Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-12-13
sTAUNTON VIRGINIA. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 49, 1859.

States cannot continue.
The strongest argument against this unnatural
war upon negro slavery in one section by an
other of the same common country, Is that 1t In
evitably drives to disunion of the States, emblt
tered with all the vengeful hate of civil war;
AS that union is among the most precious OF our
blessings, so the argument ought to weigh which
weighs its value. But this consideration ls de-
spised by fanaticism. 1t contemns the Union,
and now oontemns us for cnging to it as we DO.
1t SCOTS the warning that the Union is endan-
gered. The Union itself is denounced as Gov
enaut with sin, and we are scorned as too tlmid
to make the warning of danger to it worthy to
be needed 1t arrogantly assumes to break ell
the bonds of faith within il, and dehes the at
tempt 10 escape oppression without 1t. mas
ruaely assails our honor rs we'll as our interests,
and demands of Us what we will do. We have
but one thing to do: unless the numerical ma
iority will cease to violate confederate faith, on
a question of such vital importance to Us, and
will cease, Immediately and absolutely cease to
disturb our peace, to destroy our lives aud prop
erty, aud to deprive us Of all protection and re-
dress under the perverted forrLs and distorted
workings of the Union, We must take up arms
The issue is too essential TO be compromised
any more. We canuot s!aud such insults ana
outrages as those of Harper's Ferry without
suffering worse than the death of citizens-wlth'
out suffering dishonor, the death OF State.
For quarter of century we have been per
suaded to forbear, and patiently to wait Tor the
waking and working of the conservative elements
in our sister States. We have borne and fore
borne. and waited 10 vain. We know that we
have many sound and sincere friends IN the non
slaveholding States. 1t may be that they are
most numerous far who abhor and detest such
wrongs as these; but it is not to be disguised
that the conservative elements are PaSsaoe, Whilst
the fanaticsl are actipe, and the former are fasr
diminishing, whilst the latter are increasing IN
numbers and in force. But where is the evil
dence that the conservative elements are most
powerful Do we look to tue schools md col
leges2 to the pulpits and clergy, and churches
and congregational to the plessY to the jour
nalsl to the books to the professions the ar
tissns2 to associations, which are marked char
aoteristics of the age to politics to public as
sembes and speakers to legislatures to Con
rress? to laws, either State or federal3 to cleo
tions to the administration of lawsT to judicial
decisions2 Alas! turn where we Will ana to
what we will, we find that the judgments OF the
courts only are with US, but they have lost al
reverence aud respect, and we are lett wlthou,
protection, and the Supreme Court OF the Unlteo
States is itself assailed for not assalllng our Oon
IsLitutional defences. And these last are assaileo
in denying the rights OF protection itself. a ne"
sovereignty and new law Is set up over Tue
| old, aud we are denied protection under BOTH
Where the Federal Government has no power t1
Cypress, it is assumed; and where 1t has tns
power and it is its duty to protect, it IS not al
| lowed to intervene Aud the non 'slaveholdint
States are in nearly solid array opposed to u.s.
We, united, may contend for while by the AID
pluralities, but for a short time only, aud uncer
tainly at any time, and at best have no maJorltle
on which We can rely in at least sixteen states
having the power of the Union. The active ma
Overcome the passive elements; fanatlclsm ma
subdned conservatism in all these States, AM
these can now, in our present CONDITION, pfaGti'
cally WELD our destinies for veal or woe. WI
they come back to the Constitution ano aold
its covenants or not2 What those covenants ar
have fully discussed in reply to the resoiution
of Vermont, which are herewith submitted, VIII
my response appended, as part OF this nessage
| mt il upon the archives of State as the mos
elaborate study of the subject OF which l al
capable.
| Rut NO words can elaborate the issues to which
! we are ow practically brought by the events a'
! Harper's Ferry. -,
| II is vain 10 point to the paucty of the numbers
| of the marauders. The daring OF their attempt
would prove not more their oolhardness than their
full assurance that they were to be joined oy iorce
sufficient to be formidable. If they had not mlsss-
| ken the number and disposition OF the slaves, VINO
thew expected to seize the spears, which they
brought to capture an arsenal OF arms, 1t Is NOT
| known, and never will be known, how many 9tner
| white fanatics would have sweled their numbers,
nor how much blood and treasure 1t would nave
| cost to qus their rebellion. Few they were, put
thew were fatal TO the lives of several OF our most
worthy citizens; and insultngly dared the chances
Of doing immeasurabe mischefto our entire North
| ern border.
And it is mockery to call them monomaniacs.-,
| Maniacs they were, only as all great criminals ana
monomaniacs they were only as the subject OF sla-
| very makes men more insensate than any otner one
| subject can. If these men were monomoniacs, then
| are large portion Of the people OF many OF tne
| States monomanlacs.
diers in notable crusade against slavery and slave
holders. Many of those who now plead their IN
sanity for them put Sharpe's rifles in their hands
and enlisted and trained and trusted their WIS 1or
war in Kansas. Contributions were raised for them
in churches They had been pulled With the praise
of the professedly pious for being the very men OF
destiny for the mission against slave settlements
They had been furnished with moaey to make sharp
spears of butchery for the throats ana oreascs oi
masters, and to supply munitions and stores oi reg
ular campaigns. They assembled together from
narts as far between as they themselves were few.
They were provided, supplied and furnished win
much beyond their own wants or means. Anait
passing strage that they, madmen, should, lew as
thew were. have been so many madmen, meeting
from so far apart, we'll supplied by others tnan
themselves, at a point 80 well selected, and that
they should have coaspired with 80 much methoo
as to be so successful against sucn apparent oaas'
Were these parties, known and unknown, 80 sltua-
ted, all mad? 1t is enough to say that the leader
himself spurned the fasehood, hypocrisy and cow
ardice of this mawkish plea OF monomania, ana
neither he nor one of his men, nor their counsel,
nut it in upon their trials. he expected from Ma
prompters and hackers and sympathizers better
pretence and more potent defence that that. be-
fore his failure and defeat In what, In thelr corres
pondence with him. they called glorious cause
their sympathy was all with ms aespepa;e for
plea against the legal penalties OF his crimes, whch
had their origin in this very sympathy. A symPa-
thy which saw his insanity too late to snatch from
his hands the weapons II hao piaceu tnei w nJ
to save the lives taken by its own !ncitemene; anu
too late to save him from telon'sfate. :,
By our laws, the plea Of insanity could aVan at
any time in any stage of trial. and alter ,conVic-
ton before sentence of the court; and aiter the u
| dicia tribunals were done with the prisoners anu
they were turned over to the executioner the exc
cutiye authority could forefend the laws sentence
upon the insane. If either could show or prove in-
sanity. either now on trial he couid not oe exc
cuted as long as Il am the Governor OF the Com-
monwealth until currd in an asylum; and, II insane
at the time Of committing the offence, he could not
be executed, cured not cured, at all. But thesa
men needed no mental cure; theirs was moral
malady Of devils, which no power put olslne
could cast out. They were deliberate, cunning
malignant maleiactors, desperately bent on mis-
chiet, with malice aforethought, gangrened by Sec
tiona and social babitual hatred to US and ours
Their vengeance was whetted by previous coihsions
hundreds Of miles from US, and it whetted jagged
edges spears which it hundreds Of miles
| for our destruction They came a few, like thieves
| in the night, did their deeds OF death and were
easily crushed; but they were prompted py an evh
spirit of incendiarism which demOralizes numer-
GUS host Of enemies behind them, who now blatant
| ly sympathze with their deeds in open day before
the world. These hired them to be assassins, ROD
| bers, murderers and traitors, without themselves
incurrinr the risk OF their crimes and it is no WON