Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-06-04

and does exist at the South, as there ever has.
diversity of sentiment on the social. economi-
cal, and political aspects of slavery. But this
persistent denial of every equal and just right,
irrespective of the special matter involved, has
raised the issue, shall we govern ourselves or
be subject to the North Ifthe North can thus.
with the forms of the Constitution, but in con-
travention Of its spirit and its compromises, die
tate the form of social life, so it may of our
economical, our religious and our civil We
then make our stand here, and finding no ssper-
feet union" longer existing, we elect to go out
of the Union. You may say all this is based on
false interpretations of the Constitution. Ex
latists and Papists have ever held Presbyterians
and Reformers to be false interpreters Of the BIZ
BILE.
Our action, then, is not rebellion. A State
cannot thus rebel. 1t is not the action of ire
sponsible combinations, such as those of a
"Whiskey Insurrection," or Of the notification
of Massachusetts, or South Carolina.
2. You join the Northern hue and cry, ssthat
the government must be, sustained.'' Whence
this newborn zeal to sustain the government t?
Repeatedly, for ten years, has the government
been resisted its laws decried; it's officers
mobbed, and threatened, and the execution of
its mandates opposed. Nay more, laws of States
to prevent this execution, and to render it iIle-
gal in the State, have gone into force and vet
no furious tornado of zeal for sustaining the gov
ernment has swayed the hearts of the Northern
people. Perhaps when you re-write ssThe Ex-
citement," you will inquire why such zeal now,
and 80 little heretofore, and may find thus the
true cause of the excitement. This was certain
ly not that the capital was endangered. This
rumor existed months ago. 1t never had any re-
spectacle origin, except in the statement made
by Mr.. Davis tfat, in the contingency of an at
tack on the South, it might be desirable to repel
1t by attacking Washington. But this had been
said months ago. No sir, no reliable ground ex-
isted for such a rumor, so no such excitement as
you ascrlbe to it could have resulted. You will
find that that excitement was designedly gotten
up. After Sumter fell the Tribune said, omi-
nously, ssWe have lost Sumter but gained a
united North" The flag had long ago been dis
honored in the affair of the ssStar of the West, -
but no such ssexcitemelt'' followed. Mr. Lin
coin, with professions Of peace, was preparing
for war. The large and hostile feet was sent to
Charleston on the sspeaceful'' mission Of provis-
ioning seventy half-starved men. Il was to pro-
woke an attack which would "unite'' the North.
This has since been avowed on what is regarded
as creditable authority.
q. But while exciting and uniting the North,
Ar. Lincoln's policy, evident under the fimsy
veil of the words of the proclamation, that there
should be no invasion except to recover or hold
United States property, has ssexcited and united
the South" We asked peaceful solution OF
our limits, though not peculiarly ours were for
our defence, or at least not for our injury; and
we took them to prevent being injured. The
Southern Comm ssioners offered to adjust all
such questions of property on equitable TERMS
Virginia, by her Union men, had gone to the
verge of dishOnor, rather than secede. When
the armament left New York, the South saw
why her Commissioners had been kept uselessly
waiting three weeks in Washington, that the
Government might get ready to relieve Sumter ;
and when the Proclamation appeared, Virginia
saw that al! her peaceful proposals had been in
dulged only to give the Government time to pre-
pare for the contingent invasion. That Procla-
nation made more secessonlsts in one day, than
S outh Carolina could have made in ten centu-
ries. Let an impartial word read the statement
of Judge Campbell of the Supreme Court of the
United States.
4. Nov, then, we are in sectional strife by no
fault of ours. We act defensively-we merely
ask to be let alone. We are determined to de-
fend our homes, our religious and civil rights,
our slaves and our land. Ministers, some Of the
highest standing, volunteer to lead our troops
In few weeks Virginia, from an appearance of
tame acquiescence, presents a bold and defiant
attitude. So North Carolina, Tennessee, and
Arkansas. The extreme South is helped, and is
helping. Our troops go under the influence of
a profoundly religious feeling. The camp has
its prayer-meetiugs. Our Churches, Lecture
Rooms, and family circles, are scenes of earnest
prayer for Gods guidance and favor to us, and
forgiveness to our enemies. Our slaves take
part with their masters, and scorn the idea of
separation to such freedom as the North offers
as they did in the Brown raid of '59. Our free
negroes volunteer by hundreds to work on the
batteries. In short, with the few exceptions a.
bove mentioned, our people are Of one mind and
one heart.
B. What then does your government propose
To bring us back to the Union? This can never
be done. You may subjugate Us, if possible |;
but that will be only by our determination. The
Union is gone forever. The alternatives now
are, peace and our independence, and that the
two nations be left to work out their destiny,
under Gods blessing, and before farther irrita-
tiOns ensue, to be mutual aids or protracted
wasting war, ending at last, when both are ex-
hausted, IN peace as well, and better, to be
made now; or our utter determination; our
disfanchisement as States, and the division of
our territories among the conquerors, ever to be
annoyed by such remnants of our people as
would still be hidden in the mountains, or re-
turn from exile or the defeat of the North
Now we prefer the first. If driven to the second,
we shall only fight for peace, we do not want
your land. But we will take the third, rather
than yield our right to choose our own govern
ment.
Why then wage ware You cannot sssustain the
Government in its vain effort - bring us back.
Consider what you willdo. You will waste years
of thought, of precious means OF doing good, OF
millions of money, and of bodies and souls OF
men make thousands of widows and orphans ;
lay waste and sack cities and land; raise up, may
bea military despotism and when you have
subiugated US by all this expense, your armies
will return to overthrow your own institutions
Or failing to ruin US, YOU will have overturned
the foundations of Republican Government and
established agrarianism and radicalism, result
IN despotism. In neither case will the result
be what you propose. Consider how you are
proposing to effect your object. do not rely
on rumors, and yet the Tribune and W. Repub-
lican are semi official organs, and they invoke
the most diabolical spirit, and propose diaboli-
cal measures Of ruin, exciting servile war, burn
ings, pilagings, and devastation, the driving out
and killing our population, and division of the
spoils. One of your newspapers in Pennsylva-
MIA incites your volunteers to attack Baltimore,
by telling them ssthat the city has always been
celebrated for its beautiful women" Billy Will
sons Regiment in New York is VIGOROUSLY
composed of men who are utterly destitutute of
moral character, thieves, piccpockets, and ruff
fans.
Consider too that you propose such ends by
such meaus, to sustain precarious right. A man
may have the right to shear wolf, or harness a
lion, but will he undertake to exercise such a
right The precedent, too, is dangerous, and
the danger already brewing.
IF the United States Government may coerce
us-then how soon, with it's increased power,
arising from this war, may it propose some 9th
er coercion? What is the spirit of the party in
power, let the ssreign Of terror now begun in
your cities. answer Witness the mobbing of
Mr.. Van DYKE, and of printing offices in New
York. TROY, Concord IN. H.,) and other places.
az rostro;p on free Snaech and q free