Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1859-12-22
Ror The Intelllgeneer.l

Aessrs. EditorS:-It is the misfortune Of
despots and autocrnts that they can sell
dom hear the voice of plain, unvarnished
truth. Surrounded by sycophants and
''fatterers false" they hear no language,
except that which ministers to their blind
and mischicvous prejndices. The subscri-
Der has sometimes thought that it might
be highly useful to our Southern brethren
to hear the voice of u friend from the
shades of private life, without the slightest
motion to mislead or betray Born, edu-
lcated, and reared to maturity in the South,
after having lived thirty years in the free
West, the subscriber has some knowledge
of both phases of society. a heart fuller
of true affection for the good old Common
wealth, mother of States, does not beat in
the breast of any son of the sold Domin-
ion," at home or abroad. 1 could tell my
| Southern kinsmen many valuable truths
But alas! alasl what hopeis there that the
! accents of prudence, of moderation, will be
heard amidst the din of strife, the tempest
of passion! Yet without any sanguinc
hopes of being useful, am provoked by
late occurrences, to ask n place in your col
umns for few reflections.
| 1t appears by some scanty extracts in
the Ohio papers, that Governor Wise, in
! That he talks of remaining undersarms, of
continuing in military attitude, of de-
manding explanations and guarantees from
his co-States of the North and West And
that, in short, his message abounds with
yindictive sentiments and expressions of
suspicion and distrust concerning his I'M
offending fcllow-citizens. This is not the
voice of wisdom. The danger is purely
imaginary. The insult and the consequent
alienation of feeling are actual and de-
plOrablc. Ohio has just as much reason
to demand explanations and guarantees
from Virginia, as Virginia from Ohio
The men of Virginia will pass the "Beau-
ttul River" to commit arson and murder,
just as soon as the men of Ohio will pass
it, for the same detestable purpose. The
men of Ohio will combine to plumber and
burn Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland,
and murder their citizens, just as soon rs
they will combine to commit the same
atrocities in Richmond, or Norfolk, or
Lynchburgh, or Petersburgh. If individ-
ual rufhans pass from one Jurisdiction to
another to commit crimes, their appro-
pirate reward is the bayonet or the gal
lows. But it is unwisc and impolitic to
make the matter an occasion of insult and
evaporation to great commemorative
containing millions of men rs courageous,
and as high-spirited as Governor Wise
So far from attempting to stir up servilc
Instruction, the people of Ohio are not
disposed to cultivate the slightest social
intercourse with the slaves. As the slave
| Is human being, we of course, feel for
him that benevolence which the common
bond of our humanity demands; but that
feeling of benevolence, neither disposcs US
to associate with him, nor to excite him to
| a
Hence the atrocities at tHarper's Ferry e1-
cite the same sentiments on the West as
they do on the East of the River. Of
course only try to express the sentiments
of the great mass, of the immense majori-
| ty of our fellow-citizens. Unique charac-
tiers, exceptional cases we have amongst
us, Us every community has; but true
Craftsmanship would forbid an exalted
public functionary from attributing either
their actions or their sentiments to a
mighty community.
And now my friends, my kinemen, my
Brothers of the Southern States, let me
in sober sadness, ask you one plain ques-
ton. Are not robbery, rape, arson, and
murder the same things in Central America
and Cuba that they are in Jefferson county,
Virginia? Yet is it not as notorious as tho
81 Eifou5tGtsi III dGaRSSc9e end not F S6lI
OF our national statutes, but of every Other
law, human and divine, collect in on,
Southern cities, and depart with every
mark of public appreciation, to commit
these and every other possibles crimc?-
And although prosecutions have been
commenced against some of these mis-.
creants, no Southern jury has evsr yet re.
turned verdict of conviction. The ma.
tional power of peace and war is tamely
surrendered to these most unworthy indi-
viduals and our national name is made tc
stink in the nostrils Of the whole civilized
world. No disapprobation, apparently, is
either felt or expressed, and no consc-
qucnces follow, except that Quitman OF
some other Fire-eater gives notice in tho
Senate or House, that he intends to intro
duce bill to repeal our neutrality laws.
Not only so, but Walker and other con.
temptible names, which the loathing mem
DRY refuses to retain, despicable for their
imbecilitT and odious for their atrocity
are caressed, honored, idolized in the
highest and most refined Southern society
II this language is too highly colored lift
is exaggerated, if the picture is not true to
the life, the whole Southern press is cnpa-
ged In one widespread conspiracy to
deceive and delude the North and Vest
Old Brown and his little squad skulked 10
their work singly and secretly. Had they
iemoodled themselves and avowed their
designs, they could no more have marched
on such an errand through the free States
than through Virginia itself.
But again, if there is any word in any
language, which, in the opinion of the in
tGl!lgent. the rejecting, and the influential
citizens of the North and West, compri-
ses in its meaning, the sum total of ;'aI
villianies," of all diabolical and of all hu-
man or rather inhuman crimes, that word
is English, and that word is the slave
trade. Ordinary robbery, arson and muir
der pale before it, for the prosecution OF
this truly internal traffic, implies the ha-
6itual and wholesale commission of all
these crimes. The revival of this trade is