Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-12-13


Virginia.
GENrLEMEN-Up to q late period had fond
" hoped to close my official term and part from
nv Executive labors with naught but cause OF
congrstnlation on the condition fthe Common
wealth. But the uppermost theme in this my
last regular message must be, that our peace has
been disturbed; our citizens have been lmprls-
oned robbed and murdered; the sanctity oftheir
dwellings has been violated their persons have
been outraged; their property has been seized
by force of arms; strong hold in their midst,
with its arms and munitions of war has been
captured, and the inhabitants cut off from the
means of defence; national highway through
our limits, aud its locomotive trains and tele-
graphic wires have been stopped; and State ana
National Sovereignties have been insulted and
assaled; and State aud Federal troops have been
called out and been compelled to tight, at the
loss of several killed and wounded, to subdue re-
bellion aud treason, at Harper's Ferry in the
county of Jefferson, within our jurisdiction.
This was no result of ordinary crimes, how
ever high handed aud felonous. twas no con-
spracy of bandits against society in general, with
the motives which usually actuate criminals, con-
fined to the individual perpetrators, and to be
crushed by their arrest and punishment. But
it was an extraordinary aud actual invasion, by
sectional organization, specially upon slave
holders aud upon their property in negro slaves
The home to be invaded was the home of do
nestle slavery the persons to be seized were
The persons of shareholders; the property to be
con6scated was the property in slaves and the
other property Of shareholders alone, such as
! lone,, plate, jewels and other OF like kind,
ca,ch vas to be taken to compensate the rob-
oers fo. he trouble and risk of robbing the mas
ters of their slaves; the slaves were not to be
taken to be carried away, but they were to be
made to stand by the side of the robbers, and to
be forced to fight to liberste themselves by mas
sacreiug their masters; the arsenal was taken
to supply arms to servile insurgents; and pro-
visional government WAS attempted, in British
province, by our own countrymen, united to US
in the faith of confederaoy, combining with Can
adams, to invade the slsveholdiDg States of the
United States and thus the night of the 10th
of October last was surprised and the day OF the
l1th of October last was startled by the signal
guns OF rapine, murder, robbery and treason, be-
gun at Hsrper's Ferry for the purpose of stir
ring up universal insurrection of slaves through
out the whole South.
Sudden, surprising, shocking ss this invasion
| has been, it is not more so than the rapidty and
ranoor of the causes which have prompted and
pat it in motion. 1t is not confined to the part
es who were the present participstors in its out
| rages. Causes and influences lie behind it more
potent far than the little band of ofdesperadoes who
| were sent ahead to kindle the sparks of gen
ersl conhsgration; and the event, sad as it is
would deserve but little comment, ifthe condigr
punishment of the immediate perpetrators OF the
tslonies committed would for the future secure
the peace which has been disturbed, and guar
Il tha lnUaa0
II the miserable convicts were the only con-
spirstors against our peace and safety, we nigh
have forgiven their offences and constrained
them only by the grace of pardon. But an en-
tire social and sectional sympathy has inoitet
their crimes, and now rises in rebellion and In
surrecton to the height of sustaining and justi
tying their enormity.
u 1t would be pusillanimous to shut our eye
and to affect not 10 see certain facts OF feariu
import which stare us in the face, and OF which
| must speak plainly to you, with the hrm anc
manly purpose of meeting danger and with nc
1 weak and wicked design of exciting agtation.-
That danger exists, OF serious magnitude, there
can be no doubt in the minds of the most calm
aud rejecting, and the way to avert it IN al
cases is to march up to it and meet it front t
front. If it has not grown too great already
lt will retire from collision aud if it has growl
strong enough already tor the encounter, it hsc
better be met at once, for 1t will not diminish oJ
delay. | believe, IN truth, that the very poicy
of the prime promoters OF this apparently mac
movement is purely tentative; to try whethei
we will face the danger which is now sealed IL
blood. If we stake the dare" the aggression
will become more and more insolent; and, If VIZ
DO not, that it will either truckle or meet Us IL
open conflict to be subdued aud, 10 either event
1 So. Il = tho, Wi
secured by a direct settlement at once-th'
sooner the better
: For series of years social and sectional diff
terences have been growing up, unhappily, be
tween the States OF our Union and their people
An evil spirit of fanatcism has seized upon ne
gro slavery rs the one subject of social reform
aud the one idea or its abolition has seemed u
madden whole masses of one entire section OF th
country. 1t enters into their religion, into thel
sducAtiou, into their politics and prayers, lnt
neir courts of justice, into their business, int
aeIr Legislatures, into oil classes OF their people
aa Iuos, respectable aud most lawless, into thei
| Il pits md into their presses and school houses
4 into their men, women and children OF al ages
everywhere. 1t has trained three generations
irom childhood up, in moral and social habits
hatred to masters of African slaves in the Unite
States. 1t turns not upon slavery elsewhere, o
: against shareholders in any other country, bu
!, is especially malignant and yindictve toward
its own countrymen, for the very reason that
is bound to them by the faith and sanction of
confederate law. To set up that law to it is t
enrage it by the sight of the law, because it
bound by it. 1t has been taught by the Athe
l. ism of a 'bigher lawn than that of regula
government bound by constitutions and statute:
II has been made to believe IN the doctrine c
absolute individual rights, independent OF oil re
J. iatIons of man IT, man In q conventional and SO
cial form; ami that each man for himself ha
the prerogative to set up his conscience, his Wi
5 aud his Judgment over and above all legal en-
! actmenls and social Institutions. Ithas been in
tiamed by prostituteG teachers and preacher
aud presses to do and dare any crime and its cou
sequences which may sci up its individual su
> premacy over law aud order IL has been taugh
from the Senate chamber TO trust in the iatall,
d OF an "irrepresSi6le conflict" into which it i
}, bound to plunge. Its anil Christ pulpit ha
: Oreathed naught but insurrectionary wrath int
servants against their masters, and has de-
uounced our national Union as a covenant will
death for recognizing property in slaves ant
guaranteeing to it the protection OF law. 1t ha
raised contributions in churches to furnish arm
and money TO such criminals rs these TO make
war for empire OF settlement in our new Terri
! tories. It has trained them on the frontier an(
there taught them the skill OF the Indian in saw
age warfare, and then turned them back upon th'
oldest and largest slaveholding State to surpris'
one OF It's strongest holds. 1t has organized II
Canada and traversed and corresponded thence
10 New Orleans ana from Boston to Iowa. i
has established spies everywhere, and has secre
agents III the heart OF every slave State, and ha'
secret associations aud underground rail roads
III every free State. 1t enlists influence ant
money at home and abroad. 1t has sent com
torters and copnseors and sympathy, and woult
! ha va sent rercne Tn these assassins robbers mur