Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-18
RICHMOND WHIG.
FoR THE wHIG.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE KNIGHTS OF THE
GOLDEN CIRCLE.

| THE WHlG.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE KNIGHTS OF THE
GOLDEN CIRCLE.
yellow Soldiers: Seated on my native soil, and amid
the graves Of my ancestors am pennng tins open ft,
ter for the great Southern Public well As for you.
am here amid the Of boyhoods days, urging Nr
guans to take the lead Of the Southern States in carry
ing forward successful accomplishment the object o
| the X. g. c. the speedy AmericaniLaton OF Mexico
by and through the nstrumentaties OF an organization
which has not only linked together the good people o
the Southern States but which has equally harmonized
the really worthy and most advanced people OF Mexico
Who feel and acknowledge that their destiny Is chained
to our own by every honorable interest," and by natural
circumstances, over which man can exercise no con
troll But fear that the people whom love, and 10
whom belong have ceased to feel 1t duty to lead,
when the rights of the South are in question, or when
other States equally interested This does not arise
from any want Of individual patriotism, but IRON some
unseen cause which, | am disposed TO think, may DC
traced TO the peculiar distribution OF political sentiment
through the State and by which sectional Jealousy has
been generated that renders caution necessary that
our people have lost much Of that impuSye ardor which
distinguished them in former days. have at least done
my duty to her and il only remains to give TO our bro
theirs in her midst opportunities win names and posi-
tons which may last besprOudy acknowledged by the
people OF Virginia, well as of the whole Souh. let
Virginia will give two thousand men and some money
The theory on which all acts aud plans have been
based is one in which the people of the United States
and Mexico have direct interest and which must indi-
reety enlist he sympathy of the people OF Europe and
elsewhere for they cannot escape the Effects OF social
commercial political religious revolutions on this Con-
tineut Ma ions owe duties humanity, well that
individuals owe duties TO society and neither escape
the incident responsibilities Every thing 10 nature is in
state of mutation except the laws OF mutabiy; and so
far as this Comment is concerned God seems 10 have
chosen By preference the AngoAmercan to control
and direct the uimatums OF these mutations We have
been blessed with extraordinary privileges and advanta
ges aud, we are morally bcuad to faithfully discharge
the high trust which the Almighty has conferred On us as
a people.
Asa and Africa have long since passed from fetch-
SIN 10 auayticsm and finally TO synheticism and Eu-
rope is fast enter the latter state. In Asia and
Africa everything is in state OF repose-the race OF
man seems in those quarters OF the Globe TO have set
tied down into quietude and political death. This has
not been so always. Asia and Africa in the days Of
! Nimrod Ashur, Fohi, Mizraim, Athotes and hemnon
we're analytic; and in those ages the great cities and
works of antiquity rOse-nation struggled with naton
| for supremacy n every walk of life. Asia no longer
builds Chinese canals aud walls TO environ vast nations Of
men. Pyramids and Sphynxes do not nov risv on the
/ hanks of the Nile No Solomon aud Hiram, Kings o
different natons now unite their efforts build temples
to the living God. No Uleg-Beg now counts the Stars
| and catalogues the changes OF nature. No Gelghis
Kahn and Psammetcus hold in their iron grasp the
rcius OF Fate while their respective countries give birth
TO the arts aud sciences. All is quiet-her buried
cities aud entt mbCd works Of art are alone h to tell
what progress msn made in the springme Of creation
Europe no longer presents the world with her Cru
sade spectacles-lty does not build ST. Peters Church
es-her Michael Augeos gone; her painters aud
sculpors 90 not make the canvass glow and the marble
breathe We Cbseive every where IN Europe now only
struggle between the peope and their opPressors-only
the progression vlch results from the reflection OF past
ages and the vigorous intellect and energetic any
OF tie Americans Europe no longer leads on IN the
grand work of human elevation. She Acknowledges
the merit OF Franklin Morse Fulton Colt, aud Hoe
aud amey copies them great leaders in the work OF
| human Advancement Europe, with all her age, her
wealth and population has ied 70 bu ii sush citl New
York New UIeai and Chicago in the same time OF civil
zed aud christian progression Is exhibited by this
| Young and vigorous nation.
! In process Of time Europe will have assumed the
| forms Of pure syuthecism, ard then the iaturc Of
nau's progression will be corfied TO The heart
swcs with pide at the thought Of being citizen OF
nation so circumsianced Rome in her brightest days
/ never had such future offered heras We nov nave;
aud il we do stand up mantuy in the solution OF
the social aud political problems now remainng IN our
bands future ages may vel feprobate OCr deteicton
IL has been my constant aim to impress on your minds
our solemn duty Mexican aud Southern society," andto
devecuc the that the destiny OF tue slave States and
Mexico Is nov in our hands Let US not do act or
fail 10 discharge duty which act neglec. might jeOp
ardizs the interests honor Of the South, which
would enable the good in Mexico to charge with
bad faith or with ApOsacy to our VOWS. Let not be
sid we have failed the South in her hour OF danger
Mexico in her time Of DIS KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN
|
| energetic Auglo-Americins Let move boldly in
our labor Of saving Mexico and Of strengthening the
| South
The Legislators in destroying the Missour-Comprom-
ise line opened the political PandoTas-boT. The X. &.
e. was originated to provide an antdote. The work Of
the Legislators has brought u to the very verge OF Nj
tioua dismembermcht aud civil war-as u nation we are
| poisoned The X. q. q. must act HoW-at once, and
with energy or shall be recreant to our trusts. HUI
many has TOO much interest in the existence and pros
urity of this nation TO remain idle spectators civ
| il struggles. We have too much stake to allow the
Southern States to be reduced 10 vaSsalage. Mr.. Fill
more Mr.. Pierce and Nj. Buchanan have each vaiuy
stryen to arrest the spread Of sectionsD. Mr. Fillmore
seemed most able the current aud duly execute
the laws; but it must he remembered that in Mr. Fill
more day the Republican party had not come fairly in
| 70 existence and that while he employed the l 5.
troops TO execute the laws in the of Burns in Bos
ton such official interference IN the cases OF Booth, in
Wisconsin; Dennison in Ohio; Wheeler and GOrsucb, in
Pennsylvania and Withers in Oho and in many others,
would have led immediate conflicts between the State
and Federal authOrity-ior at least majority OF the
Northern States had, before the Inauguration OF Mr.
Buchanan passed laws through their Legislatures pract
csy uufyrg the Federal law requiring the rendition
of Fugitive Slaves Nor vas this ALL the Republican party
had grown to colo sal proportions and ALMOST succeededn
defeating the National parties in 1850. When Mr.. Bu-
chanan entered his du les he found the people excl
ted in the Kansas struggle-he found section united
against section and herccly contestirg through armed
boiies OF for the pos esson OF Territory which OF
right belonged equally to all For his efforts to que
these disturbances Mr. Buchanan severely denounc
ed by the people and press Of the North and legislative
appropratons made, at least 10 Vermont, TO equip
| an army 10 resist the Federal Government The fact
must be stated also that now If Mr.. PGncey, Mr..
Davis Mr. WISE Mr. Botts any other representative
man in the South were elevated 10 he succession of Mr.
Buchanan, neither of them could faithfully execute the
provisions Of the Fugitive Slave law, without to
arms Neither would fnd Congress which would faith
fully Iegiste for the execution OF Federal aud Cons itu
tional law.
IL is useless longer to attempt to disguise the TRUTH
that there are now but two pIrties-a Northern and
Southern party the with manufacturing the other
with agricultural ntercss-and that their variance is
great that reconciliation is ALMOST mpossbility-
We have little or interest in ooAmoa-nG love for
or confidence in each other The North has population
oftwen,y millions and an Of tO millions one hundred
aud t6rfe thousand sir hundred and ffyeigh square
miles embracing the Territories. The South has apopu
iauon OF twelve millions aud an area OF only eight hun
dred and 6d.oBe thousand four hundred and tJry-eght
square mies. For each OF her entire population the
North has ssSeniy Of an9-whilo the South for
hers has only 0ryfvs. Thus the Nc'ih has two acres
20 our one yet 10 the acquisition Of California, New
Mexico and Arizonia-4O0O00 square miles-the South
furnished 45 600 volunteers while the North furnished
only % 5OO-just one half The lOssin mea was q, 500
of whom n 800 were our brothers and fathers; while
the North lost only 200 men. The cost Of the war
was AZ 600 OO6 sogr-hfths Of which paid by the
Cotton States aud yet the of the South is driven
from an equal occupancy Of these lands Tho free soil