Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-04-21
The South Growing Liberal.

The National Era, at Washington city,
the central organ of the Aboitionsts, thinks
the signs Of the times indicate an increasing
moderation in the tone of Southern senti-
mcnt upon the exciting subject of slavery
that complete revolution is at work in the
Southern mind. And in order to establish
his proposition he mentions that Goggin the
opposition candidate for Governor in Viz
ginia, and Hon. II. II. Stuart, a prornincn,
statesman, have expressed themselves as
strongly opposed to the re-opcning of the
African slave trade; whereas few years
acteristic of Southern politicians. Il. Is well
known TO the country that always tie Wig
and American parties SoHth have been de-
cidedy pro-slavery ,l6et not fre-eating ex-
tremists. TheiE1 policy has always been to
leave the subject with the people for their
Judgment. They have never attempted to
propagate slavery where the people did not
want it, but have ever, and will ever, be ready
and willing to resist all mpertinent attempts
to root out the institution where the people
have established it. They are for slavery
where the people desire it, and if the people
OF any locality Dis not desire it, they think
others ought not to interfere.
But the Era mentions rs especially signi-
ficant the nomination of Hon john Letchcr,
in Virginia, as the Democratic candidate for
Governor and there is more truth than po-
etry in the idea. This action of Southern
Democracy is pregnant with stupendous mis-
chief to the South-morc so than anything
that has transpirel for the last twenty years.
The Democratic party, to establish n claim
as being the peculiar champion of Southern
rights has betrayed an excessive, yet hypo-
critical, zeal in defending tby words simply
the institutions of the South. And yet, mar
velously strange as it may appear, the South
ern Democracy in the Old Dominion have
chosen man as candidate for Governor, who
was, only eleven years since, flaming Vest
erH Virginia Abolitiouist And what has
been the effect of this nomination "By
their fruits We shall know them," is n scrip
sui"i hiIoiioiiiJ ip"h'S' hIpll pIlhtIpltS ol
immutable truth. What then is the fruit of
this nomination? Tho news comes to us
that certain Abrams a Democrat, has an
nounced himself n Democratic candidate for
Congress in the Metropolitan District of Nir-
ginia, preclaining himself, from the hus-
tings, an advocate Of the determination Of Sla-
ccry." This is the alarming and legitimate
fruit of John Letcher's nomination-alarm-
ing to tho South, because it is a blow struck
at the perpetuity Of her most cherished insti-
tutions by the very party which has been
loudest in processing unaterable devotion to
her rights, her honor, and her interests. A
tree producing such death-bearing fruit to
the South should be ''hewn down and cast
into the fire :" and we hope the people of
Virginia, at the ballot-box, will lay the axe
at the root of this tree and extcrminate it, or
else the South will gather rich abundance
Of poisonous fruit from it, that will entail
death upon all she holds dear.
This is another striking eXcmpifcation of
the fact that the professions and promises Of
the Democratic party, like "Dead Sea fruit
turn to ashes upon the lip"