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Staunton Spectator: August 3, 1869 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

For the Spectator
(Column 05)

Summary: Orpha Swink writes to the Spectator about the harm caused by alcohol. She expects that God will soon take his vengeance upon the State that supports the sale of alcohol, and asks those in authority to stop the trade.

Full Text of Article:

MR. EDITOR: -- I wish to say a little through the columns of your excellent paper (of which I lately had the perusal) on the subject of Temperance, and first I will tell you that I am a woman -- not a ranting "woman's rights" woman -- not a strong-minded woman, contending for a seat in the Legislature, but a woman with a woman's heart that can feel for the distress, the anguish of others -- that can appreciate the scanty wardrobe and desolate, comfortless home, made so by the cups of a drunken husband. A heart, also, that can loathe, and despise the traffic, and were it not for the love of Jesus, the men who carry on this traffic for the promotion of such things as these. Neither am I a literary character, and it is only the great weight that this subject has upon my mind, that now impels me to write that I may possibly say something that may lead some one who has the power to do something that will annihilate the Dram-shop, and all its concomitants from our land.

When I see men of wealth renting their houses for this business, and giving them favorable notice -- when I see the dram-seller, putting bread into the mouths of his family by taking it from those of his neighbor -- when I see him garnishing his own home by desolating the homes of others -- when I see a dozen men enter this dram-shop on the Sabbath day -- when I see the blood relative holding literally the bottle to his brother's lips -- when I see the blear-eyed and bloated-faced wretch, stretched with shabby garments, bare-footed, and bare-legged, upon a rude bench, forgetful of everything but the fatal glass, whiling away the precious golden hours that ought to be bringing food, clothing, and happiness to his family -- when I see his pale-faced wife turn sadly from the door of her miserable home, whither she has so frequently gone to look for the form of which she was once justly proud but which she now is so often forced to meet with sickening horror. He is not coming, and as she turns again to her plain duties and her children, she lifts her eyes once more heavenward, and exclaims with the dying crucified One, while the last drop of life-blood seems to be ebbing from her crushed and withered heart -- "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." When I see all this, it seems to me that were I to hold my peace, the very stones would cry out.

The worst of all is, that these things are either disregarded entirely, or treated lightly, by those in authority. They have failed to plead the cause of the widow and the afflicted. To them we look for light, but behold obscurity -- for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

Shall this continue? Something in my inmost soul seems to tell me it shall not. It seems to me God will not bear much longer with the proud nation, whose land is indeed a land of milk and honey, of countless mercies and luxuries. We have called the God of Heaven our God, a being of infinite Purity and Justice. Can we be a pure people when such impurity is practiced by us? Can we be a just people while we thus tempt our fellow men by making and selling that which will ruin both his soul and his body? Will not this great God, whom we have thus mocked avenge his own elect, who cry unto him day and night? and if we do not as a people cease from this sin, have we not reason to expect, that by reason of the prayers, groans, cries and tears of those afflicted by it, God will come and will not keep silent, that a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous about him. -- He may come suddenly and smite the earth with a curse. Then may not even my feeble voice be heard calling for judgment and pleading for truth? May I not plead with those whom we have been proud to call our rulers, and to whom by a vote of the people we have given the Power (mighty word for good or for evil) to turn back this rapid tide of iniquity.

Oh, may we not hope that the time will soon come when the nets for the feet of the youthful and unwary will be broken and made to cease their dark doings. Then shall many, very many, both old and young, both rich and poor, rise up to call you blessed.

ORPHA T. SWINK

Rural Home, Warren county, Ohio.

July 13th., 1869.

For the Spectator
(Column 05)

Summary: The minister of the First Baptist Church, Henry Dickinson, will soon leave Augusta. He wrote to express his sincere regret at having to leave, and praised the white and colored citizens of the county for their kindness and charity.

Full Text of Article:

STAUNTON, 26th July. 1869.

Messrs. Editors: -- As my ministerial labors as pastor of the First African Baptist Church here, will close before the issue of the first number of your paper in August, and I, in all probability, already under instruction in the missionary school of the Baptist denomination. I beg leave now to say, through your precious columns, I never parted with a community, without regard to color, with so much reluctance in my life. The countenance uniformly shown me by the whites, and the valuable instructions I have received from many members of the legal profession, together with the support I have received from my own color, lay me under obligations of lasting gratitude, and whatever may be my destiny in the future, whether favorable or unfavorable, I shall, with however much humbleness, humility and meekness, ever bear the sweetest recollection of the thousand kindnesses shown me by all.

May the Lord, in his tender mercies, bless all, old and young, composing the entire community, is and shall ever be, my sincere prayer. HENRY DICKINSON,

Pastor First Baptist Church, Staunton.

P.S. -- Will the other papers here please copy? H.D.

Complimentary
(Column 01)

Summary: Reported that a meeting was held to present a series of resolutions expressing the gratitude of the southern people to George Peabody for his gift of $8,000,000 to the cause of education.

Full Text of Article:

A meeting was held at the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs on last Tuesday, composed principally of Southerners, at which a series of resolutions were unanimously adopted expressing the gratitude of the southern people to George Peabody for his munificent gift of $8,000,000 to the cause of education.

In the hotel parlors, on the evening of the 28th, eight hundred persons, half of them ladies, assembled to witness the presentation to George Peabody of the resolutions adopted at the meeting yesterday. The resolutions were presented by Jas. Lyons, Esq., in an eloquent speech. Mr. Peabody, in response, alluded in a touching manner to the condition of the Southern people, and spoke cheerfully and hopefully of coming and brighter days of prosperity for the whole South. He said, incidentally, that though the education fund was yet in its infancy, it had accomplished much good.

A grand ball will be given on the 11th of August in honor of Mr. Peabody.

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: Brief report on the activities of the Colored Laborer's Convention.

Full Text of Article:

The colored laborers' convention passed resolutions affirming that the objections of white men to working with negroes must be overcome, calling a national negro convention to meet in December next, and invoking Congress to drive Chinese labor out of the country.

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The Petersburg Index asked why Virginia cannot be admitted into the Union, and appealed to the Federal Government to respect Virginia's good-faith efforts to do everything required of her.

Full Text of Article:

The Petersburg Index asks, "why can we not have peace. Why stand the test-oath, and the schemes of greedy office-seekers, and the malice of disappointed candidates, and the partisan "influence of extremists," between Virginia and the Union.

Has she not done all that has been asked? -- Complied with the strictest letter of the law? Confirmed to the negro his right of suffrage? Accepted an exaggerated construction of the Reconstruction Acts? Elected a Northern man, and known loyalist, to the Executive chair of the State? Chosen a Legislature not one of whom is open to objection under the Federal or the State Constitution?

What more can be asked? If anything else is needed why not have specified it before the election? We have done all, and more than was required. Now we appeal to the President, to the Congress, to the People -- for the sake of justice, of honesty, of humanity, of common prosperity -- for God's sake, "LET US HAVE PEACE."

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper argued that Virginia will be re-admitted to the Union "if right, justice, and law are to prevail." The paper doubted whether that would happen, given the state of the leadership of the country.

Married
(Column 02)

Summary: James R. Garland and Mrs. Barbara Vines, both of Augusta, were married in Staunton on August 1st by the Rev. J. I. Miller.
(Names in announcement: James R. Garland, Barbara Vines, Rev. J. I. Miller)

Married
(Column 02)

Summary: John H. Leckey and Miss Maggie A. Dudley, daughter of R. H. Dudley, were married at the residence of the bride's father on July 27th by the Rev. J. Pinkerton.
(Names in announcement: John H. Leckey, Maggie A. Dudley, R. H. Dudley, Rev. J. Pinkerton)

Married
(Column 02)

Summary: Thomas F. Hall and Miss Martha S. Berry, both of Augusta, were married in Craigsville on July 28th by the Rev. R. P. Kennedy.
(Names in announcement: Thomas F. Hall, Martha S. Berry, Rev. R. P. Kennedy)

Deaths
(Column 02)

Summary: Mrs. Carrie V. D. Coleman, wife of Thomas E. Coleman, died at the Staunton residence of Mrs. Venable on July 25th. She was 29 years old.
(Names in announcement: Carrie V. D. Coleman, Thomas E. Coleman, Mrs. Venable)

Deaths
(Column 02)

Summary: Stephen V. Ridgway, infant son of R. S. and M. L. Ridgway, died in Staunton on July 18th. He was 6 months old.
(Names in announcement: Stephen V. Ridgway, R. S. Ridgway, M. L. Ridgway)

Deaths
(Column 02)

Summary: Miss Bettie Eidson, daughter of Henry Eidson, died in Baltimore on March 19th. "For more than four years a fatal malady had been slowly wasting away her strength, and drying up, one by one, the springs of life; yet her sick chamber was privileged beyond the common walks of life. With a heart made of tenderness and with patient, cheerful, winning ways, she ever made her room the centre of attraction for the household."
(Names in announcement: Bettie Eidson, Henry Eidson)