Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-08
aailg gnteIli9rnter,
The Madness OF SeeeSsiOn.

The Lessons or IIIstory-whRt IS the
Prospect in Store for Western VtT-
ERxtrac. from letter of the Hon. waItuiap T. VII
ley, Of Nor. antoWn to tile Editor Of the Clarks-
burg Guard.l
| shudder whenever thiul: OF disunion.
No patriotic student of history can con-
template it without dismay. Ponder the
condition. for instance, of the Roman en-
pire, after il began to crumble away and
be dismeubered.- Follow its melancholy
decline aud fall, as portrayed in the classic
pages of GibbuD. Look now al the strug-
giles of the Italian States. After centuries
of-abject humiliation ana political slavery,
consequent upon their original brofls and
divisions they now have TO fight their way
through the ranks OF despnts and tyrants
10 the establishment Of their ancient
national unity and freedom; whilst we are
treadinR the downward road which they
are ascending. God help usI
If secession commence, where will il end,
and when will it end: And what will he
the form of the new Confederation: Who
can tell? We shall be thrust out into an
unknown sea of experiment, With a thou
sand ambitious aspiTants struggling for the
helm Of the reeling ship of State. Instead
of riding securely through the storm in the
sold Constitution" we shall be the sport
of the wind and wave in some miserable
skipper" South Carolina is enunciAting
the doctrine that man is incapable of self
government. Will we subscribe to that
dogma, and submit ourselves to a cousti-
tutional monarchy? The cotton States are
clamoring for re-Opcniug of the African
slave trade. Does Virginia agree with
them? And shall we have new govern
meDt, that we may populate il with chat
. z
Africa? In short, are we Of Virginia, and
especially Western Virginia, ready to put
on the livery Of servants to king Cot
toni" Whittier are we drifting?
1t is an easy task 10 pull down our Con-
stitution but it will not be so easy to
build up new one, which shall satisfy
and harDOnize all the sections and creeds,
moral and political. even Of the South
alone. Have we evidenced this? fear
we are "heeing TO evils we know not Off"
In my opinion, 10 new organization can
he formed, which will right the whole
Sonth. There will be division here, and
subdivisions; so that instead of fortify ng
ourselves by Southern unity, against North
eln aggression, there will spring up nn an
tagonism between different sections of the
South itself. The strife has already begun.
Where will it terminate? Already our
credit at home and abroad is seriously i'm
paired. Our State bonds have, on an
average, decreased one-third in value. On
the London Exchange, on the Paris Boursc,
and in every European city, American Sc
curities are stencil in the nostrils Of capt.
talists. Our banks have suspended specie
payment; our commerce is pnraIyzcd our
manufactures are closed; thousands are
suffering for bread ia a land OVERLOOKING
with cereal; helpless beggnry weeps in the
midst Of nj baU ut,lly
ing through every city.
have not the courage to draw aside the
veil which conceals the future. / would
shut my ear TO this sound of civil war.
which is so imminent. I would close nv
eyes when those scenes of blood which
soon, fear. shall open out before as
womld bar the doors against the intrusinns
of icentiOus soldery who alone may he
desecrating our domestic affairs ana violu-
ting oar wives and daughters. would fee
from the rayngcs Of serviie Instruction.
soon to rear its hideous form in our midst
dipping its hands in the blood Of hclples.
infancy and hoary age. But sooner or late
these things will all follow in the steps &
disunion.
Not only, therefore, should we remain
in the Union, to redress our past griev
cuccs, but also TO avoid all these tcrriblr
consequences of disruption. Let us no
initiate the madness and blindness
Sampson, by pulling down the temple G
Liberty on our own heads, that We ma
bury our enemies in the ruins. 1t doe
appear to me that some of our leaders, lik,
the ancient inGendinry, Eratoslratus, ar
aspiring after the internal immortalit
which must eternaly be attached to tn,
names of the destroycrs of the f,irest fab
rio of national government ever devised b.
man, or bestowed on him by Heaven.