0 XDpozitivrzf. it io i n estliar, December 14, 1944. gir Any of out patrons having copies of the fast and second numbers of THE OLD FLAG will confer a great favor upon the imblisktars by sending them to this office. They are wanted to complete our files. All /nir copies on hand of those mambos, were burned by the rebels. TIENCEFOBTH 'the -subscription price of the FRAIiKLIN REPOSITORY will.be $2.50 - pey annum in advance. and all accounts in. arrears will be charged at the same rate. This increase is rendered imperatively ne cessary- by the steady advance of labor,' materials and everthing used _in the pub lication of a newspaper; and we confi dently rely upon the patrons of this jour nal to sustain it with, the same generous fidelity they have hitherto given to its supptirt. We spare no expense to 'Make it in all respects worthy of an intelligent and faithful people, atul. we • need hardly say that in the future, as in the past, it will be second to none in completeness as a public journal and in devotion to the cause of Union arid Freedom. SALMON P. CHASE was norainated. by the President as Chief Justice of the Uni ted Statei on Tuesday of last week. and confirmed by the Senate without a refer- ence. Mr. Chase is confessedly one of the ablest of our living jurists and statesmen. and-has filled various most responsible trusts with a reputation unspotted. He has been twice chosen IT• S. Senator by the legislature of Ohio; twice elected Go, vernor , of the same State. and was the Sec- retary of Treasury during more than three years of Hr. Lincoln's administration,when - our finances were subjected to the severest trial known in history. His long and faith -ful public services and eminent ability are .intw fitly. rewarded by being clothed with the most responsible position in the gov ernment -excepting only , the Presidenhy ; and whatever may be the biased judgment of rancorous partizanship now, the ap pointment will be vindicated by the whole Nation as passion subsides, and the peo ple turn to their court of last resort with that reverence it must ever command to fill its full measure of usefulness. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S fourth annual - message needs no comment. It is brief, practical, free from all ambiguities, and - shOws a7singleness of purpose to maintain our sacred Nationality, from the first to _ the last paragraph. It meets the just es pectations of a loyal people by proposing a solution of the Shivery questidn by con-. stitutional amendment„ and the flood of vituperation charging that,the war is pros tituted_to a mere struggle for the status -of the Negro race.-i,s - most pointedly ans - wered by Mr. Lincoln when he says that the rebels "can at any monietit have peace simply by laying down theiriarms and "submitting to the national authority un ;‘ der the constitution. After sol much the " government could not, if it would, maize tain war again"st them. The loyal people 1 "would not sustain or allow it. If ques " tions should, remain we would adjust-them "by the - peaceful means of legislation, con - "lerences, courts and votes, operating only "in constitutional and lawful channels." Had hE said less he would have fallen short of his holiest duty to the loyal peo ple of the Nation: had he said more be would have - given renewed hope to des pairing traitors. • Equall3-* pointed, and in _harmony with'the deliberately expressed • verdict of the people, is his declaration ' that if the people make it a duty to re • enslave the negro now free, "another. and "not I, must be their instrmnent to per form it." ,H ox. Jon!: Fon= is.strongly urged for a Tosition in Presidenf - Lineoln's cabinet by the Ines , . of this State. regal B less of internal divisions in the Union par - - ty. and also by vatioM; prominent politi- clans who could not e•a>ily be concentrated on any other Man. We most cordially join in commending the movement to the favorable consideration of the President, and earnestly holie, that the great Key stone State NN ill not tie disregarded in the selection of the constitutional advisers for the new administration. , Pennsylvania .Ijas borne a most conspicuous part in the _great struggle for the maintenance of otn• Nationality. She J,a.• met every requisi tion with pat rii,tie promptness and pride, — and in every struggle involving the mo mentous issues of; liiyalty or syfiniatlry with the enemies our COIIIIIIOII couutrv, -hog voice ha, ever ►mcn given in vindica tion of- her unfaltering fidelity. Next tx those clothed with .official power by thy_ state. and charged with the preservation of her honor, no one man has been mote untiring, efficient and commanding in 'every contest than John W. Forne c y, and he would fitly represent our mightytom monwealth in the highest councihi of the 'Nation. It is a compliment of the rarest character that the discord of faction pales before the movement to place Mr. Forney in the cabinet, and, with Pennsylvania thus presenting the' name of one of her honored sons, NNe look with confidence for His appointment. CONcatEss AND GOLD We,had hoped that Congress hadilearii ed wisdom from thevarious efforts here tofore made to fix the price of Old by stat •Several lawfi have been passed de signed to lessen the nominal Value of that commodity, but each lies given bountiful fruits in its enhanced price ;r and be last effort made to depress gold by legislation so promptly-and fearfully inflated it, that Congress hastened to retrace its steps by repeal. There i;ehoped the farce wonlil end; but Mr. Stevens prop s o - s - ed A new bill, with most stringent movisiOns, the first Working dity of the present session, and ran gold up twelve per cent. in five hours. The result was. that in opposition to the -. earnest protest of the honored Chairman of Ways arioeans, the bill was strangled In its swaddling clothes. is the most foolish of all financial fol 'lies to attempt to. regulate the price of gold by congressional enactment. It will bring just what it is worth i4,deliancenf all laws designed to deptess it. Men will want it and will have it;-,aint as Congress cannot compel Men to • what jgold they own, it will b;hig between man and man just what it is deemed to be worth. To say therefore that one,dollar of gold Shall be Fold no higher than one dollar of cur:- rency that is depreciated - over one hind= red per cent:. as is evidenced to the hum blest comprehension when the necessaries of life - are priced, is to attempt an utter impossibility, and bring Congress mid the laws into utter contempt. Congress has by its own acts—wrong and even suicidal we must confess, as' ever insisted by" Mr. Stevens—created a demand for gold. It has recognized the distinction imtween a dollar in gold and a dollar in currency, by providing for the payment of the interest on the public debt in gold, as well as the principal at maturity, and also in requir ing gold to he paid for custom duties. The merchants must therefore have gold to pay the government for its tax on im portations, and the government must also have it to pay its interest. This distinc tion and these necessities have been.cre ated by Congress; and now when it has made an imperative demand for gold, and failed to provide ample revenues to sus tain the debt and currency, it is proposed to legislate the price of gold down to the standard of a dollar iu currency. suppose it were done, we understand exactly that very many would be willing and glad to buy gold. but who would sell ? Certainly not a member of Congress, awl there are still some men out of Congress who know something of simple addition. Mr. Stevens has been right in his theory touching our finances from the start. He insisted that no distinction should -be made between gold and currency by the government. and wanted our bolds, in= terest and customs paid in our national currency. Had he succeeded in establish ing our finances on that basis, then he might by legislation interdict the sale of gold entirely if he preferred to do so, for it would not how be needed in the every day business transactions of life; but as Congress kept wrong in the face of his earnest warnings, he should bear in mind that the acts of Congress confront every measure to depress gold by penal statute. Until we come to - a currency standard, gold is recognized by the government as a me dium of different value from our own cur rency; and the Olrnui faith of the Nation stands in the Iry of such a reformation. There is now inst. one remedy for the inflation Of gold, , Our currency is depre, elated solely because our revenues are, in adequate to our wants. - Every school -boy 'knows that we are daily expending in- this war for the National life twice or thrice our reventies, and is it rational to expect the public,eredit thus to be' maintained ? The people are now paying fromine to three hundred per cent. indirect tux to the government for every necessary of life, solellv because Congress has failed to tax the people directly one-tenth the anionnt . they pay indirectly. Let Congress laik squarely in the face the necessities of the Nation. Our credit can be maintained only by increased taxation, and the people « ill save millions of money by paying increased tifxes and thus sustaining our credit. -No individual can maintain his credit without , Visible means of payment. and govern ments are not exceptions to the rule. Give us ample revenues, and gold will recede and with it the prices of all the neeessa -ries of life: • MILITARY DAMAGES The Piftliurg Ggzette in a late iSsue took occasion to-caution the legislature in advance, that -certain schemes of plun der were to be presSied this winter. among which it named the claims of the border people for the spoliation they have miter ed from both the Union and Rebel armies. It objected to the reeoguition of the bor der claims because many of them Were trumped up and all of them exagern ted," and also because, as it stated— " The principal parties of theme claimsclaims are men who have bought them np at a nominal price, and ran afford to allow a wide margin for the contin gencies of legislation at FlArrishlue Knowing as we do the utter falsity of the foregoing imputations against our people, we asked the Gazette to do them the justice - to correct its damaging accusti; tions. In a later - issue it gradgingly ac cepts our correction of its eroneous and sweeping elarge of fraud, in the alleged assignments of claims, but still insists that in the adjudication of the value of out losses. we have been our On judges. and 'therefore have greatly exagerated our claims. - In this the Gazette also The people of the border have never asked the government to accept their own esti mate of their losses. Part of the claims have been examined :1101 appraised by sworu officers appointed by the emu ts, and their report eolith - Wed by the same tribunals—the Comminonwealth having notice according to the pro / visions of ;the law. Another portion Of 'diem were "ap prai.ed by mint:Try officers appointed by the general government, and still another class. was adjudicated .by COM 111 iS:4(;11(.1 • selected by the legislature, eminent for their intelligence and integrity, and stran gers to ottr people. Theirreport was also approved by the court of Dauphin coun ty. All these commissioners or qpprais ers bore concurrent testimony that instan ces of attempts at extortion- were most rare. Indeed so impressed was each hoard with Ile integrity of the sufferers, that they all hook ormatsion_ in their repo' b to commend the honesty 'of our yeople. Will the Gazette. in the face of such a tee. ord, still insist that the border sufferers have assumed to be the judges of the ex tent of their losses ? So far from that each will be gladto know that " his neigh bOr cometh and searched' him !" The Gc:ctte then proceeds to more ion- triable warfare and objects on general Principles. It says: "What we object to in this whole business Is the claim that the State is bound to make good the losses of these people, any more than it is hound to make good the losses of any one MITI or any community by flood, fire, or other cause of devas ,tation. Whether these claims are large or small, qr held by speculators or not, are minor and inci dental questions; the crave question is, shall the State Treasury be emptied and the people taxed enormously to pay the losses of men who happen to live on the border and to have suffered from the.enemy I -We say no. moat emphatically: and wrisay it because the principle upon which the claims are basedist wrong one. Hurricanes and. tornadaes'have laid whole sections waste: floods have swept away in an hourthe entire property of thousands upon thousands of industrious men and fires have laid desolate entire towns. In ail these cases the de,olation has been as Treat as that ef fected by the raid of the Rebel, into the CuMber land Valley. Yet the legislature liar not felt call ed upon to make ally appropriationllk the relief of sufferers by fire, flood and storm : why should it in any other ease r • We do not now choose to discu&s the liability of the State to ailbrd protection to the people from whom it exacts ohedi encti and tribute. On that point the Ga ! - :ette haii a right to differ with us ; hut it is not fortunate in its logic.. It is not very many years since Pittsburg was but par tially desolated by a fire. and the legisla- titre .with corhmendable humanity and promptness made a- liberal appropriation to the sufferers. It was done. too, when the insurances were binding and colleeta 7 ble in most cases. thus diminishing, the loss in a very great degree. clad the in— surance policies held I):% the people of Chambersburg been valid to coverless in flicted by the torch of a public enemy. our town would have been abundantly able to care for itself: but it is lion- one mass of rains in its heart of wealth. and all precautions against loss fail because it was the work of a recognized tin•. Will the GirMte hißist that it adheres to the golden rule in its argument: ‘se have quoted ? It errs again in assuming that any loyal section has been desolated as has been ours. All its limited elements of destruc tion eon/bitted have not, in any instance in this itluntry. so crushed a faithful peo ple as bawl the repeated military opera tions in our midst—•alike of friend and foe. 'There are hundreds of: our vitizens now Itouseless and bankrupt by the sad ravages of this war, and have they no claim upon the might and fostering rare of a great State':. If not. d he taise troops at an ex- pease equal to our losses: to &feud them ? If the State has no resjimNibility: why should several millions he now expended to.raise - a State Guard If the Stale is bound to prOtect, is it not bound to com pensate We insist' the Gazette sommum or other get within the range of consistency N‘ ith itself ! OM IN vOirum Evrs Just now the Oil fever rage-1. It rages every whine—infects all atmospherei.jind has'ilrawn nl elassess into its dazzling whirl Of speculat hob IfitJbmtoithasbci , n confined mainly to the great cities and other centres of trade but it lids non ramified into every, rural district in the State, and all want tTli, take a chance in the brilliant lottery of tickle Fortune. I n view of the fact that Franklin comity is likely to invest half a million or toot e in these stocks. we vpiitnre a few , f.oggestions for the consideration of our reader, 1. Never invest in non-producing oil lands more than you can afford to lose en timely. We do not mean hi this that ;itch investments inti,t always prove a los.s: hitt v.e do say that they \Val prove a total loss nine times out °f ren. and profit less Tortv-nine out of tift. -two hundred and fifteen oil companies now organized in this State. not tlll,l . th:in twenty of them are paying 'llona tide divi dends out of the revenues front' their wells. Three-fourts of the remainder will prove dividetulless or a total loss to the ...tuck holders. 2.. Never invest in anY . Oil stock. ;rood, Lad or indifferent. moo- money than ott i call spare from your legitimate busine , ;s without embarassment. It is ne% et wise to do so. for even with the Ite,t prospects loss is possible. Wells 'may fail to pro j ltuLe.-4 may fall in price titles may prove ( defective, and scoundielsmay plun der r the management of these aswell other eorporations,and it is best to be safe against all-such contingencies. 3. Make such investments entirely in cidental to your regular businesson which you depend for a livelihood ; It will prove a costly appreeibtion of wealth if it diverts farmers, tradesmen and other business men from their daily pursuits, while if they operate with their span capital only, and ever bear in mind that it is a tid e of speculation only that >in II , t - ebb and flow with the haft ions surd depressions of trade. most judiciOns men may profit - by it - as it, passes, and it will leave them richer in purse and no poorer in fitness for indus try when it fags away. Be ever careful that the substance is not abandoned for the shadow. The slog tried that when crossing the stream with the meat in his mouth, and lost both. Many men will he MEM 4. Invest_to the extent of y our surplu , 1111!:1111S in companies with certain leve- Imes. There are tqlch on the market, and it wants but a little cm c and discrimina tion to dktingnish them. If it is an aseer tabled hut that a company lets a positive yield of oil ' , quid to ten Or twenty'per cent. on the cash capital, with good lands and ample reserved capital fordevehy !tient. it is fair to conclude -that capital is. not likely lo Lt .1o.:t in that compan:, It is remmnably certain to pay good inter pit. and the stock Will have a steadymar -ket value equal to its miginal cost. %%Idle ettbrtB tin' development all in swot of the holders. Ti tic e'.ll ant 11 companies may tail but _the chance, ate largely in favor of divide-aids. 5. It is not best to invet, all in any one company. While it is the: most profit - aide of inrcstments when priditable - at all. it is at, the sante time the most precarious and it is but the part of discretion totry' two or three good "teompanies instead of on.e. If Other developes he others may fail and the operation still prove profitable on the whole. Make such invlstmeuts through some tellable person at home. In the cities the' business of selling such stocks to rural friends is a profession,-and men arc expec ted to take ath : ice and - at the same rime I responsible for reshlts. Most, of our leading business men in the centres 1)f trade throughout the cinfut, either are operating in such stocks. or are tt ell in formed on finsubject. and as a rule. they cannot afford deliberately to mislead those who counsel with them. They May err in judgment but generally they will add vastly to the safety of such inresturt-tnts. frattistin epasitarn, tl)ambcrobing; pa. • THE LADY'S Putt: D.—The January nurnljet, of the Lady . , , Friend is already on our table. and ; fully bear out the high reptit:;:ioti of this ne - y; monthly. which 1, now entnring_tipon the secapd year of its exwenee. ‘rhe in ‘. bein:itul and will doiiiillesN go right to„ ttie . ilieare. of 5 - be Indies. The Faghion Plate—a doubt,. usual—is very liandFoine indeed. adiniii.t - , 1 ) gra)«ql on :no! 1'444 roiorod. i , a colored do;o:u of a Work 'raid, a very ii-end Lady, as she geenn:, in i:ed and )i , 116)1 and bite ; and 1A117114.1%,ii..- uthrr tngral iag.. of FaNilion , . 1\ in wtineet. &•i•. 3111.,10 01 !hill 1111111111.1' in 11 piece entitled -1 Within our Cottage $2,50; '2. copies $16,1o; nurnberq will Itr sent - to flirt-44 tlC , it•fiq of staking up club , tor 15 el , . Wheeler &IVilgoWa celebrated Soo n g Maciliiivs. o CuLisio,l 4 1 9 \\ hint Streei. Tor. Eleetf.ral of thi , s.'tate wet fleecril inff to kw: on NVedne , day hod in Itarri‘lotr4lo ear; the yore tor Pro,ident. lion, ..Morton ,01, of tine Electors' at I !rf...e. clidien Pi ,idvnt. fir. Winter beitez tdvsent. C4.lf, of Perry count), was chosen to the -vacancy, 'n!fita' the went) Pot:. of the :24:1,.te t•re:(t.st nc Abrilll3lllLinen)n for l'resident, and Andtewdfflin son for Viee l'resident. of the Laiouster Examiner. was Cilf , Pll to eiitr the retail, to IVashington. The Inenll.ol , te L • railed in a body on gm. Curtin ;it.L',fife Exeentivo ClizooLr and conifratolitiioßs wereex ehanaed an the.re.lllt of tie , election. .I.lter the adjournnient. tilt member. partook of a collation at lien. Cameron'. residence, aud 10 he eve)fing they were entertained In Goc. C'ort:d.ar tii !;lix ecidive Tint I'ittsburg Dhpatrh r Heider. di ri.•tluU th, Letter part of valor. e n d ili.K. II :IPt•- Inlh than have Oat our ttreat 1 , hare the Harli...btu-z 77h ; fraph oti It • •• Al - Clore InIIV I . oll=l,lvr it= ns lthciinr tyith draN% it. under:- iire,,,itre thi , ino , t whtiied. threat, uti)thinl. we ton:. h,ttr .aid per,niatiri or. politivaly oth.n.ile' to Inn. Atitint thei{ltß frieudlc of Ihe roles are :tinned in proof—'thrice is he armed that quarrel ‘‘ho or IN Lest % ,- ,:14 . 1 - 1 , 1. oliinjurrti: the •nood opinion' of tln. • For toll info. onttiot, upon this point ill, hoinni.r uouLieon-ult I lift I•:‘,4lenev.Andin•v. or ant other mon in pnlrlir life ra116,t.,1 for ;heir thi , ftil.onte , noth.ry. tine, wil! let ht. ,lien t • tale flint aiiiird to 1.0 stßftpepienl or hiettr ntoz the opinion of the I inn i.hor2 1 , 1 torn - The 7,b 5 .,r,,p1, ha , the duot r L tote , ;1 .in e edifieftiou of tin , Clnailher.burn inpo,itory - :that 'apt, (:of fee's- Conlin:tc ha. heen Oat the traitor. it p•oin'e!ed title to their and gate ,ni f in! _ Shippenshrtrif Srallna. 1;1 r It, .y 1•,•,... 1 fire ijr;:b.- frmit, 4.r •.‘ , ollf'l.•t !1:1%, t,,heil a hand lir, in re.l.•!, It. , no •141.1411,i) `:lt Nation, at inUzi• ddilrrd •11:1.1111 It it i.• 11:1‘ , • ...1 a . prtito4l coltnio ,00r the ,;f-rtt.• ~ a -v..or v..or ;on I‘"iitheiot 11:oico( k, thr diNtin , ,zoofo•.l I-ow:antler t.t :la •21til pi , . It 111 J.• It. uhtl It ha , a portrait o! hop Ilattoork. an‘tttlto lio:r 1 , a ottrnctlio in,..trticti% 3 oidwok tor tuutlt & GEN. : .4 11 , order ,4(o'pping_ the tray, i m r ittzens between I 1 - ageriao - O zind M:trtin,l,l,,g. :mall.) one not etkaph/3 ed. Lr 11111111 , I'loll With the arno i= permitted to pross. are infornted, !nose er, that travel uninterrnpted liy wa.3 of Frederick and from' there to ,Nlartilis• hurt! person: pas= fresh over the litilnatd. coßtrabaml- trade front the direction Of llMzors•- toan it .t. 132 . • c . 4111 -, t "1 the Weekill,ie, Tlu: 11,1; viial)(4 into n A ,, iii . 4111,11, 1..1' the 0111 wider the lams fit will herezitt-e Ph.• i t ev. burg Nalithi.,l Contiri,mt.l Jfontldg f,,,- ij, 11,nal ar