The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-12-13
THE DAY BOOK.
MemcrialstO the Legislature of
virginia,

ginia respectfully showeth, that the ag
gressions of the citizens of the Northern and
Eastern States upon the rights and feelings
of the Southern people have become so
grievous and oppressive as to call for the
interposition of the Legislature of the
Southern States for the protection OF their
people, and we, of Virginia, come forward
now with our appeal to you to interpose in
behalf of the people of Virginia. In the
year the fanatics of the Northern and
Eastern States, then comparatively small
number led on and stimulated by politicians,
under the pretence of exercising the right OF
petition (Which is a rioht by the constitu-
r ton only "to petition l0r redress OF grew
ances") claimed for the Congress of the u.
States the right to abolish slavery, and to
use the national hall for the purpose OF in
sulting and deiaming our people, and assail-
ing and ssndering the institution of slavery
with view to render it ,odious, and excite
the passions and cupidity of the masses to
its destruction. In an evil hour for the
peace of the South and preservation of the
Union the politicians prevailed, the consti-
tuition was partially overthrown; and, made
more insolent by their triumph, the fanatics
have since poured necessarily their abuse
upon us. They have piled epithet upon cpl
thet, and fasehood upon fasehood, until
they have influenced the public mind Of the
North so that it has become almost uncon-
trolable; and desecrating holy religion
and insulting the Diety at the affairs conse-
Grated to His worship with pledges Of ODE
dience to His commandments, from the pull
pit a crusade has been preached az ainst US,
saying, sThou shalt steal the property of
the South, and thou mayest commit murder
upon the owners of it, until the poll ticians
and the preachers, the women and free ne
groes, form horrid phalanx of demons, who
are always shouting "steal, steal-kill,
kill" Governed by that high integrity and
true morality which teach men and nations
to respect the rights of others, and loyal
therefore to her constitutional obligations,
the South has not only submitted to these
assaults, but has continued to pour the treas
ures of her soil into the cities OF the North,
and transferred to them all her manufac-
tures,, thereby destroying her own COM
MERGE aud impoverishing her own people,
and strengthening and enriching those who
have been 80 long, 30 wantonly, so unnatu-
rally, and with such savage spirit assailing
and denouncing her. Failing to appreciate
this forbearanca, and concluding that the
South was craven because she was patient,
band of outlaws, composed Of Northern
free negroes, land white men more despicable
than their associate free negroes, led on by
a man who was stained with every crime,
utterly devoid Of moral sense, and without
single quality to commend him which is
not possessed by the hyena and the volt,
and adv ed by Seward, Hale, Wilson and
Smith, was at It hired by Puritans, preach-
ers and politicians at the North, to invade
her soil, steal our property and murder our
people and precipi tating themselves at
night upon Harper's Ferry, the first act in
the bloody drama was enacted, and the first
compaign in the war Of our determination
was commenced.
That drama has not quite closed, but the
scene has changed, and the assassins who ap-
peared in the first act as the representatives
of a depraved race, now fifty fill the graves
of felons, or lie bound ready for them. But
the war cry is renewed, the demons howl
over their deluded vict rs from their
wretched "orcasses the pestilential odor
arises which is to poison our air, and like the
traitors of an earlier day, in blood the sur
vivors swear in blood to consumate their
hellish work A miserable traitor, expelled
from the South, has sold his name in order to
deceive the credulous with the hope OF sue
cor from the South, and bloody banner has
been unfurled against US, which those who
bear, and those who bought the bearers for
the purpose proclaim "the full and fixed de-
termination to stand by or die by" That
they will Iot stand by it we know. Some
will fly, as some have fled from it when
danger surrounded it, to foreign parts
and the aylums of the lunatic-cewards
who had not courage to face the Zoe they
had challenged to the conflict, or defend
the field upon which their banner waved
patriots WAC fly the country which they
have sworn to free. But we know also that
some died and we feel perfect confidence that
all who shall fight under that banner will
die, If you and the other Southern States
shall properly discharge your duty to the
South and to yourselves. Upon that banner
is inscribed not merely decree OF blood by
actual revolu ton, but also decree OF the
most inhuman prescription, until that revo-
luton accomplished. Thus they proclaim
tion with shareholders in politics; no fellow
ship with them in religion; no utilization
with them in society no patronage to
slavehelding mef chants no guestship IN
slavewaiting hotels; no fees to slavehold-
ing lawyers; no employment to slavehold-
ing physicians no audience to slavenolding
parsons no recognition of pro-savery men
except Q rutfians, outlaws and criminals"
And under this banner the Governor Of the
largest Northern State New York, and
sixty northern members of Congress, with
many merchants and other citizens of note,
have enlisted and have subscribed their mo-
ney to support it. But not daring to march
in open war upon US, they tamper with our
servants and endeav0r to excite them to
rebellion, while they assall us IN the night
with the rifle and the torch. So nonstrous,
so Ubiquitous, so unnatural and cruel war
fare has never been waged before except
among cannibals. The people of this coun-
try, including the forefathers of these very
enemies of ours, cried out against the gov.
eminent of Great Britain, and proclaimed
eternal separation from it because it employ
ed the savage Indian to war against them.
ct new the descendants OF those men, who
are connected with us by the ties Of interest
and consanguinity, as we'll as by common
government, wage war against US more in
human than the Indian ever waged, and
why Not because we of the South ever
wronged them or desire to wrong them on
the contrary, we have been loyal to every
obligation we have submitted to heavy
burthens and taxes to build up their manu-
features, and patiently seen our commerce
destroyed and our productions deprecated,