The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-22


hold and lament.
Having thus demonstrated the evils of the
present banking system, we naturally ask if
they are without remedy. In a measure we
think they may be corrected. But this can
only be done by making the proportion of
specie to the whole liabilities of each bank so
great, that il will check improvident loans, by
prohibiting the issue of small notes, and re
curing at short periods publication of the
condition of the banks, 80 that the public and
themselves may, at all times, know the basis
upon which they stand. If the system is to be
pursued at all, it must be upon principles that
will insure the public security.
From the Richmond Cva1 South, of October g.
VIRGINIA AND THE soUTH-UNJUsT IMPU-
TATIoN.
1t is the apparent unanimity and resolute
spirit of the South which deters its enemies
from measures of the most violent aggression
upon Slavery. 1t is from the assurance of per-
feet fidelity among our own people that We de-
rive the strength and the courage to repel the
assaults of our adversares. Obviously, then,
no citizen of the South should be suspected of
infdeEty to its interests, except upon the plain
est proof of his treachery. The moment we be-
gin to distrust one another, courage will give
place to despair, harmony in council will be
succeeded by discord and dissension, and the
effect of united and vigorous effort will be in
tercepted by Indifference and timidity. The
same cause which paralyzes the energies Of the
South will impart confidence and enterprise to
the exertions of the Abolitionists, and the in
slant they detect the signs of division in our
ranks, they will precipitate themselves upon us
with irresistible violence. The result is evident
| TO the least-enlightened understanding. Every
body appreciates the importance of maintain
ing the appearance as well as the reality of con-
fidence and courage among the champions of
the South.
So much the greater is our surprise, therefore,
when journal, with the intelligent views of
public policy which distinguish the New Or.
leans Delta, employs itself in propsgating q
suspicion of Virginis's loyalty to the rights of
the South! If the fact were true, we should
lament it in silence, instead of making it the
subject of public exposure and ostentatious in
vective. Virginia is the frontier State of the
South, and in virtue Of its geographical situa.
ton, must bear the brunt of AntiSlavery en-.
enactment. 1t is the largest and Oldest of the
Southern Commonwealth, and, by reason of its
positive power and the prestige of glorious ira
ditlon, is allowed an undisputed ascendency
among the saveholding States. The fact-if
it were fact-of the detection of this great
bulwark of the South, would be too terrible a
truth to confess to ourselves, much more to pro-
claim to our enemies. 1t is not fact and
the Delta, in entertaining such suspicion, is
unjus at once to its own intelligence and to the
people of this State.
When the Delta announces, with real solem-
nifty of utterance, that "the Virginia Democ.
rscy is being abolitionized," and that "the
great wave of Northern fanatcism has rolled
al - go r. IL o.
when smitten with prophetic frenzy, our cotem.
porary cries out that at no distant day Vir.
ginia may lead the van of Free Soilism "
when journal of conspicuous ability and pa
triotism proclaims these startling conclusions,
the inference is irresistible, that they stand
npon some more solid ground than unwarrant-
able assumption and hazardous conjecture. For
the relief panic stricken public, we have the
satisfaction TO announce that the DeltG's dis.
NAL Vaccinations are neither the outgivings Of
prophetic inspiration nor the well.grounded re-
suit Of logical deduction, but are rather the
precipitate and unsubstsntial conclusions of
genius addicted to paradox, and impatient of
the slow processes of accurate augmentation.
We are happy to inform the people of the South
hat the Delta justifies its impeachment Of the
loyalty of Virginia by a statement Of facts,
which, if true, would not sustain its charges,
and which, being incorrect in some essential
circumstances, leaves its accusation without
particle of proof. Here is the Deltas test.
mony, reproduced in its own words:
" Who would have dreamed, but few brief
years ago, that this district, 1.-THE Tenth Legon,)
the stronghold of the Democratic party of Viz,
glnia-a party which, prior to the elevation of
Buchanan to the Presidency, stood firmly by
the South in its great issue with the Abolition.
| ists-woud to-day contain a single journal
that would dare to make open proclamation
that it does not believe Slavery to be source
of political and moral good And yet such is
The fact
"The Rockingham (Va.) Register, one of
the oldest OF the Democratic papers of the State.
and the organ and representative of the Tenth
Legion, in the midst of slaveholding popula.
ton, recently proclaimed this sentiment, and
ITS editor stands boldly by it, with visor up and
glove thrown down.
The Fincastle (Va.) Democrat and the
Lewisburgh Chronicle are discussing the sub
jet. In late number of the Chronicle, the
Democrat is charged with being wanting in
sympathy with the peculiar institution of the
South Addressing the editor of the obnoxious
paper, it says: Your want Of Southern tone
your evident sympathy for the negro and
pleasantly at Southern sentiment-led US to
believe that you were insidiously sapping and
mining, and preparing the minds of your read
ers to receive holder sentiments from you, at
some future day."
Now, what if all this were literally true.
would the Delta's indictment against Virginia
be established by a suficiency of relevant test.
lmonyf From the fact that an editor of a
Vilage paper will not acknowledge "Slavery to
be source of political and moral good" does
1t follow that the Virginia Democracy ia be.
ing abolitionized, and that the great wave of
Northern ianahcism has rolled over the border
INTO the centre of Virginia." Or, because
another editor of another village paper il
wanting in sympathy with the peculiar insti.
tuition" is 1t logical to infer that at no distant
day, Virginia will lead the van of Free-Soil.
ism :" We dare say few people will admit in
either case that the premises justify the con-
clusion. During the canvass of 1856, paper.
published somewhere in the interior of Louisi
ana, openly avowed Itself indifferent to Ere.
monts election yet nobody in Virginia was 90
rash as to conclude that the Delta's State was
going to turn traitor to the South.
But the DeltG'S statement is iust neither n
the Fincastle Democrat nor the Rockingham
Register. The sentiment imputed to the Dem.
Ocrdt is simply the accusation of an adversary.
and is Indignantly repudiated by the editor,
who vehementlY protests his devotion to the
South. The words produced from the columns
OF the LEICESTER were employed in a connection
which materially affected their sense; but the
editor, whom we know to be loyal citizen OF
the South, has since explained his position to
the satisfaction of every impartial person.
The Delta is less indulgent than the crimi-
nal code, which will allow no man to be con.
vcted of treason, but upon the evidence of two
witnesses to the same overt act. Our cotem.
porary would attaint the Old Dominion of