Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-04-05
The Present Crisis.

nave been long ali attentive anu inter-
ested reader of tile "Gazette" | have read
1t, as mon read newspapers, in secluded
country homes. Although our points of de-
parture we're, in many respects the same,
there has been Of late divergence in our
opinions Of the crisis You invite rational
discussion, and have so high an opinion of
your candor is to believe that you will al
ways hear both sides. [ claim no authority
for my opinions beyond that they are those
of one Of the people. The pen is an unac-
customed implem ,nt to my hand, nor should
have dreamed of thrusting mine into poll
ties, had they not invaded our peaceful
homes, summoning us from the plough to
''primary conventions" with pressing haste
to see "Ne quid detrimenti Respublica ca
plat" and calling upon us TO convert the
useful reaping hooks into unproductive but
necessary swords. claim to have been a
candid and unprecedented inquirer into the
merits Of THIS controversy, upon the follow
ing groundsThat have no private ends
IL gain--nor any party affiliations. Having
been many years absent from the United
States. | have been nore Interested in its
foreign than It's domestic politics, and hay
ing held the while commission from the
government, | gave it sincere and unaffec-
ted allegiance. revered the Constitution
as the ark Of our liberty | loved the
Union. which, under my own observation,
had, in twenty years, advanced AS from
third to first rate position amongst the ma
tons. Opportunities of contrast with many
peoples, were not wanting to enhance the
iervor Of my patriotic pride | was born
upon the soil of Virginia. and have ever re-
garded her spotless escutcheon with flial
pride. IN the 'incubating' period of the
present crisis, was one IF those who had
no sympathy with Secessionists per Sc, but
rejected their counsels as reasonable and
talaeious. I did not believe that they would
construct from the Southern fragments of
our great and glorious Union, "the greatest
nation upon which the sun ever shone." l
llkened them to the dog in the fable, who
lost his meat in grasping a shadow. John
Browns raid occurred. was simple enough
TO believe that it would be repudjated and
execrated at the North, as amongst us.
When news came of his funeral honors in
the North and Northwest, and Of his canon
lHallon III lHC hDU1lliOIl CdltuudI DIS OF.
Brown, | reasoned still, "Let US wait for
the Presidential election-the masse, are
conservative, they will then rise in their
ma esty and might and crush out forever,
this hell-born Standardization. Lincoln
was elected . My plea now was we have
still working majority Of CongreSs-let US
wait for the overt act Memminger's mis-
sion | thought premature. | was indignant
at the secession Of Sputh Carolina 1t was
prcsumptuous in her to take the pas Of the
Mother Of States and statesmen What
ever the action of the South, old Virginia
should have been the fugleman. Other
States followed her-we are now in hope
less minority, our enemies ins0lent and tri
umpaant, firmly seated in power, filling
every federal Office, threatening coercion,
sending diplomatic agents to decry and de-
fame US IN every civilized country. What
Nlrglnlan would not rather trust to the ten
der lnercies Of the Gar than appeal to Mr..
Clay for protection am amazed on re-
trospectlon, (now that the scales have
fallen from my eyes, to observe how the
'foregone conclusion that the Union was an
inestinable blessing, and that it was a pa
triotic service to maintain it'-bliuded and
SGdltlilCU lCuSOu W luS lIuc
OF the events of the crisis | recovered III
time to vote for Secession candidate, and
no reference. confess the chagrin with
which ! behold Virginia still ingloriously
hes!tatlng between d natural and holy Union
with her sisters Of the Cotton Contederacy,
and Il monstrous and unnatural one with
the Wooden Ham and Nutmeg States and
preparing ultlmatum after ultmatum to be
contemptuously rejected by dominant and
hostile North. And 'cui buno?' Has she
not already forburne until seventy times
seven. The Union which she loved, no
longer exists; her cherished plan of recon-
struction m ght surely az well be carried
out by admitting into the Southern Confed-
eracy any other States who came duly quail
flied. What need Of Border State Conven-
tons? Is not Virginia competent to Judge
OF her own wrongs, and the measure Of their
redress. Aiter my own errors, heretofore
recorded, am far from desiring to impugn
the moii2es of those who mold our destnies
in their hands---but truly, it seems to me
that if this ingloriAus inaction is to be still
further protracted, we should at least until
something be done to vindicate it) erase
from our banner, the proud vaunt Of Sic
N|Sh'PUi place ou' SdiCiliou
Type upon his knees, and in his uplifted
hands scroll bearing the legend, 'Lmptorat
Pacem, while Tyranny should be ram
pant Who does not envy the proud posi-
ton of South Carolina, with all her rumor-
ed difficulties Even her faults are generous,
and have strong leaning to virtues side
She did no= stand appalled, at the price at
which liberty must be purchased, but nobly
dung hor banner to the breeze with the
knightly inscription, 'Iiive me liberty or
give me death This was our thunder
once IL it not yet the fulness of time ~--
have We not wrongs enough and to spare !
Had our Revolutionary grand-sires half that
We have to bear? Had their masters sworn,
like ours. to bend or break them? Their
ties Of consansuinty were much closer with
their oppresS0rs than ours, with the descen-
danrs Of the Pilgrim IIumbuga. Did that
prevent them from asserting their rights
We're every clause OF the Conventions ulti-
nahum contemptuously accepted by our
Northern foes, would it restore any real fra.
ternity Of feeling between US: | trow not.
From infancy, the Northern mind has been
ind"ctrlnated with deadly luminosity to US,
and our domestic institutions. as is apparent