Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-12-16

TER FROM PRESIDENT LORD, OF DARTMOUTH
COLLEGE.
| To tie Editor Of the Richmond WHig:
hand you herewith n letter which received a few
days ago from President Lord of Dartmouth College in
New Hampshire The high moral and literary character
OF Dr. Lord together with the responsible position which
he occupies and the facilities he has for knowing where
OF he airms il seems to ought entite this letter
To widespread publication and in this fnd justi-
fcauon for placing it in your hands.
Having been student in the Institution which
he presides, and believing him eminently qualified
speak wisely of the questions here discussed deermn-
ed to communicate wih him. aud nov offer his response
to for the benefit of all who may feel Interested to
read the sound conservative views Of one Of New Eng
lands Intelligent thinking men. / sought IL not for
publication, but its author will feel sgrieved
at seeing it in print h think it WILL its publication
S"f,i RinSaI Jean, IN good s Very respectfully
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, Dec. l, 1859.
| To j. NJ. COSRAD, ESQ.-My Dear Sir :-Yo our favor
oil the 22d ult Is at hand 1t proposes difficult ques-
ton, viz What i the predominant sentiment among
your population with regard 10 the recent invasion of
our SOIL and Interference With institutions; they
value the Union il i-y Aud. il So do they not feel
that dissolution must inevitably follow such denionst-
| tcnsr'
The question however is difficult mainly in view of iis
relation TO other questions which you have asked
The raid at larpcrs Ferry, Isolated action
viewed by all but few fanatics among our people, with
Mingled feelings of disgust at its folly and indignation
at it, wckedness. IL almost doubtful whether il
should be treated with strait Jacket for ts Madness
rope for its method, that the wheel of
tcc often turned aside upon plausible pretences OF
insanity. But best il il abhorent to all our common
y received ideas Such demonstrations startle us the
from their direct incidental tendency to precpi-
tate general Reorganization and disunon On that ac-
count the vast majority of people would stamp them
with rcprobaton and join you battle if that were ne
cesslry, TO suppress them.
| But the mad attempt of Brown and his coad-
tutors cannot be wisely viewed apart from its r.
atiOns Ii is complicated with all the questions of sla.
very which now much confuse and agtate the coun-
try and which, sometimes fcar will not be settled
without seryile aud civil In that view public SEN
! IL aVan- s-sN a IL.
concern among thoughtful men.
Aceordugto my judgment public opinion at the North
is mostly represented, in this respect by these several
classes;
l. Those who study the subject of slavery by the meth.
cd OF faith in the lights of moral government as reflected
from natural and revealed religion. These are mostly
persons of grave pursuits in Church State who look
at things they revealed from Scripture and expert
ence They regard all men deprayed beings, guilry
and condemned by the Law of God reprieyed bv the
Divine goodness, placed provdenally in various
of probation according their diverses of character
AS iudviduas nations or races, and subjected differ
ent degrees OF restraint and discipline by governments
the family, State church. constituted aud apponted
by God TO the ends of probationary state slave
y Is one OF the constituted forms Of government and its
power and duties accredited and described both in
the Old and New Testament II Is wisely adapted the
ruder portions ofmankind and n some conditions of the
social State necessary to its best interests it, pre-
serVaon during the appointed time The necessity grows
out OF the mbeciiy and untracabeness of those ruder
classes Some hold U be judicial necessity entailcd
upon particular dsorderly race as sign Of the divine
dspleasure for peculiar wckednes signifed by the
curse of CaSaan and having analogy in the judgments
nov for long time inflicted upon the Jews. Yet mer-
cy Is mingled with judgment, and the doomed deride
benefits which they would not could not have
ed, but for such providenal ordering of affairs The
discipline may serve eventually TO higher reformation
and lifting up than could Otherwise have been possible
during the present arrangement OF the moral system
But this gives right superors oppress and in
hct interiors inurouy, for their selfish ends and all
abuses OF right Institution react pyoydentay the
casting down ofoppressive and unscrupuloUs rule
God - no resPector Of persons He honor the who
like the patriarchs and early Christians, his ord
nances agreeably 10 their design but Furnishes the evil
doeTs. And his government individuals and ma
tons is and uniform in this respect in all the ages
Men OF the class here described sprinked all
New Engaud. Their insensble influence serves 10 reg
uate in some measure, the confused masses, and to
couneract the destructive movements of the insane
! But they not comparatively numerous aud could
not as things are, greatly affect the generality They
looked upon with dstrus frequently magned and
their concatory influence is opposed Their reaonings
are often condemned without examination criticized with
out judgment, misrepresented bad popular effect
For that they retire. for the part to their
cret places ard wait to be justified by the providence of
| God.
These filed with grief and indignation at the
late disturbances in Virginia. They regard all such at
Uempts, 10y whomsocver conceived stimulated
red on, as unchrisiian immoral and impoc having
tendency but TO cNaggcrlte the evils real
(which they profess remedy That abuses of slave
ry exist the South they DENY not lust as they ackno
edge the manifold abuses which exist in the social sys-
TEN Of New England. But they nothing 10 Justify
the vituperaOn and inccudnrism which are excited by
|
more unprncipcd politicians hoodwinked teachers
Of morals and religion. Good and evil exist in in
sttutions well as yours and both ncNcusable
IL hiic and deyOur one another because OF the lad
accidents which belong respective different or
gnnizations administrations Of the social State. You
might as well lay waste with fire and sword for our
errors and sins, you for yours and for aught |
know, in this case with greater reason iuasmuch as
there probably fewer men ~ the South who hold
slaves injurousy than there infatr ated the
North who subject themselves and others far as their
influence iguO
Intoxicating dcu.ions and malignant passions.
9 Tho subjects Of this intellectual and moral seryiiule
constitute another class at tc North. mean the wild
about whom you do not inquire and OF whom need
not speak particularly. They known and read by
all men Their history l. the same in all countries and
period-,-he history OF wahon imagination,
pulous ambition bcwildcrcd Judgment immodefate vani.
" and selfconcc or hery passions driving them
onwards to fatal plunge.
Yet they not numerous probably not A. nu-
merous or powerful as you imagine. There are
scarcely FIVE in village and fewer IN the rural
districts They are mostly congregated in the cit
ies where they can collect rabblo by their fiery eo-
quence and sometimes decent people whose yagant
curiosity love Of indscrimnate excitement masters
their discretion. They otherwise formidable than
knot Of burglars and incendiarez, who sometimes
create panic through Town or county by n few mid.
night ontragcs that for while cude detection. That
there not laws for such deirous argues NJ vet
moral soundness Of the people. The public voice meas
arably controls them. The time may come when they
will require forcibc restraint sometimes almost fear
t. But should fear that then all would ose their
power, and should begin the horrors Of a civil war
which certainly many politicians hitherto have not seem.
ed anxious 20 prevent These caterers the unholy
sympathics aud anipates Of do what they can to
precpitae that result And they have a vide field in
our third and largest class.
B. This third class is the great body Of the people
Strictly, this class should be largely subdiydcd for il
is composed Of all varieties from learned and probes.
siona 70 operatives Ia the mills and davaborcrs In
the fields In part Of the world there greater d.
ycrses Of sect and parties Of temperament aud tastes
Of fashions, pursuits and interests than the North An
shrewd Intelligent capable aud earnest They study
books read the newspaper talk politics and discuss
morals and theology. They dnsr. dispute divide scpa.
rate and quarrel But yet they have n common rip-
cuiUH that holds them viz the constitution and the
laws To these all have princped and strong attach
mcut the old Jews had 10 the ark Of the testimony
With all their differences in matters Of Church State
and occasional heats Of political or religious oversy
they meet with one accord The Fourth Of
July, aud celebrate fratcrnay the nations free.
dom. They Nould lay aside III the jealousies OF
faction, aud competitions OF rival interests and fght
gcihcr for their magma chrrfa That this bond has
been somewhat weakened br unpUncplei dcmagogucs
who have extensively suhsdiyod and prostitrted the
press and msapprnprafcd the influence Of pIsce IL ont