The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-12-02
The Panic in Virginia.

Some of the cooler journals North mot
Black Republicans, are disposed to make
fun of the military demonstrations in old
Virginia, vide the following from the
Herald, New York. Whether appropri-
ate TO the occasion or not the article is
well done:
",rhe people Of Virginia appear to be
the easy victims of some practical jokers
in their midst, who, if once discovered,
should receive no more consideration than
if they were the most truculent abolition
lists. The Charlestown aid-de-camp of
the COMMANDMENT Chiefof the naval and
military forces of Virginia appears to
have been selected by these malignant
jokers as the butt OF their ill-timed pleas
antr:es. All sorts of ridiculous stories
are palmed Off upon this unfortunate
Colonel Davis, and through him upop
the Executive authorities at Richmos0
and upon the people at large, ur4"
our Richmond correspondeE
citssns eli ai,rm hasa I'D; been work.
black art. t.40
iHlS DeWllueTIleIlu USSuIII0
of shapes. AT one time it is a no5,l
encampment on the mountains. I'm
colors of the invaders can almost be dis
covered in the distance. The alarm
drums are beaten, and soon the military
are under arms prepared to meet the foe.
Some one brings telescopes and 10, the
deluson is dispellcd. The motion that is
seen, and which suggested the idea Of
ritiemen on march, proceeds from the
waving branches of few sombre pine
trees All present feel the Righteousness
of the scene, but no one ventures to
laugh openly for such an otfense would
be construed into an act bordering on
treason.
At another time a joker rides into
Charlestown at ioaming speed, announc-
ing that band OF several thousand abo-
litionists have crossed the Ohio at Wheel
ing, and are marching to the rescue of
Old Brown. A trooper is instantly de-
spatched to Harper's Ferry, with tele-
graphic dispatches to Richmond, Wash
ington and Baltimore, imploring imme-
diate reinlorcemts to repel invasion, and
the troops are actually on their way be-
fore the joke is discovered
Other equally laughuble though very
lHiproper jokes are peipetTitet. Inc
burning of corn stack is magnified into
the LAYING waste of the Old Dominion
with fire and sword, and portentou> are the
preparations made 10y the military under
Col. Davis to emulate the three hundred
Spartans under Leonidas, and make one
of the passes Of the Blue Ridge II new
Thermopyl9. Doubtless they would do
it; but their patriotism and valor are
not put to the test. The spark from q
nigger's pipe or II ireeman's scgar caused
all the trouble. ....
And then comes that cruel>t of all
iokers, Smith Crane, Esq, vino tells the
Leonidas of Churlestown that lie had
overheard conversation about band
of five hundred preparing to ride
Into the midst of death,
Into the mouth Of hell, ..
for the rescue Of Old Brown. If Smith
Crane, Esq, has not been appropriately
punished for the last sell" no time
should be lost in wing him his DESERTS
He is one OF the practical .jokers of Vir-
ginia, and he ought to be taught that
there is more cruelty in such jokes than
there was even in the Harper's Ferry in
vasion. They keep up a needless and
very deplorable alarm and excitement