Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-01-22
RIoHHoND, January %, '61


you the occurrences of the past week, at least in
the general results. Private correspondence on
ly could venture to supply the promptings, and
stage appliances going on behind the scenes, of
all which the mere newspaper reader can scarce
ly form conception-for seeing, only, could be
believing.
The most tense excitement possesses the pub
lie mind. Everything is acted on the ''senea-
ton" principle. Every body is partisan on one
side or the other. There is no halfway house
for anything or any person. People who have
any business leave it to look out for ITSELF and
themselves throng around the places where
news-mongers most congregate. The Capitol is
crowded from morning till night with dense
masses of men and women, who sit in any place
they can get, for long and weary hours in anx-
ious and silent watch upon the proceedings of
the Legislature, as if the fate of the country it.
self hung on every passing moment. Where the
crowds come from and where they 90 to is q
wonder. 1t is not composed of parties, as is
common in ordinary times, sitting for while in
search of entertainment, and then moving off
merrily together. But it seems an aggregation
of individuals; mostly unknown to each other {;
coming singly, and standing wherever each can
catch foothold as long as anything can be seen
or heard, then departing silently and separately,
as If still nnsatisfed. Some mysterious move
ment of destiny seems to be stirring the minds OF
men. Love of country, as common source of
sympathy, apparently no longer exists-or only
wakes the patriots sigh for its inseparable loss
as for something "gold can never buy"
The Legislature to-day, to close most excl
ting subject of the week, has unanimously pass
ed the bill for State Convention to determine
the destiny of Virginia in the present fearful cr-
sis. Great as is the responsibility resting on this
Legislature, that upon the approaching Oonven-
ton will be even greater. 1t should be COM
posed Of men with clear heads and honest hearts,
truly appreciating the solemn emergency. The
bill as it passed is triumph of the conservative
spirit of the Legislature. From the first hour of
the extra session, the extremists dashed in the
lead of affairs, with disposition and temporary
success that seemed as if the State was to be
precipitated into secession, and possibly civil
war in the shortest space Of time. At first, un-
der the immense outside pressure, only about
thirty members could be rallied to resist this i'm
petuosity but calmness gradually returned, and
step by step, cooler counsels gained ground, un-
til at last an absolute majority took determined
stand and engrafted on the bill, the conservative
feature of permitting the people to say whether
the Convention should or not have absolute pow
in itself to carry Virginia precipitately out of
the Union. The extremists reluctantly but
houses with asnananity, thus giving it increased
moral effect for good and for peace. Constituted
as the Convention will be, on the white basis, it
will almost necessarily be conservative body,
and far safer guardian of the interests of the
whole people than this Legislature can possibly
be.
The extraordinary fact that four of the States
have already, right or wrong, formally seeded
from the Union, and consequently that the re-
naming Southern States are thus shorn of the
majority in the Senate which was to be their
protection against Li1con's administration, has
brought the issue to sharp point. Will Vir-
ginia longer remain in the Union as it now
stands2 If so, what guarantees ought she to re-
quire for her protection in such minority as
this against the rampant fanatcism OF the
North9 If she cannot get satisfactory guaran-
tees. and cannot remain longer in the Union
consistent with her honor and her rights, where
is she to goa With the Border States into a
Middle Confederacy, or with the Southern States
in body2 These questions force themselves
upon Virginia, and must be met noao, and settled,
the sooner the better for the peace and business
concerns of her people. A Convention elected
with special reference to determining these ques-
tions is the only body now competent for the
crisis: the present Legislature is not composed
of the kind of men who ought to consider such
vital matters besides the Legislature is sworn to
support the Constitution of the United States,
and has no sufficient power in the premises
Let the people then elect the proper men, and
let the question be settled in such way as to
have peace and prosperity permanently esta6-
lsaed, beyond the pos0er Of politicians again to
disturb.
In the meantime, until these questions are
settled, people must prepare to meet such ''hard
times'' as have never been known before in this
generation: to bear and forbear must be the rule
towards each other; and economy and prudence
becomes both personal and polite duty. War
man break out at any day; and nothing but a
wise and brave forbearance can prevent it; let
all trust that such war may be in mercy avert
ed but let all prepare for the worst. The re-