The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-11-24
THE VIRGTNIAN.
L~YNCHBURG, NOy.2., 1873.
- THE DIsUNIoN PRoJECTu-ago,r1

would no longer find il necessary TO array them
coming manner which had become so common
But, We are disappointed, al leasi foI the pres.
ent, in this hope ; aud touching q subject Of inf
niteiy greater impo'ianoethan the election which
has jus, been decided. IN the selection OF a Pre-
sident, We may err very materially but that er.
ror is not necessarily fatal, IL may he corrected
by the very generation which commits it. or. il
not, by the Wisdom OF p%osteriry. But, when a
dissolution ofthe Union is spoken of we touch
dangerous ground, lndeed-and We must tread
cautiously and lightly, lest one false step plunge
US into irretriesable ruin.
We did not believe that public opinion would
have tolerated such open illusions trsan event
the very apprehension of which .hoGld bo dis
carded n soon as felt, whilst yr. so many ofthe
trainers OF the constitution are alive aud looking
with hope, not nnmingled with lear. TO the
operation OF their experiment We know
tnat the ilne Was when he who whispered the
probability OF such nm event. much less hr
who spoke OF the means by which il should
b. effected, with complacon1y, would have
been loudly censured for his indiscre',on
The best way 10 repel danger is, We eJnil, to
meet il lnaniully III The lace. But, ii is not
therefore necessary or proper that we Should
provoke its approach.
Our IT ad-rs will recollect The letter of Mr..
rhomas r.. Mitchell, 10 Col. Robert Y.
Hayre, published in our last, in which Mr..
VI gives his understanding of the " PROPOSE.
tons" made al a meeting OF the South Carroll
ma delegation, in The city of Washington, a,
the last session of Congress, at The honso of
Col, H.. 10 determine what course they should
pursue with regard to the Tarif.-We think
that Mr.. Mitchell is fully sustained 10 his
narrative 10y Col. Hayne, and the other gen.
tlemen oftbo delegation who have testified,
land whose statements Will be found in our
columns to-day with two exceptions, which
we regard, and shall endeavor TO show, are
unimportant. The FIRST of these exceptions
IS, that observations which Col. Hayne and
'"s IOi'CdSucs sAhlf IL uHNf ilBtH fJDIt5'
sio'is'' used in casual conrer salons" by the
members implicated, are converted by hlr.
Mitchell into " propostiOas,' deliberately
proponnded, and acted on. The second, is,
that Mr. Mitchell attributes to Col. Hayne
III expression which Mr. Hamilton claims as
His own, and which is proved to be his by the
aviAEpro .f Col skra,t, lla. h.,.,
these ezcePi.on,in mind, let US enquire what IS
the true state of the casei And what ought
10 be the just judgment OF The American PEG
pie ? II is a judgment which the disjointed
state of the times may for the moment avert,
but which Till be awarded, al no distant day,
unless, indeed, the Southern madcaps shall
hurry the nation, by their impoluous rashness
at an earlier period than we now anticipate,
to the fatal catastrophe which they appear
10 contemplate with such cool philosophy.
Mr.. Hdmliton, whose giided yerbiage and
vehemencr OF gesiicuiation are mistaken TOR
the sublimity OF eIoqucnce, admits that he
had resolved to abandon his seat in Con-
gress and return TO his constituents, as soon
a. the Iuritf bill should become a law, as io
should no longer regard his presence necesss,
ry and, thus far. he veri6es Mr.. Mitchell's
statement But. he denies that he attempt
ed 10 influence any of his colleagues, and. in
this, he conflicts with Mr.. NJ. Yet, Mr.. Car
ter, who is brought forward 10 sustain Mr..
Hnnillon, tells us, that " Ma. Hamilton said
" ifthe rest Of the members'Aould upite with
him, he would take that step''-(inuendo, he
would not take IL, otherwise MIR. Mitch.
ellis state nent is Thus conclusively substantia
ted, and Mr.. Hamilton. controverted, by one
of the gentlemen introduced IL impugn tho
veracity of The former and to vindicate the
conduct of the latter Besides, if Mr.. Ham
ilton had, as he says, resolved upon leaving
Congress, without any reference to the deter
mination Of his colleagues. why lid he after
wards abandon this course, and stay al WISH
inston Their reasoning and their persua-
sions could not have affected his resolution,
from his own showing,--for. in assigning the
motive which induced him 10 decline asking
their corporation, he expressly says, " it was
a poin, of delicacy and duty which each rem
Der pas To settle for himself" Thus, then, he
stated to his colleagues only his oun determs-
natson to do that which he conceived TO be q
4" duty" without caring whether they co-ope
rated with him or not and yet, because they
Would not cooperate with him, he failed TO
perform this "duty"-a duty which he says,
even now, mus, be performed, or the South
g will continue, without any Limitation. TO be
and oppressed by the general gov
,nent = The truth is as apparent rs the SnD
noon-day. Mr.. Hamilton, who ha, sought,
aud still seeks notoriety by boisterons decla-
nation, and by an afeciation of chivslrous
threw ont the declaration Of his inten-
ton, only to feel bis way. The South Caro-.
lima members had avowediy met for the pur-