Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-01-22

Letter From Hon. John NJ. Bolts.
To the Editors Of the Alera,adrSa Gazette:
III am not mistaken, you have invited dis
cussion of the questions involved in the present
difficulties under which the country is laboring
it becomes our own State to take-and avail
myself of the privilege extended, by submitting
for reflection the following views:
| have observed that, in several of the county
meetings that have been held, resolutions have
been adopted, declaring that the interests O
Virginia and South Carolina are one and thu
same, and that we must attach our fortunes tx
hers, no matter what may occur; that there il
no power to coerce seeding State; and tht
Clarke County resolutions declare that the gov
ernment has no right to collect revenues in
State that has withdrawn from the Union.
First, then, let me ask, in what respect are
the interests of Virginia identified with those O
South Oarolina2 Politically they are identified
because both are intensely democratic and in
tensely tyrannical to the minorities in their re-
speetve localities; but sociazly and commercially
it seems to me, we are as far apart as the poles
There is no more social or commercial inter-
course between South Carolina and Virginia
than there is between Canada and Mexico W.
buy nothing from her, and she buys nothing
from US. We sell her nothing, and she SELL
nothing to US, for not even those who trade ir
slaves deal with South Carolina to any extent
for their market is further South, whilst in some
respects the purposes and interests of Soutf
Carolina, as she conceived them, are essentially
opposed to those of Virginia. True, South Car
olina is slave state, but so is Maryland, and &C
is Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Mis-
souri,; and upon that ground we are tar more
closely and intimately connected with the con
servative border States than we are with Soutt
Carolina; and for all other purposes of com
merce, zoe do not Lasoa0 her. q And let me ask
is it wise on the part of the slaveholding popu
lation of Virginia, to ''hitch on'' to South Caro-
lima for the sake of the slave trade, and involve
the State in revolution, rebellion and civil war
aud then call upon the vast preponderance o.
come forward and do the fighting with the gen
eral government, for the exclusive benefit of the
holders of, or dealers in slaves2
What will be our condition if we secede o.
For single item of the account, take the fol-
lowing: The debt and liabilities of the State dc
not fall far short of $45, 900, 900, most of which
has been expended in the cause of internal i'm.
prOvements; our commerce is n0p with the
North-but our costly lines of Improvement are
aiming at commercial intercourse with the great
West. If we secede, non intercourse follows
certainly to very large extent. What ther
becomes of our improvements, the James River
and Kanawha Canal, the Central Railroad, &c.
Trade and travel will all be snspended-the su-
perstructures of your roads all fall into decay
the stills on which the rail is laid will rot, and
the rails themselves wear away with rust from
disuse, and then comes the payment of the debt
$45, 100000, to be raised by direct taxation
without one other source of revenue, and this
=
government, but with the additional necessary
expense OF keeping up an army and navy for the
general defence, and protection of our people and
property. Happy will that man be who has nc
property with which he can be troubled OF
taxed. ....,s.--... i..s, s.s. ssti-
But it is said we should resist any attempt to
coerce seeding State. God forbid there should
be necessity for using force, and am not one o1
those who believe it will be necessary to resort
to force, on the part of the general government
unless iJ be in self-defence; but are you prepar-
ed to say, that you value SO lightly the deeds Of
our Revolutionary sires, that if need be you
would not strike one blow to preserve what they
went through seven years war of toll and suf-
fering, privation and sacrifice, to establish =
May my tongue be blistered, my arm withered
and my name be obliterated from the record
when / take such ground as this, for no better
reason than now exists for deserting our glori
GUS Union. ~ 81
How do you propose to resist2 If by remon
STRANGE, that is all we'll enough; but if by force
then you involve yourselves in civil war, and
bring all its horrors on your own State, and
transfer the scene of war from South Carolina
that has offended, to the territory of Virginia
that has not offended. rs so.a.so -sss
We can be engaged in no civil war, unless o
our own accord we seek or invite it, or rather
should say, begin it. For one, | am willing te
light the battles OF Virginia in AUST cause, but
| am not willing to fight the battles of South
Carolina In bad cause; and if others are, ther
we have reached the point where we must sep
arate and part company.
IN this connection, without offence, let me ash
lew plain questions, which l hope some o
those entertaining extreme opinions will answer
if they can.
But let me say, in advance. that I am one 0
those who have heretofore opposed the adoption
of all platforms in Presidential elections. as be