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Valley Spirit: December 19, 1860 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Opinion of the Attorney General
(Column 01)

Summary: Reply of the Attorney General to the President's request for clarification of the law relating to the government's right to protect the South Carolina forts from attack.

Can the Union be Saved?
(Column 05)

Summary: The South is totally without the power of self-protection because the government is under Republican control. In order for the South to remain in the Union, some means must be found that would allow the region to protect itself. Mr. Roane proposes that an amendment to the Constitution be adopted "requiring for the passage, now and hereafter, of any law affecting the institution of slavery, a majority of votes from both the slaveholding and non-slaveholding States for the time being in each branch of the Federal Legislature."

Editorial Comment: The article is written by Mr. A. Roane, of Washington city, the author of "The South in the Union or out of it."

News of the Week
(Column 01)

Summary: The Spirit believes that there is no hope for conciliation on the part of the North. A large group of people gathered in Philadelphia to pass resolutions that expressed love for the Union, condemned the denunciation of slavery and pledged to repeal laws that obstructed the operation of the Fugitive Slave Law.

Howell Cobb's Resignation
(Column 02)

Summary: Howell Cobb resigned as Secretary of the Treasury because his sense of duty to the state of Georgia required that he no longer be a member of the Cabinet. The Spirit believes that this action bodes very ill because Cobb in the past had always supported Union over secession. However, he argued that the South couldn't stay in the Union after the Republicans gained power.

Democratic Prediction Fulfilled
(Column 02)

Summary: The Democrats warned the nation that Lincoln's election would lead to the dissolution of the Union. Their prediction is now coming true.

Col. McClure "Feeling His Oats"
(Column 03)

Summary: Analyzes a speech given by Col. McClure, a possible nominee for the Senate. McClure stated that he would teach the South a lesson of submission not soon to be forgotten. The Spirit warns that, if a war against the South should occur, southern Pennsylvania will "feel the heaviest shock of war. It is your homes that will be desolated, your towns that will be pillaged and your fruitful fields that will be laid waste."

Letters to the People, No. 1
(Column 04)

Summary: The election of Lincoln has led to an economic crisis and the laboring classes of the North are suffering the most.

A Letter from Washington
(Column 05)

Summary: Buchanan is "deeply exercised and grieved" by General Cass' resignation.

To the People of the United States
(Column 06)

Summary: President Buchanan has set aside January 5, 1861 as a day of humiliation and prayer as a means of bettering the national political state.

Address of Certain Southern Senators and Members of Congress
(Column 06)

Summary: The Southern Senators believe that "all hope of relief in the Union through the agency of committees, congressional legislation or constitutional amendments is extinguished." As a result, they think that the South should form a Confederacy.

The Views of General Scott
(Column 06)

Summary: General Scott gave the President his views of the condition of the military defenses of the country.

[none]
(Column 06)

Summary: The Star is fairly certain that Attorney General Black will be nominated by the Senate for Secretary of State and Edwin M. Stanton will be offered the Attorney General position.

Origin of Article: Washington Star

Hope Fire Company
(Column 02)

Summary: The above men were elected to serve in the Hope Fire Company for the next six months.
(Names in announcement: J. McKesson, C. Smith, H. Peiffer, A. C. McGrath, Wm. Eyster, P. McGaffegan, Geo Brinkman, John Smith, Frank Snyder, Wm. Gilmore, George Cook, T. Myers, E. Z. Furry, Dr. J. Montgomery, John Hicks, Wm. Selders, T. Stratton, J. W. Armstrong, S. A. Stouffer, A. McDowell, G. Eysler)

Public Library
(Column 02)

Summary: The Chambersburg librarian invites all citizens "who may be sufficiently schooled as to be able to read, and particularly the young men of the said village," to come to the library and pick up some reading material. He fears that "literature in this place is decaying."
(Names in announcement: B. Frank Gilmore)

Cumberland Valley R. R. Co.
(Column 03)

Summary: The Spirit prints the financial figures of the Cumberland Valley R. R. as drawn from its annual report.

Resignation of the Hon. Howell Cobb
(Column 04)

Summary: Resignation letter of Cobb. In it, he states that the people of his state are "engaged in a struggle where the issue is life or death." The Spirit also prints Buchanan's response.

"Free Labor and Free Homes"
(Column 04)

Summary: The Spirit believes that Northern laborers regret voting for Lincoln because his election has plunged the nation into economic crisis.

Married
(Column 06)

Summary: Married December 13th at the Indian Queen Hotel. Groom's name is illegible.
(Names in announcement: Rev. S. McHenry, Mary Gsell)

Married
(Column 06)

Summary: Married on December 13.
(Names in announcement: Rev. M. Snyder, George Carraugh, Susan Buckhart)

Married
(Column 06)

Summary: Married December 11th at the German Reformed Parsonage.
(Names in announcement: Rev. Samuel Phillips, John Jacobs, Miss Arie Easom)

Died
(Column 06)

Summary: Mary Lizzie, aged 3 years, died on December 7th.
(Names in announcement: Mary Lizzie McKesson, James McKesson, Anna McKesson)

Abstract of the Postmaster General
(Column 01)

Summary: Report of the Postmaster General that details the statistics of the post office, including its annual deficit.

Abstract of the Report of the Secretary of the Navy
(Column 01)

Summary: The Navy has been examining the expediency of converting Navy sailing ships into efficient war steamers. However, this plan was rejected as too inefficient.

Abstract of the Report of the Secretary of War
(Column 01)

Summary: The army has "been obliged to prosecute active and sanguinary war . . . with numerous tribes of hardy and warlike Indians." The War Department wants Congress to give it superintendence and control of the Indians, "as it is quite impossible to impress on these savages the idea of obedience by any other means than military power."