Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-22

I TWTT THTF INV UT0UTUI OH y UgWT TT WHIT tWV Kun
obtained a temporary advantage; whereupon they cut
the wires and stopped the trains to insure themselves a
start on their conrse toward the North Star. IL any
such party has made a stand at that point, they will OF
course be crushed oct AT once, as a large forcc went
down 10y train from Baltimore Yesterday afternoon. while
President Buchanan and Governor Wise were both pre-
pairing To hurl their thunderS at the rebels. We suspect,
however, that the na,urc of the trouble j. misapprc-
hcnded, and its importance at the same time eSaggera-
ted.
From the rhiiadetPdia Inquirer. Oct. lsth, (Rep)
Views ON the Insure elton.
The country has been startled by the insurrection Mt
Harper's Ferry, now happily suppressed by the action of
the military sent to that romantic village. Il will be dit
hcult, before we receive the full testimony connected
With this plot, TO do justice to the event, by weighing the
motives of the actors and the hopes that animated them
in their mad scheme. Enough is known, however, to
justify a strong expression of surprise that an insurrec-
ton started As that was should be to any considerable
degree successful. The very first step was calculated to
10 more mischief than any other that could have been
taken. The seizure Of the arms aud property of the Uni
ted States was a national offence, and will entitle all who
were concerned in il, at the least, TO an indictment for a
conspiracy against the Federal Government This may
be made a very serious charge. IL the Government
so determine; and then the State of Virginia may
have an account to settle with those who have intcrfered
with their domestic Institutions. Of course there will he
but little sympathy at the South, or elsewhere, for the
insurrectionists and the results OF a trial NAV be very
severe, even at the hands of Virginia alone. That the
actors and participators in the affair can expect any aid
that win serve them, II they can be proved guilty, is ont
the question.
The event is worthy of consideration on many ac-
counts, and not To derive some useful lessons from il,
will he TO neglect the plaineSt monitionS. IL matters not
that the ringleaders werc msddeucd with the theme that
cNcitcd them the fact that = large number OF white la
boring men fraterused with them shows that there is a
deeper feeling against the domination OF the slave over
the white mans labor than even political philosophers
and theorists have supposed was existing. No man is 30
blind as not TO know that the few persons holding slaves
in some of the States. where involuntary serNitude is lit
tie needed, virtually control all the resources of the soil
and all the energies of the White abor-standing ready
To dcvclopc them. This is particularly true OF Mary
land and Virginia and il Is not from hatred To Sla-
very on moral grounds, - much A. from the ~irreprcsSi-
hc march OF free labor, ever making its demands
for employment, that the opposition 20 the CNis-
tence OF slavery increases. Virginia and Maryland
are deemed to he valuable States, TO which FREE
Labor is knocking for admission, not less for it,
own satisfaction aud well being than for the gene
raj enhancement of the wealth of those two COM
munitieS. The natural course of events has been for
hose States to terminate their conventional compact
with the slave oigarchy that has unwisely sought, de-
handed, and obtained unnecessary and injurious couces-
sions from Congress and from the Federal Judiciary, till
it, ayariciOus spirit is regarded as a fruitful source of
mischief, hy keeping up agtatonS which long ago might
have ceased. The country has viewed with 4 common
regret the determination OF men, who are sectional in
their feelings, on the one hand to rcpreSS slavery az 4
blow, and, on the other, 10 make 1t a fearful ruling pow
er, contrary to the arrangements made by our iOrefa-
Tiers, who believed in the idissr, frre policy. What
agitation has done and is doing, we have perceiv-
cd again and again and IL nov remains to Ice
aScertained what more will he demanded and how
much more will be granted, TO entail upon the pos
JeTity of the United States an evil Of evils, which
might b. eradlcatcd, but Tor the bind belief that slave
" l. essential 10 the growth OF the Southern States
This delusion Is not only dangerous in itself, but It j. cal
culated, if persisted in, to lead to more trouble. since
slave owners, who are numbered by tens OF thousands,
virtually plant their slaves on the necks of millions of
free white persons, who are willing and anxious 10 add
10 individual and national wealth, were labor not madea
degrading thing in districts where the inevitable cry OF
nature and of things commercial is 4 for its extirpAtion.-
We are animated by no ether than the most solemn con
yictons when We declare that the day i gone by for fan
faronade upon this topic-that in a commercial light
mf,na &c = AaNw.fr. - .nA-s.n sN-UA e.
tritie with the subject, or to procrastinate upon IT. settle
mcnt, and that there IS no power iyrlnnical and harsh
enough 10 hold soil under a system OF seFfdom, while an
enormous majority of the population desire TO throw the
The soil of Virginia, Maryland, and other States, must be
free IN a few wears, even with all the barriers that NAV
hn erected against such progress. Professor Tucker. Of
ihe University OF virginia, proved 1t conclusively by sta
tistics more than fifteen years AGO, and his words are be-
coming true 20 the yery letter. No public economist who
IS not blinded 10y ~prJUi;yes can fail to sc the same re-
sults loreshadoNing themselves. Even the extremist. Of
the south realize it, and with the vain and mad hope OF
p,rpetuating an institution against the inevitable opposi.
uon of nature, population, necessity, ana the Consttu-
tom, threaten To seek tie r~a-opening Of the African slave
trade-yes, thai abomirable trade, destructive alike to
Africans anil TO tic States where IL should b. introduced
even though there are ia the organization OF our Con.
| icderIcy elements al life which must resist the attamut
At any and every hazard-ior the Union cannot be dis
membered.
What, then, j. the course to be pursued, in view Of
the general condition Of the country on the question of
slavery Are We prepared To meet the issues which are
before ne like men who can throw aside p~rciudiccs. pas
SONS, and personal desires for political ACKNOWLEDGMENT
or shall we continue to blndly miscall things which are
o'JecuNely visible 10 every rational mindg The scenes
ut HarpeTs Ferry warn us that those men could not be
come mOnomaniacs upon a subject that has no basis In
the thoughts Of the multitude. ur the very ground that
j. commercially destined to an emancipation. sooner or
later, they threw their lives into the military m.rktrom
that yawned before them, glorying, in their death strur.
Sic-, That they took the position occupied by them. for
| principles sake. Men will not sympatLize with their
madness, but. they will recur to the bOldncss OF the Mot
a. an evidence that there is . future fastening on to ex-
unguish involuntary scrvitudc where it interfrres with
tile progress Of the AnglO-SaNon race. Dcplore as We
may the event, mourn over the misfortune of 50 mad au
attempt to convert the property Of the United State, into
the means Of rescuing the soil Of States from those who
persist in maintaining 90 Institution inimical to the wei
fare OF the commonwealth which protect il. Il is not
prudent, and it's not wise. To reject the lesson. for il f.
one, u needed, thai NAV save vast troubles in the future
To resist the moral will he suicidal. Wherever and when
ever a great commercial question arouse- the blood Of
mankind it never l. silenced by any bulwarks that now
~ may throw around H.. No monarchy has ever been
able TO rePres' such agitltions for along period and uu.
der a republican form of government il ia evident that
there i wisdom ia yieldin" the opinions OF tMr minority
TO those of the majority. Whoever NAV have been tho
agents Of the iusurrecuon. from whatever quarter thev
may have come mad a. they may have been. the hopas
and encouragement Of those upon The soil that fb.y ia.
vaded must have strengthened them in their Uuiyouc en-
terprse. This significant belief should be u warning not
10 stretch too far the power that right in maintaining
The property Oi citizens 80 long AZ itcau be done without
injury to the mass Of the body polite MANY and many
a wear ago Virginia knew that -he would be- made richer
IS a population and - q Stale, without -layer,. aud Iii has
only been by per-istcnuy Glazing hersclflc1ius her own
interest, with the States where the institution may really
seem needed, that she has excited wonder 20 the
itthiulness Of her alliance with the South as well as SUP
price that she should court 50 long the shocks Of an inter.
nal conflict with herself
The history Of the iusurrection, given by us this morn.
iug. though showing an exceedingly rockies and daring
series Of acts upon the part Ofthc iusurgcuts-act which no
man pi sense will regard A. other than the pIomptings Of
men diseased in their intenects, may not be regarded safely
without attention, since they show 70 what positions mel.
may De driven 10y desperate leaders. urged forward by a
single idea. IL will bee well If 90 our couuirymen have
the mlnliness to frankly look the whole subject in the
face, and 10 10 their duty 20 their whole country In al
lurther discussions aud d6lbemtions on the subject
W Ia. beena grand error 10 make it stalking horse for
political leaiers, andthe sooner the country learns to re-.
trace b. steps and -si3e down into the old paths where
the Compac,so Of the Constitution leads gs, the better will
10 Dc for the peace Of the country and for that harmoui.
oIs working oi the Union, eish has only been disturb.
ed by oreains away ilom tie yiginal boundaries
THE OPPOSITION CONVENTION.
10 hs Editor AZ Tho lVhig
Your views, in reference 20 the improperly II recon.
mouding, DO our primary mee'ing+ ANY particular person
ipr the next Pre-ideucy. meet with the cordial approval
Of al.sge mIDuty 0f tma Opposition party Of tis coun.
tT. We b1t1e Tor measures NOT Tor men.
And willie wr rsvHrI HL.. U-. q n U..r- IL