--In Cameron's new scheme of partitioning Virginia, he has been good enough to annex us to Maryland, and to permit no portion of the State to retain the name of Virginia, but the largest, most populous, and richest portion of it, which lies west of the Blue Ridge.

If the Northern Secretary of War, or any other moon-struck Yankee expects that Virginia will surrender one acre, one foot, or one inch of her soil to any other power on the face of the earth, they labor under a delusion to which that of the most raving maniac of the lunatic asylums is the height of reason and moderation. We shall neither give up the smallest pebble in our Western mountains; nor the tiniest grain of sand in Northampton or Accomac to any power but to that mighty hand which fashioned the mountains and the sea. The mountains themselves will be sunk into plains and the ocean be dried up in its bed.--"dust to dust and ashes to ashes" will be counted over the tomb of every Virginian before Virginia will permit the partition of the smallest particle of her sacred soil. This great Commonwealth is "one and indivisible" by any power short of the power of Heaven.

It is true that Northwestern Virginia and the Eastern Shore have been overrun by a detested enemy, but it is an occupation no more permanent than the ship has of the water beneath its keel. It is in vain, that these lying Yankees report that both these sections are now loyal to the Union. We know it to be a lie. Eastern Virginia can be imposed upon by no such fabrication of the most mendacious and unprincipled wretches that ever lived. Though in the West and on the Eastern Shore, as in Maryland, the utterance of true and loyal men may for a time be stiffed, it is but for a time, and when the hour comes, their voice will be heard, and their arms be felt, and their hearts be found as faithful and determined as any that beat in human bosom. If they are still now, it is because hope is left them; but, if the enemy should seek to rivet their chains and make his occupation permanent, they will prefer death to bondage, and write the charter of their deliverance in the blood of their oppressors, even if it be a deliverance from existence itself as well as from oppression.

Even now we discover, from the doleful complaints of a correspondent of the New York Times, that Western Virginia is no bed of roses to the invaders. He draws a graphic and tragic picture of the ambushes, traps, and pitfalls laid for the Federals by detached parties of the Secessionists; of the hidden death that suddenly starts out upon them from some ravine, or bush, or mountain chasm; of the deadly rifle that is aimed from some mountain cliff upon an unsuspecting band below, and which never fails. It is believed that as many of the enemy have been killed in Northwestern Virginia in guerrilla warfare as have fallen in some of the regular battles. The account of the Times correspondent is confirmed by an intelligent gentleman of this State, who informs us that there are many men in the West who have each, with an old fashioned Virginia rifle, killed at least fifteen Yankees. There is now in our city one of these famous rifleman who has bagged his eighteen, and intends to keep up his hunting expeditions till the end of the war. The occupation of Northwestern Virginia, thus far, has done anything but strengthen the Federal cause. Whereas nearly half of these counties gave secession majorities, it is believed that now, if the public enemy were out, nearly all, with the exception of four or five; would vote to go for the South.

The wealth in that section, as well as the majority of numbers, is on the secession side, and one of the arguments used against us there by the Unionists is, that if the Yankees retain possession the wealth of the rich would be divided among the poor. It is really a modest expectation of Mr. Cameron that we should give up a country at present paralyzed, it is true, like the Eastern Shore, by the presence of an invading army, but the great majority of whose people are loyal, and whose mineral and agricultural treasures are incalculable. In the thirty- five counties now unrepresented in the Virginia Legislature, there is a population of three hundred thousand white persons. There are in that district numerous oil wells, producing an article which the Confederacy so much needs at the rate of over five hundred barrels daily, enough to supply the United States and all Europe. There are the Kanawha Salt Works, producing, at 25 or 30 cents a bushel, that invaluable article, which is now selling in Richmond at $28 a sack, and which has yielded annually ten millions of dollars' worth of salt, Two hundred and fifty thousand head of cattle and over four hundred and fifty thousands hogs and sheep were the product of the same section last year.

It is believed that twenty-five millions of dollars is a small estimate for the interest of Northerners in the oil, lands, salt, and iron establishments of Western Virginia. If Mr. Cameron or any other man ever expects to wrest such a region from Virginia, he will have to wait till every mother's son in Virginia has bit the dust, and closed his eyes forever to such infamous spoliations and intolerable shame.

Virginia ought to take such measures at once as will give assurance to the world of her determination to hold intact every foot of her soil, and to adjust the action of her Government to every damaged part, as quickly as it can be restored to its original condition. The thought should not be tolerated for a moment of permitting the enemy to retain his foothold among our grand and beautiful mountains. The Legislature should provide for the representation of all parts of the Commonwealth in the General Assembly.

By adopting a comprehensive and courageous policy, the Northwestern Virginians with timely and proper aid from the Confederate authorities, will be able themselves not only to keep down the factions Unionists, but drive the invaders into the Ohio. With less than one half the Confederate force already sent there, judiciously disposed, and with an adequate supply of arms, we believe that twenty thousand troops, among the best the world ever saw, could be raised in Northwestern Virginia alone, who would prove their loyalty and devotion with the best blood of their hearts.

--The last few weeks have witnessed a series of the most remarkable stampedes on the part of the enemy which can be found on record. Four weeks ago our affairs around the horizon certainly looked somewhat gloomy. The great naval expedition had silenced our guns on the forts of Port Royal, and had effected a lodgment of troops on the main land, without the loss of a ship. A large army under McClellan was threatening our lines before Manassas, at the same time that a naval assault upon Evansport was daily expected. Pensacola was heavily bombarded, and it, was unknown what amount of metal would be brought to bear upon our batteries at that point. A formidable invasion down the Mississippi, as well by laud as by river, was preparing at Cairo and Paducah, and our Western Generals and Governors were calling urgently for more troops, while bridges were burring and insurrection raising its fearful head in the interior. In the Price and McCulloch were pressed back to Missouri, and in danger of attack from a mont, and afterwards Hunter. General Zollicoffer was considered in imminent danger from a very large force that was pressing him from the direction of Camp Dick Robinson; and Nelson was at Prestonsburg and Piketon, preparing to cross the Cumberland Mountain into Virginia with ten thousand men. Finally, Rosencranz was in force five to one against us in the Kanawha.

In four weeks the aspect of affairs has completely changed. The conduct of the enemy has been marvellous and even a musing. The bombardment of Pensacola proved to be a ridiculous failure. Nothing has been effected beyond mere landing and entrenching at Port Royal. Evansport has not been bombarded; and the recollection of Leesburg, has taught McClellan and his army at Alexandria, that discretion which is the better part of valor. Rosencranz has gone off with all but two of his regiments from the Kanawha to winter in Wheeling; first putting Gen. West Point Benham under arrest for failing to capture Floyd's twenty-two hundred men with five to seven thousand.

Nelson, frightened by the daring and gallant expedition of our cavalry against Guyandotte took a sudden and headlong retreat from the vicinity of Pound Gap, dropping several of his cannon, drowning many of his horses in the river, and leaving tents, baggage, and supplies in glorious confusion all along the path of his unpursued retreat.

The enemy's force before Zollicoffer caught the same Bull Run fever that seems to seize his armies in turn everywhere with equal violence. We published, a few days ago, their own melancholy tale of the dreadful flight. It was the most marvelous phenomenon we recollect to have read of in all the history of wars and marchings. The flight was precipitate and disastrous, and the loss of property immense. It suddenly relieved us of the danger which threatened us in East Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia.

Then came the unaccountable retreat of Hunter from Western Missouri, and the capture of Montgomery and a hundred Federal army wagons, with their freight of arms and provisions. Finally, the array of troops and boats that was preparing in such formidable force at Cairo strangely disintegrated itself, a large portion of it going off precipitately to St. Louis to protect that city, supposed to be threatened by Price and McCulloch from a distance of two hundred miles.

The effect of all of these strange manœuvres, and this unaccountable cowardice, has been to put a new face upon our entire affairs. The "cord" that was "tightening around us," according to the strange fancies of timid people, and which was soon to crush us by its rigorous energy, has fallen to pieces like a rope of sand; and instead of the enemy being everywhere aggressive, he is all along our lines, retreating or standing timidly on the defensive. At no period since the war began, has the hand of Providence been more distinctly visible than in thus, by mysterious and unseen influence, scattering the hosts of the foe.

--We find in the Bowling Green Courier the following article which that paper extracts from the Cincinnati Times. This testimony from the enemy, of the efficiency of our operations on the Kanawha, must, of course, be accepted as reliable so far as it speaks in our favor.

The second escape of Floyd from Western Virginia, without even a battle, certainly should not be very satisfactory to the Government. His forces were much less than Rosencranz's, and the latter had ample time to cut off Floyd's retreat, or at least force him to battle. That it was not done is one of the mysteries of the campaign. At a time when it was supposed that Western Virginia was free from rebels, Floyd stole a march upon Rosencranz, suddenly appearing upon the opposite bank of the river, and throwing balls into Rosencranz's camp. For several days Floyd's cannon commanded the roads connecting our camps, and cut off all transportation during day light.

The boldness of the movement was only equalled by the supineness which afflicted our side. The taunts of the rebels were submitted to without resistance. We were told, and so was the Government, that Rosencranz was aware of Floyd's advance; that no resistance had been made because Rosencranz wished him to advance, and that now that Floyd was upon the Galley, Rosencranz had him just where he wanted him, and that in a few days Floyd would be bagged. Then followed a silence of several days, and at last came the intelligence that Floyd and his whole force had escaped, making a successful retreat to a point out of the reach of our forces.

The announcement created no little astonishment, and as the facts connected with the case come to hand, they are far from satisfactory.

It seems that, after suffering a bombardment of several days, General Rosencranz adopted a plan to surround Floyd and cut off his retreat. Three brigades, embracing a force superior in numbers, were detailed for that purpose. Gen. Benham was commanded to cross the river below Floyd, while Cox and Schenck were to cross above, and blockade the only roads leading to the South. At a given signal the three divisions were to advance and give battle. Benham's brigade crossed the river, and were in bivouac five days, waiting for orders to march. At last those orders were received, and Benham advanced to the rebel camp. He gave the signals agreed upon, and received answers from the other brigades that all was right, yet when he reached the rebel camp he found it freshly deserted. The other brigades had failed in their movements, and Floyd, taking advantage of that fact, retreated through the unobstructed read before him. It has since transpired that but for a fortunate night's rest, ordered by Gen. Benham, his brigade would have been precipitated upon Floyd's whole force, and, cut off from all aid, might have been annihilated by superior numbers.

The result is just this; Floyd has escaped a second time, when he should have been captured. As at Carnifax, he outgeneraled Gen. Rosencranz. At the former he drew off his forces safely with a small loss, while, to-day Rosencranz's forces have not recovered from the terrible forced marches they were then subjected to. As we have before remarked, our loss by disease, resulting from the hardships of that occasion, is greater than that of all the battles which have been fought in Western Virginia. In this last expedition, Floyd certainly eluded what was proclaimed as a sure trap for the destruction of his army.

Such are the unpleasant truths which come to us from the Kanawha. We can but reiterate the opinion heretofore expressed, that Gen. Rosencranz can be superceded to advantage. We should like to see a General in command of that department who could at least prove a match for Floyd.

Having seen frequent announcements in Baltimore journals in relation to this gentleman--one that he was lying seriously ill at Richmond, and another that he was dead — we take pleasure in stating, for the information of his many friends in the Monumental City and elsewhere, that we were gratified with a visit from Major Spurrier yesterday, and that he was never in better health than he is enjoying at this time.

--There are some good shots in the county of Essex, in this State, with the pistol as well as the rifle. A few days since, at a distance of over one hundred yards, Mr. John T. Young, a member of Capt. Cauthorn's Essex cavalry, shot and killed a wild turkey — he on his horse and the turkey running. The same gentleman, while on picket at the Rappahannock, shot and killed a wild duck at a distance largely over that mentioned above. These shots were made with an ordinary five-shooter.

--A. C. Ham, recently tried and convicted by court martial of burning the bridge across Lick Creek, Tennessee, some time since, was hung at Knoxville on the 11th inst.

--The Petersburg Express, of the 12th inst., says: