The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-02-23
Correspondents pae, Commercial Adrer:iser.l
Waif. from Boston,

BoSToN, Mass, Dec. ., 1859.
DEAR SIR - To-day Is a memorable day in
the annals Of Virginia, and one Of great excitement,
being that fixed for the execution of John Brown,
the leader Of the late outbreak at Harper's Ferry.
The pIucky old man will die " game, 10 use an ex-
pressive phrase, and | believe would not consent 10 be
repricyed or ~pardyned on the ground of insanity.
lie refuses to converse with any If the Virginia cler-
gymen who have visited him, or even to shake hands
with them. declaring that he would consider himself
polluted 10y the touch Of a ~clergymen who did not ap-
prove Of his %attemptin to ''let the oppressed 90 free
and . to break every yoke" This crazy act Of a
fauatical old man and his few misguided followers, is
being made use Of by the miserable wire-pullers Of
both parties for political end, and will tend for n
time at least 10 widen still more the unhappy breach
which this momentous slavery question has opened
between the North and South. The ultra-abolitionist
are cxalting Brown to the dignity Of a martyr, and
some Of them DO not hesitate to compare mis- execu-
tiyn 20 the crucihxiJn Of our Savior while | write,
bells are tolling in this place, and in various towns
and cities in New Eugland-and mass-meetings are
being held, at which the most ultra disunion speeches
will be made, while the disunion presses at the
South are sedulousiy endeavOriug To- create the i'm
preston that this mad act Of Brown i either secretly
or openly approved ty the whole North. by copying
all the Wild and reasonable remarks Of the Northern
u.tfL aSO4iltuu presses Gh4 : tditluAiE bIIittlLr 10
quote the views Of these which are the real organs of
the prevailing Northern sentiment. That the ire
preside conflict between slavery and the American
Union Is approaching there seems some ground FOR
believing.
The conflict between Slavery and Free Labor is
now, and has for years been waging. and the final
issue, though 1t may be protracted. is not doubtful.
The separate efforts Of slavery propagandists to extend
the area OF the institution" into the territories have
utterly failed. while slavery is gradually disappear
ing from the border states, and their forces are being
driven in upon them at all points. And this too not
by violence or bloOdshed but from the natural and
successful competition OF free with compulsory labor.
Missouri, at the rate Of the present exodus Of slaves
to the South, will soon be q free state, in fact if not
in law. Wherever free and slave labor comes in
contact, as it always must along the borders, the
latter must gradually yield, and in this fact, (Which
l believe is now generally admitted coupled with the
risk Of keeping slaves 50 near the line, we see written
the doom Of slavery. The slave-holiing South sees
the danger. and hence their desperate. but futile,
efforts in Kansas and elsewhere to engraft the ac-
cursei system. and make it take root. In the; des-
peration they talk Of disunion. but it IS clear that
disuuiou. while it would bring untold evils, if not
the horrors Of a civil war, and the yet greater hor-
rors Of a seryile instruction, will bring no remedy
for the evil, but rather make their case more hopeless.
If the slIye-holiing states seceie from the Union, the
Northern and Western confederacy, freed from al
the constitutional trammels Obligations or coIlpro-
misses, Cor the sake Of the Union, for which they have
made sacrifices Of principle and feeling under the
reuuguant fugitive slave law, will 1t once offer n
secure haven TO the escaped - cha;;eL" Tie most
strict GORDON would be utterly powerless to prevent
this result, and | believe that the great majority Of
thinking men n the South foresee this. and are
aware that di-u-ign would be fatal to them. Still
they may not be able TO control the H~atspurs, who,
at the state Of affairs, are striving TO bring
about dissolution Of the esnfeieracv.
But I hal 10 intention Of giving you So rro,iz a
dissertation on the slavery question. You. favored
citizens u Hawaii, may well congratulate yourselves
on your freedom from any such nsuruouutaJle
obstacle to harmony and progress. Indeed the la
Eaiiln nation may well see ample cause for selfcon-