The Van Buren press., 1859-11-04
Letter from Washington County.
Correspondenes Of he Vsn Bssen Press.

CoTTeep0ndeuce o. he VGn OeSe1 fress
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark, Oct, %.
Your editorial, yesterday, on the Harp
er's Ferry Insurrection meets the hearty
of this community. saving
perhaps. few tender footed individuals,
who have excited little suspicion by
their silence upon the miscarriage of Gene
raj Brown.
1t is time that the people of the South
should prepare to protect their institutions
and society by more than words and hair
splitting discussions upon distractions.
The late insurrection is the first demonstra-
tion since Stewards declaration of the "ir-
repressible conflict and though grand
failure, we are warned that we should go to
work and perfect our military organizations
and arm the people to meet the " conflict p
We should be prepared to crush any and
every attempt of our enemies. whether TO-
rays from &c Bleeding Kansas" or a con-
spiracy of abolitionists and negroes among
us. Each neighborhood should see that it's
household is in order" and begin to
prnne out the cxcresancies that have grown
up or lodged in their midst Society should
give no countenance to any man who does
not unreservedly indorse the institutions of
the country. This proposition cannot be
regarded as proscriptiv. when the existing
state Of things is considered. Our enemies
in the free States declare an unrelenting
warfare upon us. and send men among US
to carry out their aim. Men occupying
f" respectable stations in society in the
North. send men of equal " respectability'
in our midst to hatch conspiracy, instigate
rebellion. and to run off our slaves. These
men until they have been found guilty. are
never suspected or molested, By these
men our confidence is betrayed. Our tole-
rance in permitting them to remain among
us is repaid by insurrection. assassination
and robbery. They commit these outrages
and plead conscientiousness in justification.
Can it. then, be expected that we can pa
tlently and good naturedly recognise as
worthy of respect and confidence, men who
cannot justify our institutions flour in
stitutions are uncongenial to their tastes,
are they bound to live among us ought
they to live among us ? And are they not
intraders in our society?
1t is true that many Of this class are too
" respectable" and too prudent to expose
their persons or property in the issue, but
their sympathies and counsels are cheap.
The respectable" portion of this class are
the persons to hope most for, and first to
claim the advantages of the change of in
stitutions. These men would quietly pos
sess and occupy the soil and speculate upon
the necessities of their pro-slavery neigh
bors.
we should inaugurate more rigid M, :
ace system Tor the government of our negro
and the intercourse of white
men among negroes. Improper white men
should be made to vamose the rancho. >"
1t matters not how respectable" man
may profess to be. if his conduct comes
within our rule, he should be dealt with
The temporary success Of the Harper's
Ferry conspirators has misled abolitionists
into the error that the South is incapable
OF protecting itself from servile war. They
contound misplaced confidence and over
weening security with weakness. The ab-
oiitionists of the North are jubilant over
their idea that in the South. j." one half of
the population constantly menaces the 9TH
half with civil war and murder, in which
the leading classes go to sleep over volca-
no.
They assure themselves that this condition
OF things grow with the growth " of our
institutions. and an explosion is inevita-
ble." The condition Of things the South
began over century ago and have grown
with the growth of the country, vet the
" explosion has not taken place. Tired
of waiting the tedious approach of the cri
sis which they have so often foretold, they
now propose, and have actually attempted
to hasten the event by sending their conspi
rctors to instigate rebellion their Gu.
throats to lead the murderous band, and
their arms to furnish the negro rebels. But
what disappointment to these pious inst;-
Soe'io VI icoeilIOH HOW ulSSuSteu must
be the g friends of human freedom, /" to- wit
ness the ingratitude and infatuation of thei,
negro friends. The happy, contented ne
gro population clung to their g chains"
and fled from their liberators." Seven
hundred pixies, three hundred rifles and the
same number of pistols were ready for will
ling hands and brave hearts that would
strike for freedom and only six slaves
and one free negro accepted the favors OF
their abolition friends. Large gangs of
negros were brought into the enemy, and
were offered arps, but they fed to their
masters whenever opportunities were offer
ed them to escape.
This lesson will teach the preachers Of
the irrepressible conflict. that fthey hope
for success in their nefarious designs, they
must send men as well as arms to carry out
their work of assassination and robbery.
What is to be done with Gerritt Smith
and his fellow conspirators I? Are they to
go unmolested ? The men who not only
urge " insurrection. fire. rape and slaugh-
ter as the general system to be adopted,
but have actually involved themselves in
the late treason. These traitors should be
fo1 NJ