Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-22

hold slaves injuriously than there arc infatuated
mon at the North who subject themselves and
others, as far as their inauence oxtcnds. to the
worse yoke Of wilful ignorance, intoxicating de-
lusions aud malignant passions.
Tho subjects OF this intellectual and moral SER
vituds constitute another class at the North. l
mean the wild men about whom you do not enquire
and Of whom ! need not srcak particularly. They
are known and read by all men. Their history is
the same in oil countries andlperiods the history
OF wanton imagination, interruptions ambition,
bcwildered Judgment. nmoderate vanity and SELL
concet, or fiery passions ovor driving thom on
ward to fatal plunge.
Yet they are not numerous-probably not %
numerous or powerful ~ you imagine. There
are scarcely fve in village, and fewer in the ru-
raj districts. They are mostly eongregated in
tho citics whore thcy cnn collect rabbe by their
fiery eloquence, and sometimes moro decent pco-
Pile whose vagrant curiosity, or love Of indiscrimi
nate excitement masters their discretion. They
not otherwise formidable than as q knot OF
burglars and inoondiariss, who sometimes create
panic through town or county BY . few mid
night outragos that for while elude dotection.--
That there ARE not laws for such delirous mon,
argues. as vet, moral soundness Of the people
The public voice mcasurably controls them. The
time may come when they will require forcible
restraint | sometimes almost fear it. But !
should fear that whom oil laws would lose their
power, aud We should begin the horrors Of civa
war, WHICH CoftuihIy HiuhY
have not seemed anxious to prevont These CO.
tcrcrs to the unholy sympathes and antipathios
Of men do what they can 10 preoipitate that re.
suit. Aud they have wide field in our third and
largest class.
g. This third class is tho great body of the peo-
plo.
Strictly, this class should be largely subdiyided
for it is composed OF all varieties from learned and
professional mon to operatives in tho mills and
dn luh in In Eo1ds In rtnfth ha world
ara there greater diversities of sect and
parties ot temperament and tastes. Of fashion
pursuits aad interests thnn Mt tho North. All nro
shrewl. intelligent. capable and earnest. Thoy
study books, read the newspapers, talk politics.
and discuss morals and theology. They differ,
dispute, divide, scpcrnte and quarrel. But as
yet thoy hayc common rincuinm that holds
them viz tho constitution aud tho laws
To these all have principled and strong attach.
ment tho old Jews had 10 the nrk of the testimo
ny. With oil their difference In matters of Church
or State, and occasional heats of political rcligi
Gus controversy, they moet with ono accord on the
18th ofJuly, and celebrate iraternally tho nations
freedom. They would lay nside oil the jealousies
Of faction and competitions of rival interests and
fight together for their magma chdrid. That this
bond has boon somewhat weakened by unprnci-
pied dcmagogues who have extensively subsidized
and prostitutod the press aud misapproriated the
influence of place ia out Of question. The work Of
decentralization has bcon going on to the great
| alarm of cunsideratc. conscientious, and patrio-
tic men. But it has gone on unpercevcd in gen.
eral. The people in mass aro unconscious OF any
want OF zeal for their chartered Institutions
| They were mover moro inflated than ut present
with the dream Of progress never moro exultant
| over their image Of the nations destiny. Their
false guides have never presumed to nvow in terms
| what may have been tho aim Of some Of them
or what has been their unconscious drft-tho re-
yolutionizing of their country. Any show Of this
| 4 A. nsov
soundness is out of question.
But, among nll the varieties Of this large class
what hns struckmc withhc greatest concern, In refer
enrc the future Ia tho almost universal confusion
OF ideas the subject In hand Babel was hardly
worse confounded. Slavery Is our great theme. Its
incidents furnish topics for the PRESS the pulpit,
the lyccum, the table and tho street But its true
nature design and abuses, its political and &C.
clesastical RELATIONS its history, and its bearings up
all the related interests of tho country and the
wofl and especially its more vital concern with the
moral go, ornment of Godall these become mere oc-
sions Of increasing bewillerment. Our principles
unsettled reasoning is without guide, the sent-
ments disordercd, discourse Is warm, but hckle
aud unmeaning. moral and practical uncertainty
reigns in which men double, and are scared by
shadows md chmerns, The generality yet mean
we'll but their faculties are couded; their sun 10 dar-
kcned by the steamng vapors OF an nnbelieying VI
sionary and impracticabe philosophy; they cannot
take an observation, and the wind aud currents arc
setting them upon the rocks. Slavery is the terrific
spectre of the storm; il them from all their
natural propensities, and still more from n Divine
guidance and reliance aud they resort to all manner
Of spirtustic subtleties and conjurations seeking
teverance where they only plunge into great confu
oion and more formidable dangers. The true ac-
connt of these alarming Irregularities In my judg-
mcnt is this, viz that above the constitution and
the laws, and independent of tho Bible, and expert
ence and now TO great extent, the conceed inter-
prefer of both, dreamy. speculative faacy, high
t..y Enfin nnfft anin nnivp
an ultra Divine instinct, insensiby gains possession
of the common mind. We owe II mainly to your
Jefferson for whose sake you should bear as long
possible with our nfrmities. lie was caught by the
uminism and iCosmop opolitism Of his times and en-
bodied his chimera in toe '.ghH'ring generohhes' Of
the Declaration OF independence. That gded false
hood has betrayed Is. Your inherited slavery, what
ever evils may attend it, a merciful antidote to
the atheistc poison which has crept through all
veins. 1t virtually enthrones humanity. II makes
every child man, every great and ever great
man God his "willingly ignorant Of our common
fall and ruin the enailed selfish tendencies Of every
individual mind, and the consequently disturbed re-
ations of the social state II perceves not that God
has given essential personal characteristic equal
y to no two creatures of his hand, or organic rela
tions of his constituted orders that no rights of fall
len absolute but dependent on his good be-
haviour in society and that happiness Is not his le
gitmate end and aim, but the honor of the Creator
not an ordained consequence Of following self de-
termned WILL but of faith In the Divine word and
obedience to the Divine commands that society has
no inherent moral cis vita TO evolve itself into per-
feet state by natural process of development, but
waits, in the of the appointed means of proba-
tionnry state, for the restitution promised by tho
Spirit; that the outward ordinances Of government,
and law and christianity only give passing fer
tilty to the superficial soil. but renovation comes on
y by breaking up the falow ground of the inner man
that any other view or OF society," in the pre-
sent state mpments would be erected on every Dor
le, md the airest heritage which God gave to
man would be laid waste. The bread of the West,
aadf