Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-08
r.sm he Richmond Whig.
Later fren nen. william E. Rlves.

shs dav. he. been handed to us for publication
and we lake pleasure In laying Il before read
ers:
CAsrLK HILL, 9th January, 1860.
NV Dear Sir: You ask mo for my opinion rs 4
the true character Of the present crisis 10 the
dtion Of the country, the circumstances which
have produced or aggravated il, and the line Oh
conduct il becomes us of Virginia to pursue. with
reference to our own safety and interest US well
as 10 our duties as n member OF tho confedcracy
Well knowing how little weight these opinions
entitled 10, !, nevertheless, give them to you
without reserve.
am one Of those who think ii neither safe or
rational way Of meeting the dangers Of tho State.
any more than other dangers. u undcirate aud
| make light Of them. great and rcsolutc states
man has told Us that IAN early and provident
fear mot an unprepared md Hurried eonstcr-
nation, when the danger Is upon u.s. rs the mo-
| Their OF safety" Let US, then, without exaggera'
| t;op on the one hand or extcuuntion the other,
cndeayor to take the true measure OF recent oc'l
| currences.
Tho affair at 1Tarper's Ferry, wicked rs it was
in its conception and atroeoas in lis design, Us
well rs savage aud revolving in the means provid-
ing for its execution, cannot be adequately Judged
in an isolated point OF view Ii had both Its an
teccdcnts and its conscquents. In regard to tho
former, it seemed but the logical acting out OF the
bitter denunciattions, which. for years past have
been systematically INDUCED against tho domestic
institutions Of the South--a prelimn sry rehearsal
Of that universal aud rfcpresslble conflict,
proclaimed to exist, in the nature of things, be-
tween tho social systems Of the North aud the
South. With respect to the latter, the develop.
ments Of opinion and feeling, which immcdlntel -
followed tho bloody inroad, were far more start
fling than tho fierce dcnuncati8s which prepared
the wny for it.
1t was certainly not unreasonable TO expect.
when a crime Of the deepest atrocty had been
a Fat. g
Stale Of The coniederacy marked by every clrcun.
stance OF cold biooded trcuchery, and lending, in
its consequences, to uncomfortable horrors, that
but ono voice Of indignant Reproduction would
have been heard through the land. But, instead
ok that meetings, more or less numerous were
held in several Of tho States, in which, If the
crime was not openly avowcd tho criminal was
appauded aud sympathized with and portion
Of the political press. ordinarily representing
large masses Of public opinion, joined in tho un-
natural apotheosis, procaining not only the sn-
perna honors, but the IMMUNITY Of the offender.
Hardly had these first demonstrations Of popn.
lar meetings and the press. in which hatred and
d,nunclations Of tho South were largely mingled
with laudations of the cat.nzei hero al insurrec.
ton, come to II pause, when an incendlary pamph-
let, nloundng in virtual indictments Ia evil IA
well as scr,llo war in thu Southern States, WIS
brought to light, and found to hive ren 81 ,thrd
with recommendation mud subscription Tor tS
circulation. signed by sixty-"iSht members, actual
or .ecet I, # Congress. ! hat body soon niter
semhled at Washington aud the first act OF 49,
most numerous political party in one branch,
wanting only few votes of IA majority ui the
whole House. was tho deliberate selection Of o."
Of the signcrs OF the above mentioned recommend
alton, for it's stnndald.Lcarcr aud candidate ier
the Chair. To this nomination they have inlcxi.
bly, adhered through prntracted md hitherto
fruitless struggle OF eight weeks without ever ha-
.,.I.,x q, ,Ia -, /,
slightest disposition 10 releut or even - otter loss
obnoxious candidate.
| simply recte facts, rs they have irnnsIirca.
My object is neither to color nor to Discuss them.
| These facts made most profound impression on
| the public mind--in Virginia especially where
1.-The recent outrage having been pcrpcirated, there
| was naturally more sensIbiiity to the mnniic>ta
tons Of public sentiment II ELECTED in other
! States.
Grave and rejecting and devoted men, who bad
ever cherished nm uushnken attachment to the
| Union rs the palladium of the rights and insttu-
tons OF all the States startled ut tho spec-
tacc before thcirey.s. They began To ask them
selves, if these things b. in association Of
States, acknowledging common government and
united by tho closest political ties, what ~ the
value Of that security for domestic tranquility
and the I" common defence" which the tonsIiiu.
ton guaran,eesf Numerous meetings were held
! IN which men Of all political denominations par
| ticipated aud heartily coneurrcd in those mens-
ures of precaution aud sell protection, consistent
with tho Constitution, which tho occnsior sugscA
cd and in the firm resolve to maintain their II si,s
! Mt every hazard. Such was the attitude naturally
aud instinetlvely assumed hy tho whpio lnpGla
ton OF Virginia, IN the presence OF the nntI-socu
| aud menacing Demonstration which imntliHtcl>
followed or very soon Succeeded the ui,air nj liar
per's Forty.
Let us now look n. another and more chcerin.
3 al. AZ. I,.
the Northern States, who ordinarily take hut lit
tie part in the political excitcmenis # the coun
| try and like the same moral elements elsewhere
are constituuonally aud pruvCrbially slow to net
began at length to be as much startled Mt the Do
velupmcnts that were taking place Rrorui them
as The people Of the southern States ihemscAe
had been. The great communities Of philadel
phia, Boston, and New York. in the order il
which name them. held solemn and Overlooking
asscmblagcs, such ns have not been itnc.sel lac
fore by the present generation. in which they dc
nounced, in terms ot Just and unmitiGatcd ahhol
renee. the crime committed against the safety OF
sister State and the peace of the Union; rchuke
its apologlsts and sympathiscrs with u nuhlc an
virtuous indignation; rendered earnest assurance
Of fraternity and support 10 the people and M
thorities of Virginia; and proclaimed n loyal ais
manly language. their fidelity ty the Constituting
and their determination to fulfil each and all ,
its obligations and pledges.
An uninterrupted succession of similar meeting,
has continued TO be held since at various points
the interior Of the Northern States ut which Il,
same sentiments of horror and Indignation mt III
unnatural and reasonable crime committed,
fraternal attachment To the other States aud
loyalty to the constitution and its covenants, m
, reiterated, If possible, with an intense ferry,
showing that the nearer we approach to til
great central heart OF the nation. the stronger M
0 the pusations for the maintenance Of the Uno,
[ in he # mi cnnf iila nd oE -
j., wh'chit was founded by our iahers.*
: These more recent manifest atoms, | cannot b,
= believe. should've taken rs the true exrrossion
| the sen.e Of q larya mninrilx If nnr Ieilnw ,,i,