The national Republican., 1861-05-09
GOING BACK TO THE BALLoT.Box.

Iuesuay' inc iohoWinS PtoceeuiuSs oic '"'
ported:
"Mr. Lynch, chairman of the Committee on
Federal Relations, reported a preamble and reso.
lutions proposing the appointment OF joint
committee Of eight members OF the Legis!a-
ture-four from the Senate and four from the
House-whose duty it shall be to select from
their own number two persons to wait on the
President OF the United States, two to wait on
the President of the Southern Confederacy, and
two to visit the Governor Of Virginia, and two
to visit the Governor Of Pennsylvania, for the
purpose Of proposing and urging measures to
provide for suspension Of hostiities until the
assembling Of Congress on the 4th Of July, in
order that said Congress may, if possible, ar.
range for an adjustment Of existing troubles
by means Of the ballotbox rather than the
sword"
A man must be stark mad, who can dream
of putting down by the ballot-box, what is es.
sentislly rebellion against the ballot-box.
The Gulf States have appealed to the sword,
from the lawful election Of President by the
people, and the present struggle is to enforce
the supremacy of the ballot box by the bayonet,
and there is nothing else in it.
The ballot.box has been tried, and now ii is
the cartridge. box which is being tried. We
had Presidential election last November, and
there is to be no other until 1864. If these
Maryland sympathzers with secession really
wish the ballot-box to govern, let them persuade
their friends on the Gulf to yield to the election
of Mr.. Lincoln, and there will be no occasion
for the sword. The sword is now drawn, and
will not be sheathed, until the ballot.box is IN.
conditionally submitted to.
THE MISERY OF EASTERN VIRGINIA.
Eastern Virginia has plunged herself, through
the folly Of her public men, into an abyss Of
misery, Of which the traces, in the wrecked
fortunes of families, will remain during the
present generation, and ofwhich the traditions
will survive to the second and third genera.
tions. What is happening there is rs com.
plete an extinguishment and wiping out Of the
old prosperity, as happened in the St. Domingo
revolution, and possibly to be attended with
the same circumstances of bloodshed and hor.
ror.
The negro property of Eastern Virginia,
when these disturbances commenced, was
marketable at two hundred millions of dollars.
Now, if not annihilated as an article Of prop.
erty, it has become both unproductive and un-
saleable. 1t cannot be made to pay either
principal or interest, and every day deepens
the gloom which hangs over its future.
No form Of property has escaped this whirl.
wind of destruction. Railroads have ceased
to be anything more than Government ma
chimes, kept running at the expense of the
owners. Bank stocks have become worthless,
and the banks have not even solvent debtors
enough to enable them to redeem their notes.
State bonds, in which the means Of widows,
orphans, and trustees, are largely locked up,
have ruinously deprecated, and the payment
of interest upon them must be long postponed,
if ever resumed. City property, in the few
cities in Eastern Virginia, al Of which are IN.
der blockade, cannot possibly pay any rents.
Everything is going to waste. Buildings,
fences, tools, will all be in worse condition
year hence, than they are to-day. Everybody
has "gons to the wars" industry is broken
up in all departments; mems minds are un.
settled; few will plant, where it is uncertain
who may gather the crop; the general poverty
must become intense; and those who have
must be eaten up by those who have
nothing but the arms to enable them to dictate
their own terms.
The lands of Eastern Virginia remain as
intrinsically valuable as they ever were, and
are very likely, indeed, to be carried up to such
prices as exist at the North, as the ultimate
consequence of current events. But this is a
consequence, not possible so Immediately, as
to be of any advantage to the present proprie-
tors of Eastern Virginia, if they even escape
confiscations for their treason. If new pop.
ulation is attracted into Virginia, it will be by
the low prices of lands, gotten rid of by ruined
owners upon any terms. The possible, perhaps
probable rise in the price Of these lands, can
only occur after they get into new hands.
On every side, and in every aspect, we can
see nothing but individual ruin for these East
srn Virginians, who are SO largely responsible
for the present difficulties.
1t was they who stimulated the madness of
the Gulf States, by the promise of eventual
cooperation. 1t was they who might, at any
time, even after the actual secession outbreak
oflast November, have arrested it by declaring
q resoute and unconditional adherence to the
Union. But they would take counsel of moth,
ing but their own folly and arrogance, and,
vainly dreaming that they could dictate terms
to the nation, have proved by the event, that
they possessed only the poor power of running
themselves.
The KENTUCKY .BRIoADE.-To the two regi
ments already raised, commanded by Colonels
Guthrie and Terrell, (the former nephew of
the late Secretary of the treasury a third