The Nevada journal., 1859-12-16


ira of Southern sheets, and we pre-
sumo of undisputed orthodoxy in the
Democratic church, somc months ago
and before the insurrection Of Old
Brown was dreamed of, contained an
editorial article on the military pow
er of Virginia" The article was
written when the idea of an emcute
out of which political capital could
be manufactured was not entertained,
else some sentences might have been
left out. The editor, it will be seen,
was apprehensive of an insurrection,
from the causes likely to produce it..
These causes he acknowledges pri-
marily exist in the very nature of the
domestic institutions Of the South. II
observation and knowledge of the
aspirations of the human heart did not
teach the inhammable nature of Sou
thern society, the readings of history
could not be lost to the most obtuse
intellect. We cannot ignore the facts
that the slaves of the ancient states
Of Greece were source of constant
annoyance and alarm, and so numer-
Gus and troublesome did they become
at Sparta that an annual massacre
was decreed to thin their numbers.
Rome too was not without frequent
intestine disorders from bands of re-
fractory slaves, which cost some OF
the best blood of the state to quell.
Nor is the story of the servitude Of the
children of Israel in Egypt without
its moral. When driven to the last
extremity the oppressor S perished in
the Red Sea-typicai that tyranny
must at last go down in blood. It is
Natures irrevocable law. which the
editor of the South sees 10 less indel-
IDLY imprinted on the society about
him than on the pages of the far gone
past. lie may well awaken atten-
ton to the defenseless condition of a
society in which are the elements OF
destruction, and requiring but the
incest care to prevent an explosion.
He says truly, weakness in military
resources is a direct stimulus to Sc
ditious spirit" He indirectly &C
knowledges that strength and force
can only maintain the social system
as at present organized in the South.
a natural instinct, blind though he
may choose to call it, to be free, ex-
lists. Meddlesome Abolltionists will
live while men theorize, and men viii
theorize while free institutions re-
main. and aggression and scdiion will
continue while the human heart re-
mains, unchanged. In the nature Of
things the irrepressible conflict ex.
lists and the Richmond South no less
plainly than Mr.. Seward proclains il
in the article we quote. We have
italicized a portion of the language tc
show it, and also that the North i.
not wholly to be charged with the sir
of Old Browns raid the inducements
to it being frs: held ont by the negli,
gerce, if not culpability Of Virginia
herself
ain 1s53," says the iSoatA, "thC
muster of the militia was abolished by
act of the Legislature, under the de-
lusive idea thvt a voluntary organiza.
tion would take the place of the o bso-
lete system. After an experiment oj
two years the operation of the present
plan was exhibited in report of the
Adjutant General. The militia Of
the line were disbanded, and of the
few volunteer corps who were srug-
Cling for existence. ON the 31st of Oc
tober, 1855, the Adwtant General CON
putes that not more than one thousand
men could be got together on any
emergency. To these, add the State
Guard, and the corps of cadets at the
Lexington Institute, and we have a
full statement of the military forces ol
the Commonwealth. 0ut Of million
Of free white citizens, only twelve hun
dred and fifty were available for the
purpose of repelling foreign attack OF
suppressing domestic insurrection!
''These twelve hundred alarmed
and iinperfectly-drii,ed men are con-
centrated in the principal towns Of
the State, so that the counties, aoAert
tile necessities Of police and the pre-
ponderance Of tic STARE population de.
mand a more rigilant and efectirt
military organization are utterly des-
tiiute of any means of defence and
protection in a sudden exigency.
"Things are worse now than in
1856. I'm truth, the State of Vir-
ginia is withoct any military force,