The national Republican., 1861-03-25
THE GREAT MISTAKE.

1t seems to be agreed that there has been,
within few weeks past, some reaction in Vir-
ginia in favor of secession, although not enough
to break down the majority in favor of the
Union. The wonder is, that the reaction has
not been greater, in view Of the persistent Of.
forts Of the (so called) Union politicians, to
disseminate ideas, of which secession is the
only legitimate result.
When the rebellion of the defeated Democ.
racy was commenced in November, it had
nothing to stand upon, either in existing facts,
or in the existing public opinion Of Virginia.
But the rebellion began at once to make head,
when these (so-called) Union politicians, in.
stead of denouncing it as wanton and wicked,
went even beyond the Democratic politicians
in insisting that the institution Of slavery must
have new guarantees.
These (so.called) Union politicians, affect
to say privately, when they visit Washington
to parade their wonderful services in the cause
Of the Union, that so far as they are personally
concerned, they desire no new guarantees and
know them to be useless, but that as matter
of policy, and in order to keep along with pop.
uar sentiment at home so as to be better able
to direct it hereafter, they have thought it best
not to permit the Democracy to lead off in ask
ing for fresh recognitions Of Southern rights.
This is a very 6ue story, but the manifest
truth is, that there is to-day no popular sent.
ment in Virginia, demanding more guarantees
for slavery, except such as these Union poll.
tcans have themselves wilfully created. In
stead of yielding to popular sentiment of that
sort, they have themselves laboriously manu-.
factured it.
On the 9th of November, a very large ma
jority of the people of Virginia refused to sus.
tain the Breckinridge platform, the distinctive
pecuiarity of which was the assertion Of tn
constitutional right of Shareholders to car
ry their special property into the Territories
And even the Breckenridge Democracy, al.
though insisting upon this as matter of theo-
retcal right were themselves committed to the
position, that there was nothing in the present
condition Of the Territories requiring action in
that particular.
Now, so far as it is true, that the people of
Virginia have so changed all their opinions
since the 9th Of November, as to demand an
amendment of the Constitution in respect to
the Territories, what has brought the change
about? Nothing, as we can see, except the
folly of the (so-called) Union politicians, who
have been at work for four months, to make
the people of Virginia believe that they needed
guarantees for slavery, which even the Demo
Gratis did not dream of asking before the Presi.
Dental election was terminated.
1t is, in truth, those (so-called) Union politi-
clans, who are responsible for all that is dan
gerous in the condition of public sentiment,
either in Virginia, or in any of the border
States. They had power to do mischief,
which the Democratic politicians did not pos.
sess, and they have used it to the utmost.
This view of the conduct of these (socalled)
Union politicians, is that of all sound and re.
hecting friends of the Union in Virginia.