Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-03
Slavery "Agitation."

The Nav York Times, in . recent article on th'
Harpsr's Ferry invasion, puts forth the following
declaration:
1--we ore not really the blindcst people that ev
ar existed and iudicaly set apart for destruction
we ought now begin TO see that the most impor
tant political work We have TO do 10 TO combine
a. one people in the rssolve 10 put this tremen,
dous social question OF slavery out oil the reach Oh
partisan agitators.
1t 10 difficult to define tho politics Of the New
York Times--if, indeed, il can be said to have
any. Al FIRST. !. professed to be neutral and in
dependent paper. Gradually it veered around to-
ward the Republican party and, for several years
was acknou lolged ~ one Of its organs. Itsup-
ported rren mt in 1856, and it's principal editor
was elected about the same time to the Lieu'cn-
nut q yefnorship ofNrw York on the Republican
ticket Bnt of late il seems to have lost its rcck-
oang in the stormy sea Of political confusion
aad TO be drifting about without any fixed desti-
ration At one time i, leans to tho Adminstrn-
ton, a, another to Douglas, Mt another to the Re
publicans, and again il exhibits. ss in the above
extract, some Of the old FASH med conser, atsm of
Whigcery.
But, no matter wha, i,r present political posi-
no matter how late it oomes-which III" above
extract enuueiates. It was tho doctrine of the
old Wing party from the beginning. and it was
the doctrine of the American party. and it still is
the doctrine Of both Of those parties notwithHtan.
ding that they have both been overshadowed by
the pursuance, the part Of thu other parties, of
the very policy which they so earnestly depreea-
Gated. Many ~ are tho tributes to the ex-
cellence oftbe Wing faith, which the present
evolves from the lessons of The past there is
which reflects upon that glorious old party mnre
slid renown than the justification OF history for
the policy which it has ever advised with rcspect
to the agitation Of this subject Of domestic slave
ry.
The Wing party suffered both in the North and
the South on account of its concilianry and con
scryative feeling in relation to this question. Its
voice was the same in both sections. 1t said to
the people "let US settle this question, and be done
with it, The longer il is delayed the more diff
cult will it be of adjustment. The people will be-
come exasperated, and we shall have sectional
parties internal strife, and perhaps civil war"
Acting upon this advice, Mr.. Clay crowned the
and patriot, by proposing the Compromises Of
1850. They were adopted with somo Compare
lively immatsrial alterations. and were acquics.
ced in by the great mass Of tia Of the then existing
parties On he Democratic side. Mr.. Cass. Mr..
Benton, Mr.. Foote, Mr.. Richie, aud all the lead
ers Of the conservative Democracy accepted aud
endorsed the I'D u-tment. In their respective M
tional Conventions. in 1852 both parties agreed
to abide by this settlement and solemnlv pledged
themselves against the renewal Of the agitation
oftbsse vexed questions, either "in Congress, OF
ont Of It,"
The country breathed freely again, and the sec
tional concord and fraternal union which Mr.
Fillmorcs beaefcent Alministrat ion had somuch
encouraged and fostered, gave taken OF long en-
reer of peace, undisturbed by any unsoemly sec
tional auimosities. This state of quie,ulo was
suddenly, and rudely, and unnecessarily broken
up BY Mr.. Douglas with hs Kansas Bill 1t do
stroycd. in n single day. all the results Of the pa.
trotc labors of Mr.. Clay and his comra;riots--
1t broke the peace between the srctiana--sir.
rcd up the sediment of buried anmostics--and
precipated upon the country an angry controversy
from which we have not yet escaped, and lIeay-
en- only knows when wo ever will The Wings
of the South who refused to accept the Kansas
Bill were stigmatsed as Abolitionsts. aud the
Wings of the North who. slough opposed to the
measure. refused to join in the hue and cry Of
sectional antagnnsm, wore denounced a. dough
faces and submssions,s lu this manner the
party in both sections was weakened, If not de-
s;roycd. 1t fell martyr to it's own patriotism,
sooner than yield IN inch to popular cam,r
that BODIED much of evil to the Republic.
Now, at last, the wisdom of Wing policy is vim.
dicatea. 1t G,Gy tc too late. or it may not be-
The future will determine thequestion. The peo-
pie 81 the South begin to that the continual ag
itation of the slavery question works them only
harm-not good. The noisy, loud-mouthed. dis
gusting demagogues who eternally clamoring
for Southern Rights-most Of whom do not even
own the track of negro in the sand-are discoy-
cred to be, not the friends hut the encmes Of the
South. The solid, substantial, conservative STARE
holders Of the South have always been for peace
The of6ce-seekers and politicians. who believed
and. unfortunately, with too much reason for the
belief-that he who made the londest professions
OF devotion to the South. and exhibited the ms.
ravenous malignity towards everything Northern,
would be most acceptable to the people, have ira
ded npan tho fears Of tho people Of section UNI
til the present deplorabe state of feeling has been
brought about.
But tho recent invasion of Ilnrper's Ferry has
opened the eyes of the extremists Of both sections
and caused them at last to think deliberately of
the future. Slavery agitation must cease, says
the New York Times. Wonderful discovery
The organs Of the Wing party. North aud South,
from the National Intclligenccr down, have been
telling you that identical thing almost daily
for ten years. Tho statesmen of the Wing party