Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-25
Letter from the Hon. VIM. e.. Riyes.

ions of patriotic men OF all parties, whether in
out public life. Sections and factions are so
luch excited against each other. and public bod
"s have become much heated with these con.
royersies, mainly Of their own creation, as well
their personal quarrels, that the only appeal
seems to be 10 the calm good sense and good
ceiling which always to he found in the vir.
iuous and intelligent masses of the people.
My observation Of public afnirs for more than
the third of a century has satisfied me that the
contentious which have from time to time distur-
bed the peace of the country, aud more than once
brought its institutions into peril, have been got
ZEN up by politicians for party ends. not only
without the concurrence. but against the wishes
and sober sentiments of the great body of the
people. Let the people then in their rightful soy.
erel nty and without being trammelcd by party
leaders or party organizations take counsel only
Of their own cool and unimpassioned judgments
nnd interpose the blended voice of reason and
authority TO command The peace between angry
aud excited factions. This it is which truly con.
siitutes Republic, the form Of government de-
lyered TO MS by the wisdom ofour ancestors, in
which the public poice and public interest make
tho supreme law distinguishing 1t from those
spurious forms which, under n specious name
and by cunningly devised machinery. have ever
had the effect Of transferring the legitimate pow
of the people into the hands of few ntere sted
party managers.
In regard TO those depornble events which
have stained our border with fraternal boodshed
in civil st,ife, and desecrated the Capitol by n
heen,ious grossncss Of speech and scenes of
personal violence which bring shame on the cause
of representative government, the sober masses
OF the people in every portion of the Union.
am peeunded. look upon them with stern disap-
probation. In substituting recurrence to phys.
lcia force for the peaceful authority of the laws,
and the coarseness of insulting denupoiaton
tor the dignity of rational and pursuasive ar
gument, they so far amount to dissolution Of
government and Of civil society itself, and, un
less soma means can be found Of arresting this
uHhAppy commencement ofinte>tnc troubles we
have already entered upon career OF revolution
aud not a boodless one, which must terminate in
violent disrupture of the Union, with all its
train Of disastrous consequences 10 ourselves and
10 the world
Fortunately, means of correcian, aud those of
the highest efficacy, do exist. The remedy is in
the hands Of the Independent and uneorrupted
masses of the people. Let them speak out; let
them hold iaic and order meetings in every part
of the couatry, TO the North and to South without
regard To temporary x subordinate party disiine-
ton; let them frown down factions and revolution.
ary and perso nal violence in all its FORMS let them
set their faces against all recruiting subordina-
ton OF men. by whatsoever name, 10 go to Kansas
10 settle, with Sharpe's ride, mr. tho muskot, or
tho bowie KNIFE aquestlon Of local domestic pol.
icy which rightiuy and exclusively belongs to
the free and sovereign decision Of the bnnd fde in.
habitants Of the Territory when they arc duly
qualified To form { onstitution of State Govern.
ment for themselves. In the mean time LET the
Government OF the Union be called upon TO exert
all its constitutional powers, whether Legislative,
executive, or judicial to repress civil not
merely in its overt acts, but in its incipient and
preparatory movements. In short, let good citi.
5ens every where, separately and collectively jus
ify, by their conduct and their language in up
holding the cause of the public peace aud tho
Union, what was So well said of our political sys-
TEN by one of the fathers of tho Republic that in
moral sense at least, "ours is the strongest Gov
ernment on earth, where every man WILL at the
call OF the law lily TO the standard of the law, aud
meet invasions OF the public order a. his own per
sonal concern
Here, my dear sir trust is common ground
broad and firm enough on which sound patriots
ind sober ncn both nj the North and at the South,
can stand shoulder TO shoulder in united and
fraternal effort to restore peace to the country.
tits ground on which you have already aobly plan
ted yourself in your admiral letter 10 the Boston
Kansas meeting, and where many of your fellow
citizens of the South, be assured. will stand firm
y und gcaously by your side. With rosnect to
The principles of that measure, the immediate oc-
easion of that unhappy renewal of the slavery ag
itation which has poured all these wuters Of bit
lerneA through the land, there may yet be hon.
ost differences of opnon between the North and
Tho South. Bot these dferoncos,if left to the ar
bitrament of reason and tho calm and dispasson.
alto consideration of the nation. will am persua-
led, soon be merged in a common sentiment of
loyclty To the Union on the basis of equal rights
in all its members; and frank md noble determi.
nation to live up TO the Constitution in all it's re-
quirements.
The repeal Of the Missouri Compromise, which
rendered the kansns and Nebraska bill 80 unpal
atabe TO the North was, "a you are aware. not
asked for at the time by the people of the South
or their Representatives in Congress. 1t was
measure brought forward, aud if mistake not
largely sustained from the North. Bat being a
measure flowing. as the South has already beliey-
ed, from the true spirit and sound construction
of the Constitution, which had withheld from Con
gress any power bya geographical line Of d4.
elimination on otherwise, to impose restriction
! IN slavery in lilo Territories, either while ra..
naming in the Ferritariai condition on coming
into the Union as States, when the proposition
| was made from another quarter of the L MON 10
! abolish Discrimination believed to he both I'm
constitutional and injurious to the just equality
| Of the States, the South could not but accent
and cordially sustain il by its vote. The repeal
is now the law OF the land, and being bot 70.
turn to the principles of tho Constitution after
temporary and forced deviation from them. the
South can never agree 10 give il up.
Under these circumstances the friends Of the
| Consultation and the Uaicn NJ the North will
am sure, be disposed 70 look at this great quc.-
tion oforg anio law, involving the equal night,
and mutual harmony OF the two grand divisions
ct the Conicderaey. solely by the calm Fights Of
reason, truth, aud original p.ighted faith Was
| the Missouri Compromise dernguion from tho
principles Of the Constitution. and without any
warrant in the letter or spirit Of the fundamental
compact of Union between the States. as tho
| South has always commended and still believes,--