Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-11-20
The Secret of the Revolutionary Spirit.

all know that he is as impotent to do any harm
as an unborn babe. He is bound hand and foot,
and can do nothing to effect, 10 the slightest de-
gree, the interests of any man in the South The
Senate is against him, the House of Represents
tives is against him, and the Supreme Court is
against him. The President is not alone the
law making power-his will is not the law OF
the land. Ours is not despotic, but Republican
Government Bills must pass both houses of
Congress before they can reach the President
to receive his signature of appreciation or his re-
lection by veto. He has no power to enact laws.
He can only approve or reject those which have
passed both houses of Congress. As both
houses are opposed to the policy of the Black
Republicans there can be no danger of having
their policy forced upon the South One house
in opposition to the President would be ample
protection, but as both houses are opposed to him,
assurance is rendered doubly sure' that no vio-
lation of Southern rights can take place. 10
there be no secession, by which Southern Rep
resentatives will be taken from Congress, there
can be no danger. As long as We remain united
and keep our representatives in Congress we
are perfectly safe. This being so, and being so
very plain that the "wayfaring man, though
FOOL cannot err therein" why is it that the ex-
treme Southern States are preparing to secede
from the Union! 1t is not because they feel
their rights to be endangered by the election or
Inauguration of Lincoln, but it is because of deep
seated and long cherished hostility to the Union
and the Government under which we live
They have long desired ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the
Union-their desire to secede existed long be-
fore the establishment of the Black Republican
party. Read their speeches delivered in their
recent Legislature, as well as those in their rev.
olutionary promiscuous meetings, and yon will
find that their actions are not based upon the ap
prehension Of danger from Lincoln, but that they
urge prompt action at this time because they be.
lieve other States, incensed at the result of the
Presidential election, are now prepared to go
with them. They have been restrained from
seeding heretofore because they desired the CO.
operation OF other States; and they believe
now that other States will follow if they will
go out. They are now hurrying proceedings as
rapidly as possibly because they fear that they
will not succeed in carrying the people with
them if they have time to take the ''sober second
thought" They think they must act while the
public mind is laboring under fever of excite
ment. They fear the decision of calm Judgment
and rely upon infamed passion for their success.
If they were satisfied that justifable cause for
disunion would be furnished by any act of Lin
coins administration, they would wait for its
occurrence, because they know that then there
would be no division in the South. The fact
that they are not willing to wait till an aggres-
sion upon Southern rights has been committed,
is conclusive of the fact that they do not appre-
bend such result, for they desire the South to
present an undivided front. The South is now
divided-the majority being opposed to reyolu-
tion-because no justifable cause ct present ex-
lists, and there is no possibility, if we remain in
the Union, for the perpetration of any agrees
sion upon our rights. The extreme Southern
States are taking revolutionary steps because
they believe their interests would be advanced
by the establishment of Southern Oonfederacy
with the African Slave Trade re opened, and not
because they dread any violation of their rights
the Republicans. The secret of their disloyalty
to the Government consists Ia the fact that they
desire TO buy negroes at cheaper rates than they
can do at present. If they had good reason to
hope that the African Slave trade would be re-
opened by act of the Federal Government, they
would be the most loyal citizens in the United
States, and would be singing praises to the be-
neficence of the wisest and best Government in
the world, for such it would then seem to them.
If the Government would agree to furnish them
with negroes at $500 per head they would be-
come the most loyal citizens with which any
country was ever blessed, and would be ready
to spill their last drop of blood in defence of
the Government They do not recognize the
election of Lincoln as the cause, but the occasion
for secession, for it will be remembered that
Hon. VIM. L. Yancey declared that the mere re-
suit of an election would not be cause for seces-
sion, but, on the contrary, that those who re-
sisted the Government for no better reason
would place themselves in the position OF rebels
and traitors, and could be legally hung by the
Government for such unconstitutional resistance.
If the election had resulted otherwise than it
did these disunionists would have been the most
mortified and chagrined set of gentlemen that
have ever been seen. All of their calculations
would have been frustrated. The occasion for
their revolutionary schemes would not then have
been presented The election of Lincoln gave
them heartfelt joy, for it gave the promise of
the consummation of their long cherished desire
TO dissolve the Union, and secure negroes at
cheap rates. This policy may be good for the
Cotton States, but it would be rninous to Vir-
pinia. This State will never sanction such pro-
ceedings till her people have lost every particle
of patriotism and that practical common sense
for which they have ever been so highly dis
t;npuished. Patriotism and interest counsel her
RI remain in the Union, and there she will stay,
in snite of the carssses or menaces of the sece-
ding States. -
Illinois and Free Negroes.
The State of Illinois, the home of the Presi-
dent elect is SO far from being friendly to free
neoroes. that it has, by law, prohibited them
from going into that State to live. This class
of nersons are treated with more respect and