The Van Buren press., 1860-01-27
Letter from Washington County.
FAYETTEvILLE, Ark,
january 23, 1859.

candidate at least his; friends, during his
absence from the State, have presented his
name. He bids fair to rival Fletcher. in
| this county. 1t is only within few days
that his name has been spoken of. and al
ready men who have declared for Mitchell
and Fletcher, have come out for him /; they
say they did not know that johnson would
be candidate, only declared their preferen
ces before from among those who were then
regarded as candidates apd that they have
the right to change their minds as often as
new candidates appeared.
We have another candidate for Congress
announced within few days; Mr.. Patter-
son of jackson his prospects are based
upon expected support in the White River
regions.
National politics are being discussed to
some extent and Presidential favorites are
us numerous as aspirants for that high po-
sition. We have advocates of Dickinson,
Lane, and Toacey, of the North Davis,
Thompson, Wise, Hunter and Breckenridge,
of the South. As general thing, the
proposition to organize g National Union
Party is ta$fFded Us an absurdity. On
this subject ths Quincy (Illinois) Herald
of the 2Sth ult. discloses the origin of this
movement in a {. secret caucus of leading
Republicans " at the Astor House in New
York. This caucus was composed Of Banks,
Morgan, Fessenden, Wilson, Lincoln, Cam
eron, Dayton, Chase, and some forty other
leading men of the Black Republican party.
1t was there determined as the recent expo
sures of their policy growing out of the
Harper's Ferry raid, and the publication of
Helpers book had excited such indignation
even in the North, that it would be lmpoo-
sibe to carry Seward and his ''irrepresslble
conflict - views in 1860, to ignore BOTH
And with the expectation of calling up to
their standard old Wings, &c, TO place
the name of Edward Bates forward as
their candidate and to reoryanize uhder the
style and name of the National Union PR
IW. The UeraA{ states that this caucus went
SO far as to name cabinet for their Prcsi-
dent elect and such botch potch as it is /;
Secretary of State, Banks Of the Treasu-
ry, Cameron of the Interior. Lincoln of
War, Bots OF the Navy, Bell, of len
nessee Post -Mastor- General, Barker, OF
california Attorney Generol, Pettegrew
of South Carolina. Bolts, Bell and Petite
grew of the South and Banks, Cameron,
and Lincoln, abolitionists of the blacl>est
dye. This origin Of the proposed party,
and$hiS foul composition, exhibits the sub
tcrfuge, and will admonish Southern men
how they give support to such an orSaniza-
ton. Place this party in power and be-
fore the expiration of the Presidential term
all the ramiicatons of office in the North
will be in the hands of the aboitonista
and in the South it will be in the hands 81
politicians of easy yirtue.
The New York Times continues its dis
gusting articles on the comparative strength
of the North and South, the unsafe condi-
ton of slave |aociety; and the b" cowardly
panics +" which prevail in the South, when
the institution :" is disturbed. This is
unmanly and unfair. The editor never dis
cusses the subject with impartiality he
never adhcrcs to the fact that the South i.
an agricultural community; and that the
absence of crime Comparatively speaking
does not require such a strict Surveillance
as is kept in the North and consequently
it is more subject to surprise. Let the edi
tor look back to the olden times in his owl
State when New York had a population
equal to four times that of lIarper's Ferr,
at the present day In 174I Gotham ha,
a population of 5000 and only 1.200 0
that number were slaves. Ten white mel
to one negro Several fires having occur
Ill,
} existing that the negroes were implicate,
the population became excited. Durin:
this State of things woman divulSed
plot, duplicating her master and three ne
yroes to burn the city and destroy the whit
population. " The mhole population ara
t Mroon INTO a pGrorysm Of rage and ,tear.-
The militia Pordded the streets almost con
tiauoNy :" The accused parties were AT
rested and hurried to the Jail, and the ut
most rage against the negroes inflamed cv
cry breast. So intense was the panic tina
= the most unreasonable and contradictnr
c statements were greedilyy ,c:.ayi,t up. and tn
last s"srr:cions were construed as plain evi
dencc against the accused" On this occa
sion one hundred and fifty negroes an
It twenty suspicious white persons were in
S p!isoned.
Il The Harper's Ferry raid differed from I'll
e New York plot ia this the former was a
$ invasion from threatening quarter know
: to kc deadly hostile and powerful in NEAR
l. to execute; the latter was a plot-a col
h spiracy of the inhabitants at home. b.
h both involved midnight surprise, murd
II and confagration.
is The prospects of the =" Border " railroa
lie are looking uv the citizens of st. Lou
l. have turned taeir attention to secure Il
l. trade Of Arkar,sas :. and ~ their NOV
IS ments seem determined to obtain it il the
o enterprise can effect that end. They ha'
le embarked upon the Arkansas river, and vi
<, compete with Cincinnati aud Memphis ; ar
i probably successfully so long as that cha
IT mel is tie highway Of Arkansas trade, b
II when the Memphis and Fort Smith lailro
gets into operation and that becomes t
i way Of all trade, st. Louis viii be cut o
:, But will she, with hepmillions OF capt.
10 and commercial ambition, yield up that ]
10 crative element Of her prosperity Hardl
Her South Western road viii have be-
completed to Neosho by that time. All S
10 will have to do then, to place herself in f;
. competition with all the world for the a