Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1860-09-22
[E6r the Spirit Of Jefferson ]
How is this yRfOn to be Maintained?

How is this yBfon to be Maintained?
Mr.. Observation-Disclosures of ISneoln by
the people may now be regarded as almost
certain. And unless steps are taken to pre-
vent tie catastrophe, 1t is almost equally GER
tain that at least four or five Southern States
WILL on his election, at once secede from the
Union The consequences will be most dis
astroua. Most probably, the general govern
ment will attempt to coerce them by force
This would certainly lead to a civil war,
which must end in an entire dissolution of the
Union. How can this be avoided3 If Lin
coin is elected, how can the Union be pre-
served? Not as some urge by waiting for an
overt act, for though we might be willing, it
is almost certain that other Southern States
would not wait; and, even if all of them
would wait, it would be but temporary cxpe
dent and would certainly be followed ut no
distant day by dissolution of the Union
There are but two modes of continuing this
Government permanently after the control of
it shall have passed into the hands of the Re
publicans The one is by a complete surreu-
der, by the South, of all its rights, and quiet
submission to abolition rule. The other is by
an appeal to the masses of the Northern peo-
pie to desist, in future, from all entertainments
on our rights, as slave-holding community.
Ihope and believe that if this appeal should
be made, and was accompanied by the with
drawal of all of the Southern States, ayreUoc0-
bly, fired, in case of the reject on of our APP
pea, that the people of the Northern States
would agree by constitutional enactments to
abandon forever all their claims to legislate
by Congress-, in manner, destructive of our
rights. If, on this solemn appeal, they should
refuse to drop forever their interference
with our institutions, no other alternative
would be left us but to protect ourselves by
instituting new government. | am loath to
abandon the existing government, even on the
election of Lincoln till we have made last
effort to preserve it. My suggestion then, is,
on the election of Lincoln, that the Governor
of Virginia should at once call the legislature
together before other States take any steps to-
wards secession-that the Legislature should
meet by the first of December next, and
shonld authorize the election Of a delegate
frohl each Congressional District, to meet in
Convention any delegates appointed by other
Southern States, ut some central point on the
first day OF January next.
That this Convention should at once pro-
coed to form Constitution for the Southern
confederacy to take effect however, only in
case the Northern people should fail to listen
to our final appeal for the maintenance of
the present Union. This Convention should
also propose amendments to the Constitu-
ton of the United States, such as if adopt
ed, would finally and forever prevent any in
vasion of our rights hereafter, and preclude all
discussion of the slavery question from ever
again being raised in Congress. That the
Constitution of this Southern confederacy
should expressly provide, that it should not
take effect, or be in operation prior to JAN
uary LIST. 1868, and that if in the meantime
the proposed amendments of the Constitution
of the United States should be adopted, that
the proposed Constitution should be nullity,
otherwise. it should go into effect on Jan. 1st
1868. This action of the Convention should
be submitted to the people of the several
Southern States Immediately, and be by them
approved by the LIST of March next. The
question would thus be fairly presented to
the Northern people, to abandon by means of
amendments to the Constitution forever their
interference with our peculiar Institution, or
else abandon the present Union. May we
not reasonably hope that sufficient portion |
of the Northern people would abandon their
insane invasion of our rights, and that before
january LIST, 1868, the proposed amendments
would be adopted, and thus the present
Union be preserved, and the question of
slavery forever banished from Congress and |
the Political arena To effect such amend
ments of the Constitution, would require
majority of the people in a bare majority of
the Northern States. Is there not a probable |
ity that before January, 1868, such amend
ments would be had, aud peace and harmony
restored to this distracted country But if !
Lincoln is elected, Virginia rarlst act prompt /
ly in this matter; little delay viii probably ]
be ruinous. Let us make the proposal
promptly, before other Southern States have
taken steps to secede; after that it will be t
too late. For when once any of the South /
ern States secede it would be quickly follow
ed by events that will render certain dissolu- I
ton of the | fnion inevitable, result most
seriously deprecate. UNION.
BARNS DESTROYED by F1RE.- On the 10th
instant the barn of Joseph Funk, on the
Cayetown pike, Washington county, Nd,
was set on fire and destroyed. with $50 bush
els of wheat and other properly loss 81 600,
insurance $780, On the same day the barn
of r. Lemon. opposite w lliamsport, in Berke-
ley county, "a, was also set on fire and des.
troyed. with /, 600 bushels of wheat. 600 of I
rye and so tons of hay, involving loss of
$4,000 The barn of Jacob Eakle, IN Wash
ington county, Nd, which was consumed on /