Departure of one of the "Friends of the South."
--The fact of the departure of Chas. Hallock, claiming to be a son of the editor of the New York Journal of Commerce, from the South, has been mentioned. The Wilmington (N. C.) Journal says: ‘ Young Hallock came over to the Confederacy nearly a year ago, and was employed for some months as assistant editor of the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle and Sentinel, which position he ceased to occupy some time since. From circumstances stated in the Augusta papers — the Constitutionalist and the Chronicle and Sentinel--the conductors of both papers are fully satisfied that Hallock has returned to his friends and our enemies, running the blockade via Wilmington. However that may be we learn that Mr. Hallock came here with the following credential. ’
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Mayor's Office, Augusta, Ga., 24th Aug., 1863.
I hereby certify that the bearer, Mr. Chas Hallock, is a citizen of this city, and devoted to the cause of the Confederate States. Mr. H. is the editor of the Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel, one of the leading papers of this State.
His character is in every respect above reproach.
I take great pleasure in recommending Mr. Hallock to the kind courtesies of any friend of the South who may see this.
Mr. Hallock represented that he was going out for supplies for the newspaper of which he was editor, and he had regular exemption and other papers, upon which he was permitted to sail. Now, the error in this case was with those who first gave Hallock credit and currency — who vouched for him without really knowing him. He came to Augusta as highly accredited from Richmond. Fresh from the enemy's country, he aspires to give tone and direction to Southern sentiment through the press, and soon makes his entrance and accomplishes his exit as the editor of one of the leading papers of the State of Georgia. We would like to believe that he went out from this port in good faith, and in pursuance of the object assigned by him as the reason for his going, but the authoritative statements of the paper with which he was connected precludes the possibility of any such belief being entertained. The credentials, papers and vouchers upon which he was permitted to sail appear to have been ample. The Raleigh (N. C.) Progress has the following paragraph about him: ‘ We remember the chap, Hallock. He was in Raleigh last spring. He talked big, cursed the Yankees, drank whiskey, and kept up a good appearance generally — we mean for a Yankee just arrived in the Confederacy, and who wished to make his loyalty to our cause appear above suspicion. We suspected then that he came as a spy, and we are not at all surprised to find our suspicions turn out correct. He boasted here of the distinguished consideration shown him in Richmond, and declared that any amount of money had been offered him to start a paper at Augusta. ’
