Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-01-01

again fairly get under WY.
The only nieresiIn. Incident that has occurred here
within lew days past las bern ,he pi"rrsdnas aei,e
Judge Nicholas On The Application u MIS-. Sally C.P
Thomas iora dlsm'e lion her husband Frsncfs ihon
a.. FIX Governor VI Mar, land "a which nenon
because il is of such widespread not"rieiy. Gov.
Thomas was rfe.enf 10 e,ufi during The ntsl Ills
counsel (M.ssfs. John r. CU,ke aid W. II. Maclai
land) rendered plea 10 tie Jurisdiction Of lie court,
which, icing oseuutd, they asked that il might he en-
entered Of recurd thai he declined entering ino defence
OF his character and conduct towards his VIE that he
had instituted sui in Maryland against her for d.
voyce. where he ~onld have a fo invest alton Of III.
charges he alleges against her. and that necessary. be
will bring such facts befure The Legislature when the
ease shall be brought up before iba, body will excu
pate him from al odum in the natter The court re
fused 10 admit The paper record, and Gov. Thomas
then abandoned the drienee. The following witnesses
were then examined behalf Of Mrs Thomas: Rover
dy johnson, Gu. $. Senalor,) Dr. Wm Tyler and Rich.
ard Graysun Of Mary land. Mrs. j. A Cocke of Cunh.r
land. Robert Taylor of Lexington, Va, and NIes.rs j.
X. Anderson and John VI. Patton and Mrs Cnfrnrto,
OF This CITY,. Alter the testimony. which conclusivrIy
established the innocence Of Mrs T. Of all the charp,,
preferred against her. and satisfied all who heard il thu:
her husbaad il not OF The worst i, one of the ms,
strangely deuded men in existence was concluded III.
case was submitted 10 he jury, Win, without retiring
from their box returned verdict affirming the truth of
the statement Of Mrs. Il. and sustaining The charges
made by her against her h. sband. The record Of the
proceedings was hen ordered to certified with view
!" Their presentation IN Tie Legislature, which will
doubtless, without dissenting voice, pass bill dvor-
cling he parties Gov. Th-mas whom saw fr qucn,ly
is rather OF pepossessng appearance, his in
dcaes nothing Of that nalignity Of character which
might be inferred FINN his brutal conduct towards his
VIE, and "hch therefore, in common charity, must be
ascrlbed IA her to mental than to moral causes
You have already heard that the annexation Of Texas
"A question which has occasiunpd 50 much aoi1,,ion
and from which many benefits have been anricp,,,d
aud promised, but which destined ne yer to real
lze-has been consummalcd, b, the passage, through
both branches Of Congress, OF bill admitting her into
the Union. Some i,ie opposition was made 10 III. bill
by Messrs Webster, Huntingdon aud others as m iph,.
have been anticipated from her posi,un-bui neither
they nor any one tlse expected that il would be ava-
ing One OF The greatest evils in my Judgment to be
appehended from this extension of the "area of frees
DOM is lis tendency to beyet lrs, for additional ac
QUESTIONS Of territory long there s any thing to
acquire, the " hole boundless continent is ours "
1t in trnth "the beginning Of The end"he first step
in that lusi Of dominion which, like some other appe
es. grows by ~ha, II feeds on Already, the annex,
ton of California is spoken Of matter OF course and
indeed the union Of all MEXICO with our Republic i. re-
garded as an event of very remote probability; while
II has beer gravely proposed by Senator from Florida
that the President shall open negotiations with the GO
vemen of Spain Tor the cesson Of the island of Cuba
to the United Slaesa proposition. received VIC are
told. with "a augh' his brother Senator'S BUT which
is destined nevertheless assume a serious cha racter
before it is finally disposed of. How are all these
schemes of territorial aggrandizemea and of doninnn
extending regions wider in than Those wch
found shelter under the wings Of the Roman Eagle, 10
| endl ccnfess that, for one. am believer in the
modern theory, that free institutions are sreny
ed by this indefinite expansion. On the contrary | am
persuaded that we are sowing the seeds Of their u-
mate if not Of their speedy overthrow. How long il
may be before their capacity may be put to the test
cannot pretend 10 conjecture; but thai they will finally
| crumbe TO pieces under their own weight, | cannot
doubt, without dsbeevng all ,he history OF the pas,
and refusing 10 look The signs and omens hcli
foreshadow the future. II may, Indeed be- that free
institutions may survive the shock Of dissolution
Of The Union-,hat, imbued people are, with the
principles OF se-governmen they will amidst all The
changes and chances. the convusons and revolutions
that may await them, preserve unimpared constitution
al guarantees. secured bv representative institutions
based upon popular sovereignty. But it. more fortunate
than other people. 10 other limes they shall be
tu in this, II will not be unitso Republic The
admission into tn family Of States Of new aud incon
guous elements, which, besides disturbing The baance
OF power" with regard to which we are already almost
sensitive and jealous the independent sovereign
ties of Europe, will introduce novel and weghly mat
tiers OF legislation, grow ing ont Of adverse sectional inter
ests. will require cemenng principle far poien,
than that which has been found scarcely strong enough
to bind together the Republic such our fathers be
qnea,hed it to ii already, the centrifugal force. Of
system ha been found alos, powerful enough 10
destroy it, how much difficult If restraint will they
be- when empire shall extend from the Banks Of
Newfoundland IL the Pacifc--lrom the ropic 10 the
Poes-from the region of eternal sunshine the 'deser
boundaries of Siberia, encircled with belt of perpetual
cel The very distance between the extremes Of such
nation would destroy all idea Of national fraternity
There could be coImon bond OF brotherhood be
races of people far remote rm each oher, and hay
ing no community of interest or leeling-no common
sympshes growing Of intercourse congennily Of
thought and pursuit. The links Of the chain that for
short period may unite these remote repiths will be
snapped asunder by The first dscordan jar once sep
ara,ed, never will they be reunited Ga the contrary,
link after link will be broken, until the continent will be
divided ne perhaps many distinct political organiza-
lions as now dot the map uf Europe and in what FORMS
will depend upon the chapter Of accidents which pens