recruited somewhat, though not by any means well, he hastened to his regiment, which was then returning from the first Maryland campaign and res ting en the hills around glorious eld Winchester. From that place they soon fell back t the south bank of the Rappahannock. There they awaited th expected advance of the Yankees. As winter be gan to blow cold, they came. The battle ef Fred ericksburg was fought and a splendid victory won by our veteran soldiery. Gray and his men were foremost in the perils of that Woody day, and new ehaplets of martial renown wreathed their brews as the sun wenj, down on the heights of that ancient borough. That was the last scene of conflict, through which Col. Gray waa to pass. His weskened constitution, instead of rallying and improving, was continually growing wore and worse. He ought not to have attempted to spe ' that severe season in camp. Had lje been in his usual health, the trial would have been perlloua for one ef his naturally feeble consti tution. But he was, nevertheless, all hilarity and cheerfulness ; and, in the memory of hia associates, those were golden day. He was highly companion able, gonial and engaging. He was now more the idol of his men than ever before. All delighted to gather around him in his tent, or anywhere he might be in the quarters, to listen to his conversation and enjoy his wit. And around the meoa-table, one of his fellow-officers tells me, he made himself the most agreeable companion he ever met. Not only his agreeablenea impressed them, but his infinite fund of learning amazed them. At almost every meal, to which he sat' down, he had some pieee of Greek, Latin, or English poetry to repeat, which seemed, from its appropriateness, to have been coin ed for each special occasion. He had a few books with him, but he did not read a great deal. He waa often occupied in writing. He composed ahort sto ries, and occasional ditties, to amuse himself, and, then, destroyed them. Among his scraps, which he left in his portfolio, a gem of poetry was found, that persuades me he was conscious that he would net live long : " Weep not for me, let not a tear, Save those of joy alone, Bedew the cheeks of loved ones here When I am dead and gone. What, though in death, this mortal flesh Is to corruption given, I know that God will raise it up To live with Him in Heaven. Wep not for me, when mem'ry brings My form before your eye, My ransomed spirit then will be With saint in Paradise Vreei-not for me, hut ground your faith On Him for sinners slain ; And when your work on earth is done, We'll meet in Heaven again : In Heaven where weeping, pain and death And parting are unknown, To bask forever in His smiles And worship round His Throne." Besides, it breathes an earnest strain of piety, which warrants a lively hope, that his "ransomed spirit"is now " with saints in Paradise." He died in Camp Gregg near Fredericksburg on the 16th of March, 1863. He had passed unscathed through seven pitched battles, in six of which he had commanded nis regiment, and through numer ous skirmishes. Disease had reserved him for its own victim, and this noble martyr of his country now sleeps quietly in Hopewell churchyard in the spot which he selected for his last, long bivouac. To his excellent lady, the immortal Pbnd-bk, who has since sacrificed his life for the South, addressed the following tribute to the exalted worth of his fellow soldier, Robibt Haepsb GttAT: "Allow me to as lure you of my most sincere sympathy in your great est of all bereavements. You will feel that I am sincere, when you know that I lost one of my best friends and the service one of its most gallant and efficient officers. I have known your lamented hus band since June last, and feel that lam not passing the bounds of simple truth in stating that the Army had no more intelligent, brave, or efficient officer. We all deplore the loss of such a man, and no higher tribute could be paid him, than the affection borne him by his command. His children, in after years, may took back with a just pride to the distinguished services and devoted patriotism of their father. This, I know, madam, can be but little comfort for the loss ef a husband. That can come alone from Him, who disposes of all things, and the knowledge that all things are directed by Him for the best." Him she hath lost, but all is not lost; Alek and Robbie, the images of their father, are yet preserved to her, and, in future years, the sincere, idolizing, filial affection, now germinating in their young hearts, will breathe into hers the encouraging and supporting solicitation : "Mother, thy name is widow well We know no love of ours can fill The waste plaee of thy heart, or dwell Within one sacred recess- still Lean on the faithful bosomt of thy ions. Our parent, thou art ow$, our only one " Increasing thi Army. Some very wild propositions for increasing oar forces in the field have been submitted in bolb Houses of Congress so wild, indeed, that wo cannot bat suppose that, in the esti mation of certain members, secession from the United States did not . involve a sep. aration from Buncombe. To the prudent and providont men of Congress, the sub sistence ol the army and the needful supply of material of war appears as grave a question as the increase of our fighting iorce. It is to be hoped they will not per mit themselves to lose sight of the impor tance of these matters, nor be unduly affocted either by the impatience of those who would rip the goose for its golden oggs, or the panic of tiioso who think the time has corao for grinding the seed corn. The invaders can do bui littlo more this Winter, and next Saing they lose all or nearly all their best troops. Let us be composed, and guard against all interm perance and alarm. Richmond Whig Negroes. To hire, and some to sell, on the 1st day of January next. Among them an expe rienced tanner, five good farm hands, men, several boys and girls. JID H. LINDSAY, deelu 7"3w UTORT OF THE 8KCRETART OF THB TREAS URY. axcxirrs raon J as. 1st to iwt. tOta, 1W3. Far eight per ant. stock, 107,292,800 70 ? Sa.787,660 70 f 6310,060 00 e do eeil certiteatea, 2242,900 00 lenr do 482,200 00 CoUeartifioatas, act April Si, 1862, 2.000,000 00 Utormt on loans, 140,210 11 5'Ur' 4,l2t,988 97 Treasury note, 891,623,480 00 Sequestration, l,86,6o0 2l KP?BtJ aoottaa, 8,101 78 Patent .fund, 10,7M M Misoelianeoua, iacladiag repayments by disbursing offioera, 2 4498,217 93 Total, sxrasDiTcaxs ovinia $601,522,893 12 sans raxioD. 877,988,244 00 38,437,661 00 11,29,278 00 66.686 00 82.212,290 00 69,044,449 00 War Department, Havy do Civil Miscellaneous, kc. Customs, Public debt, Notes cancelled aad redeemed, Total ef expenditures, Total of receipts, Balance in Treasury, From which is to be deducted the a't of Treasury notes which have been funded aad brought ia for caacellntien, but hare not yet been regulary audited, estimated at 619.868,569 00 601,522,893 00 $82 164,834 0) 65,000,000 00 pi. . , , . 17,164,834 00 The public debt (exclusive of foreign loan) at the same period, was as follows : rcxDsa. Eight par cants, 207,128,750 00 ?Ten do 42,745,600 00 !x 41,006,270 00 oix do cotton interest bonds, 2,035,000 00 Total, 298,915,620 00 Treasury notes : General currency, Two year notes. Interest notes at 8.65, do do 7:30, Under $6, Five per cent, call certificates, Total, Deduct amount of Treasury notes funded and cancelled, above re ferred to 603 432,798 00 8,477,976 00 627,450 00 122,582,200 00 4,887,095 00 26,240,000 00 $766,447,519 00 65,000;000 00 $701,447,819 00 In order to estimate the amount of Treasury notes in circulation at the date of this report, there must be added the lurther sum of one hundred millions for the two .months which have elapsed since the date of the above schedule. The balances of appropriation already made by Congress, and not drawn on 30th September, stood as follows : War Department, Navy, Civil, miscellaneous, &c, $395,502,698 90 24,413,645 00 60,240,996 00 Ttl. 476,451,799 00 The estimate submitted by the various Depart ments for the suppoit of the Government, are made to 1st July, 1864, the end of the fiscal year, and are aa follows : Legislative Department, $309,005 00 Executive " 52,350 00 Treaaury 22,583,359 0 Wfcr " 438,078,870 00 Ny " 18,624,945 00 Stt 544,409 00 Justices " 222 587 00 Post Office " 82,968 00 Total, 475,498,193 00 If these estimates be extended to embrace the re maining six months of the calendar year, they must be doubled, and that sum added to the updrawn appropriations would make an aggregate of $1,427, 448,778, which Congress is formally called upon to provide. It is obvious, however, that the amounts to the credit of updrawn appropriations oanuot be call ed for, inasmuch a there remain but three months of the present calendar year, to be provided for, and the expenditures are limited to fifty millions per month. So too as to the estimates. Any measures which will properly reduce the currency will act upon prices and thereby materially reduce the esti mates. But the larger figuies exhibit to us in a distinct and tangible form the problem which we are now required to solve. The curroncy has by this time attained dimensions of five times its proper size. The estimates are based upon, prices fixed by this condi tion of the currency. It these estimated are to be supplied by new issues of currency, prices must again increase and larger additions must be made io the figures which represent both currency and esti mates. It ia obvious, therefore, that some other mode of raising supplies must be devised ; and the necessity is equally obvious of redueing the curren cy. We are thus distinctly presented with these two conditions, as necessary elements of problem to be solved, namely; reduction of the existing currency, and a supply of means from some souroe other than Treasury notes. Dried Pumpkins. In the winter seasjn, when vegetables are scarce, dried pump kins would bo found an excelled vegeta ble'for the army generally, as well as the hospitals, and whoro dried fruit could not be obtained, this article would prove a good substitute, if planters would dry their pumpkins, an abundant supply of which could be obtained every whero in the Confederacy. The process of drying is as follows : The finest pumpkins, thoroughly ripe, shoald bo selected. Lay one on its side on a table, cut off the end to the hollow, take out the seeds, and continue to cut slico after slice, about an inch in width, until the whole hollow of the pumpkin is cut out in rings. Then peel the rind off each ring, and hang them on sticks to dry in an airy room, passage or loft. When dried, the luscious rings are reduced to ribands. But I think there is nothing lost but the water, which is re supplied by cookiug. They may be packed in a small compass for transportation. If thoroughly dried they will keep a long time. The Poles. A Berlin letter to the Lon don Times professes to have iuforraation frem Warsaw, that 'the whole Polish in surgent force under arms does not num ber moro than 15,000 men, while fully ten times as many Kussian soldiers are enga ged in re'straint and suppression." The letter also states that the seizure of arms and supplies have been so exttnsivo that every weapon now in the bands of the pa. triots may be looked upon as having cost twenty times its original price, and the frontier is so strictly watched that a rath or considerable corps, which has been formed outside otit, was lately compelled to abandon the idea of crossing. The letter further addst 'Still, the determined spirit of the population seems in no degree to flag, even under the unexampled rigors of the Kussian military government, of which we have just bad fresh exam,) let. in the confiscation ofWaruuw, of theGrabow bki bouse, and in the imprisonment of the Bernadine monks, in whose convent a chest of gunpowder was alleged to have been found' j ExicuTtVK ECKUcHiCEirT. SeTeral of tne id cas u re s and resolutions introdooed the present session of Congress bear on their face the'eonflicting intentions of limiting or of extending the Executive authority. The provisions of the Constitution in the main are plain and clear. A liberal construc tion, a little stretching beypod, is insis ted opoo on the one side ; strict adherence to the letter of restraint is jealously de manded on the other. The constitution of the Executive Department was infinitely the most difficult part in creatine- AnvnM. ent government. To give it such power . -., iiiu buvu re strain ts that It Should not beenm. out ; to make it efficient, independent and strong, yet prevent its subverting every thing by its anion of military and civil power, by Us influence of patronage, office and favor, was not an eaav tab- T the watchfulness of Executive power and the preservation of every restraint and guard which the Constitution has provi. dod that our security lies. Good motives soouia always be supposed to exist, till the reverse is ascertained. Good intentions may be the plea for the assumption of power, but, whatever our assurance of their existence, cannot iustifv it. To rn.wi against the dangers of good intentions, real "i prsimucu.is me aimot the Uonstitu. tion. Vet shall claims so fair, so plausi ble, and patriotic, whose object is alono the public good, meet with unresi8tingcompli ance ? The extension nf thority finds uo advocate in th liar ni champions of human freedom. Their uni- iurm ana steaay purpose has been to limit and restrain it. Popular and representa tive right have ever been at war against prerogative. Ita contest for ages has been to rescueiiberty from the grasp of Execu tive power. All that could bo gained from the imprudence, the weakness, the necessi. ties of this power has beon gathered and hoarded as the very jewels ol liberty. Let us cot disregard constitutional restraints for pretences of publio safety or high pub. He interest. Limitations and qualification of authority, and the just divisions of po litical power, aro the vsry essence of re publican institutions. The separation of departments as far as practicable, and the preservation of clear lines of division be tween them, Is the fundamental idea ol our Constitution. Shall we attempt now to Himplily the nocessary complications of our government which establishes restraints on the govorning as well as governed ? Whero will it stop 7 Shall it bo in the ar bitrary ruloof the Executive ? The sim plest governments are despotisms. Richmond Whig. "THE STARVED SOUTH.' - Under this caption the New York Daily Newt publishes the following answer to an article in tlio Tribune : The Tribune with ill timed factiousness adopts the jocular vein in alluding to the misery and destitution supposed to prevail throughout the South. With jest and sar casm it recapitulates what, in its hope, are the necessities and privations of our South ern countrymen. It exults because there is a scarcity of food for Confederate wo men and childron ; it fastens ridicule upou Confederate soldiers because they toil barefooted on the paiDful march; it makes merry because the hungry aro without bread and the sick without the means of nourishment, and recuperation. Our jjyous cotemporary is humorous upon a melan choly theme. If it had confined itself to a review of the straits to which tho rebels aro reduced for tho purpose of arguing a limit to their powers of endurance, the ar gumentset forth with soberness and deco rnm would come within tho legitimate bounds of joui nalasttc discussion. But to make starvation and physical suffering the themo for laughter and mockery gives an apt illustration of that philanthropy which the Abolitionists claim as their paramount incentive But let us admit as a reality the fearful picture which tho Tritune limns with bo much gastly lovity. Letusgupposo tho Southerners perishing for lood and naked to the pelting storm wearing bin unshod, weary leet, bleeding along tho frozen road, and his wife plying her benumod fingers in constant toil to buy the scanty loaf, and his children with their cheeks aud lusterlcss eyes languidly fading throughout the win ter day. Let it bo realized that the stout hearts that have braved our bayonets and cannon, must quail under tho keen agonies of hunger, or yield lest ther loved ones die of destitution, what victory shall we then havo won, what a glorious political cp'ed shall we have vindicated 'I Will it bo tho triumph of the pinciplo of Bolf-governmenl? Our proudest boast will be to havo conquer ed a starvation fre, w ho baffled our utter most energies while thuy bad tho bare re. quistos of nature. Our political achieve ments will have been the sullen and enfor ced submission of so many million of fam ine struck and helpless human beings whoso physical necessities hare induced them to acquisce in a political companion' ship abhorrent to their inclinations. Will that bo ''the consent of the governed!" Will such an alliance constitute a republic? We can claim no more than that the ab sence of bread and meat and other essen tials to the sustenance of life, as enumera ted by tLe Tribune, shall Lave made a num ber ol our fellow men our vessals, and our republicanism an essence of the past. However tho experience of that past does not teach us that hardship and privation on nerve tho souls ol men and curb them to submission. The weiUclad hirelings of King George, whose camp-koitlcs overflow ed with nourishment, exemplified the futil ity of tho endeavor to starve the God-gven spirit out of freemt-D, when our hunijry, barefooted, and tatler-vestcd forefathers drove them from the soil they had conse crated to liberty. It is luxury that enerva tes. It it abundance that breeds sloth ard creates inGrtnity of purpoae. Adver sity lhat chasten, strengthens as well, and these Jean and h-jngry Confederates, like Indian Dervioh, will fitid insoiratien in j their agony, and the gift uf ondnranco in I its necessity. The free air of heaven to i breathe and a principle to contend, for, are I all the sustenprce lhat free houIs need, and for physical wants nattrc has provided to ( Abundantly in tho South that decades of 'civil strife will not exhaust the supply that j is absolutely essential to subsistence. There is, doubtless, already a very gen- 9, i