Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-03-15
STANTON, March II. 1861

ult reached mere during my absence. This
and other causes, with which [ need not
trouble you. have heretofore prevented an
acknowledgment. | thank you for your
generous support in the past, and equally
for the earnest desire you express to know
my views upon the present distracted con
dition Of the country" My opinions are at
all times open to those who take an inter
estin them, and particularly do not no,o
feel inclined to withhold them since you say
that fragrant accusations have been made
with regard to my position, y aud charges ut
tered against me of being an extreme seces-
sionist." If am to understand this allega
ton to mean that have been, or ana dlsu.
nionist for tie sake ofdtsunion, it is moi
true, and does great injustice to my intcn
lions.
For restoration of the Federal Govern.
ment to the spirit, purposes, and aims o1
its founders, | have long been earnestly So
Lotions, for [ early learned to cherish a
loyal devotion TO the Union. and rev erenl
admiration for the wisdom and virtue Of
those great men BY whom it was estab
lished
To effect this restoration, and with 8
view to perpetuate, if possible, the Union, /
have, during more than ten years, favored
every movement which has looked to CON
sultation and concert of action among the
slaveholding States I believed as long
ago as the year 1850, that it was absolutely
essential to the safety Of the Southern State.
aud to continuance Of the Julon. that
those States should meet together for the
purpose Of dlspassionptsly celebrating and
determining what were their rights under
the Constitution. and, further, that they
might temporarily, but firmly. resolve, IL
nitedly to maintain them at every hazard
/ had, even then. already been filed with
serious appreEensions, in Witnessing the
rapid growth of anti slavery hostility
Those apprehenslons have grown with the
growth OF the anti slavery party. I have
from the first been satisfied that Abolition
ism was a canker which would eat ont the
heart of our Constitution and destroy our
Union, unless il could be arrested; and |
have looked and longcd ard longed and
look cd in vain, for = IIr;cn Of the Soutl, to
stay its progress Had the Month been
convinced years ago, when the anti-slav cry
sentiment was comparatively feeble, when
as yet it had not obtained possession Of all
the power and patronage of their govern
ments, that anti slavery aggressions would
be resisted by o united South, even to the
disruption, If necessary, oe lie bonds of the
Union, abolitonism might have been check
ed, and perhaps even stranglcd 10 the era
die of its birth. But alas! the Southern
States have never acted in concert When
ever any proposition for Conference a
mong them has been urged, it has always
been assailel and defeated by the Union
men" par ercs1Iencc Chose
sssaviors Of a nation not We: sayed-')
as reasonable conspiracy for dissolution
Of the Union. And 50 We have gone on,
cultvating animosities among ourselves,
pickering with each other over party Issues
of minor importance, and refusing to prof.
by the example which even the bsutes fur
nish US, whom instinct, in face Of 6 com
mon dagger npels TO ferd together for
common defence. And at 7ast.a commuui-
ty Of interests. OF Institutions. and Of senti-
ments, will inevitably impel us, as it is iul-
polling US, to make common cause with our
Southern sisters. when the catastrophe OF
dissolution, which is now upon us, might
have been stayed, and perhaps altogether
averted, had we only long ago consented to
take that counsel With them, to which our
necessities are now impelling US.
congratulate myself in this distressing
crisis, that there is nothing in my past po-
litical conduct which [ have to regret. OF
that would willingly see undone. | have
always been State Rights mana South
ern Rights man-and not the less Union
man. The government Of the Union, fair
" administered under the Constitution,
have always regarded as a palladium O
our political safety and prosperity" bat a
the same time | have never lost sight of til,
fact that the Constitution is the palladium
of the Union-the palladium of the palladi
um. Hence, | hold that no one can adher,
to the Union under a persistently violated
/ Constitution, without proving foe to thos'
blessings liberty which the Constitution
was established to secure to us. And henc,
| | have ever--as every sincere State Right
Democrat must-set the principles Of tn
Constitution above. and preferred them be
fore the Union, and therefore [ am not as
tonished to hear that such Of the "Uniol
men" as are Federalists, are found to sa,
such things Of me, Gas they are accustome,
to circulate to the injury of good Democrats
generally.
But the charge that am an 'extrcme Sc
eessionist' results, | presume, from the fact
that when our sister States Of the South
fleeing from oppression, began to secede
and it became next to certain that the policy
of the Black Republicans would be to en-
deavor to coeroe them, instantly oonclu-
ded that the true course Of Virginia wouio
be DO make demand for constitutional
guaranty of all her rights, and, if her rea-
| sonable requirements were not complied
with by the leaders and rulers Of the Nepub-
lean party, that then she ought to withdraw
herself from Union in which she was 10
longer safe, and. contemporaneously with
her act Of secession, address last aud final
appeal for justice TO the PEOPLE of the North.
do not doubt the right of the people of any
State, when they believe that the Oonstitu-
ton is persistently violated to their injury,
or that there is imminent danger (Which
does not admit Of delay Of its being SO vi
oolated, to resume the powers which they del