Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-22
9ailg agir9iaiaa.
DR.. Lords Letter.

DR. Lords Letter.
We copy fromtbe Whg says the Richmond Nows,
the very excellent letter of DIR. Lord We cannot
well express the satisfaction we derived from read
iug 80 true and philosophical portraiture OF De,
mocracy We do not know that tho Doctor meant
for such, but it is brief enquiry into the phi
losophy of Democracy. and its Legitimate fruits.
| The Doctor had as well have called it such. lie
writes. however, as if unconscious of the DRIFT oil
| his remarks.
Wc never could comprehend how u Southern
| STAKEHOLDER could be Democrat-how they could
shake hands and have unity of interests with the
radical leading Democrats Of the North. They
hold scarcely II sentiment in common, though they
do profess or two principles alike. Democrats
| the Southern Shareholders not and never
were. 1t is n soecsm to call them so. Accident
threw the Southern chiyalry into the arms of Do
mocracy; or rather Mr.. Cahoun's ambition didit.
The ultimate result Of Democracy, rs u theory is,
what Dr. Lord calls it, q deiication Of man and II
degradation of the Deity. Essential Democracy
worships man Ms man. 1t talks Of manhood and
mans rights, &c, to m untoward and phrenZical
extent. Essential Democracy is opposed to slave
ry, and must he, of necessity. What is called De
mocrncy at the South il another matter.
But VIC have not spnce to comment. We hope
every one into whose hands the letter fails, will
rcai it, and then read it again:
InE Il.RrER's FrRRy CoAsriR,Cy ASn NORTHERN
SENrIMENr--AN ABLE AND Sound LETTER FROM
Dartmouth COLLEGE.
DARrNorTn COLLEGE, Dec. !, 1889.
To j. NJ. CoNHAp, Esq.--Ky Dear SW:-Your
fnvor of the 22d ult, Is ut hand. 1t proposes II
difficult question, viz: what is the Predominant
sentiment among your population with regard to
! the recent invasion of our soil and interference
with our institutions? DO they value the Union
as it is? And, if So do they not feel that disso-
luton must inevitably follow such dcmonstra
! tions?"
The question however, is difficult mainly in
view Of its relations to other questions which you
have not asked The raid at llarpcr's Ferry. ~
IN isolated transaction, s viewed by oil but few
fanatics among people. with mingled feelings
Of disgust at its folly and Indignation Mt its wick
edness 1t were almost doubtful whether it should
be treated with straight jacket for its madness,
or n rope for its method, were II not that the
wheel Of justice is often turned aside up"n
plausible pretcncca of insanity. But, Mt best, it
| il abhorrcnt To all our commonly received ideaf
Such demonstrations startle us the more from their
direct or cidenta tendency to prccipitntc gcner'
al disorsan'zaton and disunion. On tnat account
| the vast ma jority of our people would stamp them
| with rcprobation and join you in BATTLE if TINT
were Deccssary, 10 suppress him.
But the mad attempt Of Brown and his coadu-
tors cannot be wisely viewed apart from it's reln-
tions. 1t is complicated with all the questions of
| slavery which now much confuse and agitatc
| the country, and which, as | sometimes fear, will
rot be settled without n scr,ile and civil war. In
| that view public sentiment is moro divided, and
the division awakens more concern among thought
| ful men.
Accord ng to my Judgment, public opinion at
| the North is mostly represented, III this respect,
by these several classes:
| |. Those who study the snbiec Of slavery by the
method Of the faith in the lights of moral govern
ment as reflected from natural and revealed reli-
| gion. These mostly persons of grave pursuit
| in Church or State, who look at things they
revealed from Scripture and experience They re-
| gard all men as depraved beings, guilty and con-
dcmned by the law OF God, yet rrpreved by the
| Divine goodness placed proydentially in various
states of probation. according to their diversties
| of character ns individuals atoms or race. and
subjected to different degrees of restraint and dis
| ciplnc by governments in the family. State or
church as constituted by Cod to serve the ends of
| probationary state. Slavery is one OF the consi-
tuted forms of government. and it's powers nnd dn-
ties are accredited and described both in the Old
and New Testnments. 1t is wisely adapted tD the
ruder purions of mankind, and, in some conditions
of the social Stute, necessary to its best interest
| to its preservation daring the appointed time.
! The necessity crows out Of the mbectv and un-
| tractableness of those iuder classes, ,-Some hold
it to be judicial necessity entailel upon partlc-
! uIar dsordcrly race ASA sign OF the divine dis
| pleasure for peculiar wckedness, M signiiied by
| the curse Of Cani. and .haying analogy in the
judgements now for long time inflicted upon the
| Jews Yet mercy is mingled with judgement, and
! the doomed derive benefits which they would not,
| bova rpepiyo1 Iut far sucb IL
dcntia ordering of affairs. The discipline may
| serve eventually to n higher reformation and
| lifting up than could otherwise have been posi-
BILE during the present arrangement Of the moral
| system.
But this gives no right to superors TO oppress IN
infict interiors injuriously, for their selfish ends;
and all abuses Of right institution react proyiden
tally, to the casting down of oppressive and un-
scrupulous rule for God is respecor of persons.
| lie honors the who like the patriarchs and
! early Christians, used his ordinances agreeaby to
! their design. but Furnishes the cvil-doers. And
his government over individuals and nations is one
and uniform in this respect in all the ages.
| Mou Of the class here described are sprinkled over
! all New England. Their insensible influence SER
| yes to regulate, in some measure, tho confused
| masses and to counteract the destructive move
ments Of the insane. But they are not compara-
lively numerous, and could not things great
| ly effect the generality. They arc looked upon
| Win ulStTusf, 'e lrcqueniiv uihiiPhcu' anu 'hch
conciliatory influence is opposed. Their reason
! incs are o'taner condemned without examination,
critized without judgement or msrepreseutcd for
bad popular cffects.-For that reason they retire,
for the most part. to their secret places and wait
to be justified by the providence of God.
These men are filled with grief and Indignation
at the late disturbances in Virginia. They regard
all such attempts, by whomsoever conceived or
stimulated or carried on, as sunchristan. immoral
and impolitic, having no tendency but to exagge-
rate tho very evils, real or imaginary which they
profess to remedy. The abuses of slavery exist at