American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-10-22

are Justly celebrated for their good faith. None
know better than they the advantages OF non
esty and punctuality, and none practise them
with more fidelity Their compacts may be
relied ON. Their immense moneyed capital IS
we'll known. Let the South form SUCH ar
engagements, and be as punctual as they WIN
be. and all will be well. This is the true
wav to remedy the evils of Northern ag-
pression! To speculate about possible con-
| 6ooeaces. in which secession or disunion must
be the remedy, is, in the actual state Of things,
afatuation, To undertake, for any eristing
causes such measures, is absurd and awfully
iniquitous Here is remedy incomparably
easier, within the limits of the Constitution,
which still keeps the stars and stripes over our
heads for our protection against the aggressive
spirit which we should find abroad in the world
were we separated from the rest of the con-
federacy, and far less manageable than that
with which we are annoyed at home. The lat
ter we can manage through the instrumentality
Of law but the spirit of foreign aggression,
were we separate confederacy, we must quell
by gunpowder and succeed in vanqushing only
by shedding torrents of blood
The Clarke County Cva.) Alleged Homi-
The Charlestown Spirit Of Jefferson of yester-
day contains an account Of this case, which was
last week tried before the Circuit Court of
Clarke county. From This statement, it appears
that Col James CastelMan, and his son, Stephen
d. Castleman we're acquitted "in manner most
marked and triumphant, and with the full ap-
probation of the Court" They had punished
severely two thieyish slaves. Having whipped
the first they secured him by fastening a chain
around his neck, the other end being attached
to the joist above him, but with plenty of slack
to the chain, while they went in pursuit of the
other negro. When they returned they found
him hanging dead. They had left white man
with him, whom he asked for box "that he
could jump off FROM" expressing fear that
when they should come back they would whip
him again; and said eff he had knife he
would get one hand loose and cut his throat !"
The white man remained with him about half
an hour, but after hearing these threats he
should not have left him. The appearance of
the brain after death proved to the satisfaction
Of the physicians that fainting had not preceded
hanging, and no doubt existed that this was
voluntary.
The paper we have quoted says:
at remains to be seen, whether those editors
and others, who, to crafty their own vindictivc
feelings or to pander to the depraved excitement
of the time in the Northern States, have man
uiactured or propagated the calumnious rumors
| to which the occasion gave BIRTH will now do
justice to the gentlemen in question"
Upon this we would remark that we are
among those editors who quoted the first pub
lished statements representing the Messrs Cas-
tleman as deeply culpable. We of course regard
ed these statements as truthful, for they came
from respectable sources. We did not, however,
republish them from such motives as are sug-
gested in the Spirit but for the purpose of giving
correct information to the public, and of mani
Testing to the people of the North and of the
whole world that cruelty to the slave could not
be tolerated in the State of Virginia.
The persons accused have been acquitted
We are exceedingly gratifed at this, and are
convinced that neither of them had murderous
design in his heart. The event is no doubt re-
garded by them as an overwhelming calamity
they would have given the value of all their
slaves to avert.
We record these truths with the liveliest salts
faction; yet we deem it due to the people of
Virginia, and of every slaveholding State in the
Union, to declare that, in lifetime almost
wholly passed in those States, we have never
dwelt among any who would approve the char
acter of the punishment with which these two
negroes were visited; but have always known
| it to be condemned and rebuked We have
seen gathered into books by the enemies Of the
South, and published to the world rs portrait
ures Of slavery, the records of such cases; but
our experience, which has been by no means
limited authorizes the assertion that the hui
manity and benevolence of slave-owners have
been as much shocked by their perusal, as are
those of the inhabitants Of any other portion
of the world. The opinions of majority of
the Abolitionists of the North are based upon
isolated cases Of this character; and hence it
is that good and honest men and women are
found among the most enthusiastic of these
/ people. We cannot, therefore, give our public
sanction to the conduct of the Mcssrs Castle
man, nor regard their ncquittal MS triumphant
They are innocent Of murder, and Of the faint
est design of perpetrating such an act, and
we rejoice with them in knowledge of this ;
but they are not innocent Of such severity and
summary cruelty in Furnishing their negroes, as
those having just regard for the reputation Of
the slave-owners Of Virginia are required to
condemn. That more calm consideration and
gentler discipline may henceforth mark their
conduct, and that the goodwill and sympathy
Of their friends and fellow-citizens may remain
with them, is our earnest wish; but the results
of their past error are before themselves and
all others, as an impressive lesson upon the
| folly and wickedness of abusing the mower com