Daily national Democrat., 1859-12-24
Let Violence Cease.

y
Western Virginia, states that a pilgrim from
Yankee land. travelling through the country,
was suspected of being an Abolition emissary
by the owner of plantation of negroes, and
taken up by him and hung up several time:
by the neck, being cut down each time be
fore life was extinct. After this kind of pun
ishment, he was let go. The person who die
this job is described by the paper above al
luded to as "ore of the most influential anC
worthy citizens" of those parts.
We regret to hear of such violence. We
think that influential and worthy citizens
should leave such business to R'nPuenf'd'
and worthless citizens, as being more becom-
ing to such hands We should suppose that
the laws of Virginia were sufficiently eXpan-
sive to meet the necessity of protecting the
rights of property in all cases that might
arise, whether from Abolition emissaries or
any other source Whether this be so or not
il is policy fraught with great danger to
the Union, to take up every Northern man
who may be simply suspected Of being an
Abolitionist and abusing him with such out
rage as was committed in the case above al
luded TO. The most innocent Of traveller is
liable to be suspected No man can be sup
posed to have the ability to make his true
character appear in every instance, to the
iaundiced gaze of Southern fanatic whose
daily fances and nightly dreams are haunted
by horrent ideas of servile instructions,
bloody murder and black Abolition conspira-
ces Furthermore, even if it were known
that the Northern pedlar or school teacher
was thorough bred Abolitionist, does the
Constitution of our common country permit
J him to be treated as an outlaw, and to be
subject to lawless viOlence2 Let him be
tried by the laws of the land, and, whatever
his doom may be. the North has no right to
complain. But the Northern bosom must
be callous indeed, IL it would remain unmov-
ed at the assumption of authority by every
individual citizen of the South to Pounce up
on any Northern man they chose who came
into the country, and hold bim to persona
responsibility for his supposed political opin-
ions. If these things are to be allowed in the
South, how long will it be before the North
retaliates7 Not long. We shall hear soon
if such violence continues, Of Southern trav-
elers through the North being suspected of {
design to spirit away the free cOlored mel
of the North, and the next thing will be tn
stringing up and lynching of Southern ennis
saries and suspected "nigger drivers Tn
rule is as fair for one side as the other, and i
will be acted up to.
With such reciprocity of violence betweel
citizens of the North and the South, how
long time would elapse before the country
would be involved in civil war?
The true rule of action is to respect tn
laws of either section Of the Union; to trea
Northern men with the same regard in tn
South as Southern men have been treated il
the North; to allow every Northern man il
the South the same freedom of expression
within the limits of tha Constitution and III
law, that is allowed Southern men in IL
North, and to punish all offences against
State, whether of the Northern or the Soutl
ern section, by the laws of that State. Ol
Bown has doubtless been hung. His dool
was just. He had forfeited his life by q
open violation of the laws of Virginia. II
was fairly tried and legally convicted, an,
few there are who vould dispute the righ
of Virginia to execute him. But, if he ha,
been apprehended by lawless mob, convict
ed by Lynch tribunal and put to death b,
like authority, you would have seen
storm Of wrath, dark and portenteuus, gail
ering upon the brow Of the North, and
would have burst, in due time, with fearfu
effect. She would have been justly incensed
In the same degree. then, may she feel out
ragged when one of the obscurest of her citi-
zens is taken up and physically abused, un
der the general sanction of the public opinion
of the South.
The times are far too dangerous to admit
Of alterations from the due course of Law
and justice. 1t will not do to further emLit-
ter the deep prejudiees of thousands Fo
every Southern man slain in Kansas hun
dred fanatics have arisen in the South. Fo
every Northern man tarred and feathered b,
Southern planters thousand fanatics hav
arisen in the North And SO the feeling grow
and expands.
By all that is holy in our Union, let VII
lence cease.