Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-10-26
secession and its consequences.


the most remarkable phenomena ever dis
played in civilized country. The Federal
Government Of this Union, establ ished by
free, sovereign and independent States, for
the purpose of insuring domestic tranquility,
providing for the common defence, promo
ting the general welfare, and securing the
blessings Of liberty to the Citizens of these
States and their posterity, is jeopardised
and staked upon an aerial, mythical abstrac-
ton, originated amidst the fogs and mists
of blind and unhealthy prejudice, and nurs-
ed by the agitation Of sectional excitement
and Jealousy.
The Federal Government Of the United
States is acknowledged by all the world
as the most perfect ofthe kind ever devised
and the destinies of a peoplethe happiest,
the purest, and the best of all the nations Of
the earth-are all put at fearful risk and
imminent peril, for the purpose Of agitating
a theory of political belief utterly inoxpedi,
ent to be applied to any political fact now
existing, or which will probably exist in the
! future.
We propose to demonstrate fully, fairly
and satisfactorily to any unprecedented mind
that the act of the secessionists and the pol
icy Of the secessionists is suicidal to the best
interests Of the South, incompatible with
the existence Of national Democratic par
ty, and tending to the disruption of the u
MON itself. And 1st. The ACT OF THE Sc
CEssIoNIsTs WAS SUICIDAL TO THE BEST IN
TEREsTs OF THE SoUTn, if endeavored to
be carried into operation. Every one
knows that the Congress of the Uni
ted States consists largely of Black Re-
publican representatives that the predom-
inant major influence which they possess
interposes an iusuperable barrier to the pass
age of any law on the subject Of slavery in
the eminent domain of the country, at all
recognizing that institution as entitled to
existence therein. The history Of that par
ty from 1920 down to theapresent time, az
fords the most abundant testimony to the
fact, that they are incapable of performing
any deed, or of casting any vote, calcula-
ted in the slightest degree to benefit the
stakeholder. whore slavery" itself is the
subject matter of consideration. Their
claim ever has been, and now is, that there
shall be emo more slave territory and no
more slave States" their mission is asserted
to be the extinction Of slavery.
The Kansas Nebraska bill and the Gin
cinnati platform vest in the judicial tribu-
nal Of the United States alone the power of
disposing of and determining any vezed
question in territory, wherein is involved
the right of property in a negro, or the con-
stitutionality Of the local law Of a legisla-
ture Of such territory The absolute with
drawal of the subject Of slavery from the
Congressional arena had long been an OBJ
ject Of the keenest desire on the part of the
South. More than once had the agitation
Of the question, arising out Of the smallest
circumstance, imperilled the safety of the
Union, and cost the nation an amount of
treasure sufficient to purchase q colony Of
negroes. It was a lever in the hand of
Congressional fanatics which, applied at the
proper moment" would topple over the
pillars Of the Constitution, and resolve the
different members of the Confederacy into
their original position of separate and indie
pendent sovereignties.
The Kansas Nebraska bill, then, was
hailed by almost the entire South as the
harbingor Of brighter day, when the OPP
Grafton of Congress would be directed and
applied to purposes and schemes for the
general welfare Of the States and the peo-
pie, and not to inaammatory harangues up
on the theme of negro slavery, the right CIR
wrong, advantage or disadvantage of which
is matter solely for the consideration Of
the States which adopt Or repudiate it,
Congressional Intervention for protec-
lection" Of slavery in the territories re- trans
fers this question Of negro slavery back to
the halls Of Congress congressional inter
vention- takes the interests of the slavehola-
er from under the protecting wing Of Judi
cial power, with all the appliances necessary
to effect its DEGREES, and places them at the
mercy Of merciless abolition Congress,
which not only will not act for the protec-
ton Of slavery, but the ultimate aim ofwh hose
political career is to deprive Southern cit
liens of their rights and their property
To remove the flock from the watchful guar
dianship Of the shepherds dog and crook,
and place it at the mercy Of pack of rave
nous wolves, in expectancy Of more efectu-
al safety, would be looked upon as an act
of downright madness; yet this removal
Of the interests Of the STAKEHOLDER from un-
der the jealous eyes and defence Of judicial
surveillance, when such men as Judge Ia
ney and Nelson are the gentinels on the out
posts-to an arena where the assassin s dag
ger of Kellogg is backed by more numer-
ie force than the Damascan blade OF South
ern honor, is not less insane. Congress