Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-04-19
Address of tho Central Bolts Club of Vir-
ginia to tho Peoplo of tho Unitod States.

Address of the Central Bolts Club of Vir-
ginia, to the People of the United States
Over the face of the whole earth is nm aspect of
political change and modification. instability.
commotion, unrest mark tho era now being ac-
complished. The whole people OF the globe, in
some form or other, are passing through transi-
ton stage The social elements Of life are ra-
pidly assuming new phases and the political fa-
brics are either wearing nway or re.constructing
themselves anew, giving fearful evidences Of
latent strife The most established governments
on earth, those crowned with tho honry sanction
Of ages, are palpably to mems minds but nd
journed, and as yet uurcsolved. problems of tho
future. Oppressed nalonalites and crushed peo-
pies are lifting up their halsnothercd voices, and
everywhere tho "posthcrds of the earth striv-
Ing together" for ~ prolonged mastery over tho
human family.
In less degree, and yet to somo painfully
suggestive extent, o"r country forms no exception
to this general political cOmmotion. AT no timo
since the formation oi the North American Union
have there been evident so many and SO danger
Gus elements Of rcpulsive dscord-so many fatal
tendencies to Il derlorabe disruption Of the So
cial and political ties which our fathers twined
around It's within tho welcome pressure Of which
We have dwct together in happy concord and en-
yiable prosperity. Those great and good men
never dreamed but their bencGcent work would
endure while necessity for government existed.
But now we have reached crisis in the polti.
cal history Of our country which demands the
cnlm consideration Of every lover Of FREQ govern
ment.
II there was ever period. since the 4th of Ju-
ly, '16, when II G exgcncy OF tho times demanded
calm Judgment, wise resolves and firm action,
the present moment far transccnds it in solemn
interest. \" wl'r man, ~ right hearted mnn,
can contemplate the present social and political
condition Uf this glorious Union, without being
tremblngy Conscious of imminent peril to its
peace and pcrpeiuiiy.
Leaving out Of view all minor qucstions-all
inferior source! of pain and danger: all of men
tai hope and all Of human dread ARE completely
aroused when the balcful idea is presented to tho
world, that the handiwork Of Washington and his
compntriois is threatened with overthrow. Tho
ark uf the covenant is mcnaccd with Violence
The silken bands which have bound us together
in n Union Of States the irecst. richest hnppiest.
which the sun in his course, has ever looked Down
upon, are, hv portions of our people, scorned as
loathsome fcttcrs. The last hope Of Freedom for
world, has become to some n mock and by
word, and the heart of the Patriot sinks within
him.
Questions have arisen, or rather have been
thrust into our political counsels BY factions of
the North and of the South, well calculated if not
directly intended to work out this terrible cans-
trophe. Under the power of their parricidnl
blows, the nation has ieele1 and staggered, and
stands now like man awaking, stunned from n
terrible intliction confused and dirresoute-uncer.
tain whittier to turn--or what to do.
Notwithstanding the patriotic efforts of
leading men. of all parties, but awhile ago (some
whose last words still linger above the graves
where they lie) to avert this ruin notwi,hstnnd-
ing that all good men, few years gone, had req.
soh to hope the evil hour had passed by, il .is
plain to perceive that danger still threatens, and
that war upon the Union had but subsided for q
time, only to be renewed with greater energy and
more desperate daring. Those who saw. or
thought they saw, the bow Of promise in the hen
vens, are yet alarmed to find that the wrathful
cloud still fingers in the sky, pregnant with cle-
mental thunder. Heretofore, as partisans, we
have struggled for other things We have con-
tended for measures which have distinguished us
as political parties; measures of expediency and
policy which have lost. perhaps, nothing Of their
truth, though circumstances may have deprived
them of their practical efficiency. But now expo
diency and policy bave been utterly sunk in the
still greater questions Of Union or disunion, Of
peace or war, Of lite or death. -....
The mind shrlnks back in horror from the con-
temptation Of the results of 50 ignoble an end to
all our greatness. Notwithstanding there ore
those from whose lips the once profane word
"disunion" falls as pretty and as heedlesy as a
holiday song. still the idea of dismemberiug this
empire of States--the work of better men in bet
ter days-has lost nothing to our minds OF the
intense aversion, and well.meritcd dread which
it occasioned to our fathers. They dreamed of
no such thing they tolerated no sncl thing We
ure content to be. in this regard no wiser than
our fathers were.
The last legacy Of the Father Of his Country
was maledcticn upon disunion and disunionists.
His prophetic vision saw the coming occasions
upon which designing men might start this
horrid idea. lie painted them out with the
finger of light, and held them up in advance to
the detcstation of all mankind. lie looked upon
disunon as Pandora's box, from which nothing
can issun but evils end dcath lie warned his