The Sources Gov. Docs. He calls on the border states to rally to the Union. The Spectator agrees with the letter writer that as a border state, Virginia stands to lose more in the event of disunion than most states.
Spectator calls for enforcement of the current laws in order to forestall disunion.
Ponders the horrors of secession and calls for an end to agitation. Page 2, col. In reality, the editorial claims, the Republicans rose to power under the watch of a Democratic administration and the Democrats are partially to blame for the lack of checks against Republican growth. Spectator blames the politicians of the Democratic party for accusing those who do not agree with them entirely, as being disloyal to slavery and to the South. This gives the impression that Virginians are not united in their devotion to slavery and the South, and thus contributed to the fanaticism of John Brown and to the impression among other fanatics of the North that there is sympathy for the anti-slavery cause in Virginia.