The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1860-01-18
Volume XVIII.
How to Preserve the Union.

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country within the present century,
Questions involving the peace and
perpetuity Of the Union; questions in
volvihg State honor. equality and
rights; questions embracing individual
States and great sections. To the
consideration of these questions it be,
comes all men to bring the utmost
firmness, tempered with the soundest
discretion.
Before the Legislature of Virginia
will arise the subjects of State defense,
internal improvement, freedom from
northern trade, protection of Virginia
property from negro stealing and oys
ter'stealing Yankees-free negroes
and Yankee pedlars; and among many
others, the great question OF longer
remaining in the American Confeder-
acy.
The subjects of State defense and
remaining in the Union are necessar-
~ intimately connected, for without
a change of sentiment, radical and
sweeping throughout the Northern
States. the defense of Virginia will
need as thorough an organization in
the Union As ont of it, 1t is folly to
expect an efficient military force
without providing a fund for its sup.
port and maintenance, Whatever
may be the system adopted for the
thorough organization of the militia,
in our opinion. that system should
be based upon regular pay for drills,
as well as actual service. Such a
system can be devised by tarations,
, tines and pay, as will provide for and
accomplish the thorough drill of a
very efficient military defense, with
out any material increase of texas
The companies, battalions, regiments,
brigades and divisions should all be
thoroughly drilled. as well as efficient
ly armed. But no means can be
devised that will ensure the atten-
dance upon drill that do not provide
for paying those who may appear at
company drill, as well as fains those
who may be absent.
Virginia's longer continuance in the
Union depends more upon the con-
duct of the Northern States than upon
any action of her own people
Attachment to the Federal Union as
it was established, has been her dis
tinguishing characteristic, Her no.
bic sons have, without exception,
made the permanency of the Union
the great feature of their political
lives. When a sister Southern State
was about severing the bonds that
bound her to the Federal Union, Vir
ginia, in the person of her distinguish
ed Commissioner, plead with, and
persuaded her sister to bear yet a
while longer the burdens which then
weighed upon the South. South
Carolinia listened to the voice of Nir.
ginia, as spoken by the eloquent and
gifted Leigh. Instead Of seeking to
destroy, Virginia has ever sought to
cement and defend the Union, rs it
was established.
But the Union of so is no longer
the Union of SO; the form OF Conted-
eracy exists, but its spirit has Danish
ed before the influence Of Abolition;
the heroism of Washington paIes be-
fore the notoriety of Brown; the glori-
Gus contest of rs sinks before the cir
repressble conflict of go. The Con-
federacy of fraternal States has been
broken into leagues Of discordant sec
tions.
The constitution, ordained and es
tahlished to ''insure domestic tran
quilIity,"fhas been Intellectual to pre-
vent "violence' from our coniedera-
ted sisters, Common defense is no
logger secured by the Union, and "a
republican Government" the consti-
tutional guarantee ofevery State, no
longer extends to slave States. With
out all thislis speedily changed, the
man who AwoulG advocate a longer
submission to the tyranny OF the Fed
eral Constitution, as construed by the
Northern States, il unworthy the
name of Virginian. rj q
The remedy for all the evils that
now beset the Constitution must be
discussed and decided upon by the
legislature that today assemblies in
Richmond.
There can be no peace for Virginia
and the South in the Union, as long
as the question Of slavery is the foot
ball of political parties. Even the
Harper's Ferry invasion ha. failed TO
warn the conservatives Of the North
o.: the dangerous faction that dis.urbs
the peace, as well as endangers the
Union. We have been charged with
exaggerating the importance Of the
Harper's Ferry affair for party pur-
poses. The cause Of sectional AMI
monsity must be elevated from the
arena of politics and submitted dl-
rectly 10 The sovereign States.
State sovereignties must assemble
in convention and then and there a
gree upon future peace in the Union,
or decide upon the most peaceable
mode of dissolution. No southern
convention. but a convention OF all
the States having an equal vote,
should be assembled, and in that con.
venrion of the States Of the Ameri
can Union, the uItimatum Of the South
should be laid down
Such n convention would arouse
The conservatism of the North, none
hnf man oi Ii iheralifv aI nnInlnn would |