Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-02-14
THE TIMES.
pORT~ TOBACCO, MD.
Thursday Morning February "a, 1851

thursday morning, February "a, 1861.
nEIt appears. to us that if the Black Repub.
lican members Of the present. Congress wished
for, or even hoped 10 End q favorable oppor.
tunity or plausible excuse for yielding little
Of their ultra ground and giving to the people
of the South and of the whole country assur-
ances of peace and good faith, that no better
time than this can be wished. Virginia-the
great Virginia-has spoken and if we are COM
petent to read the words of her language, or the
meaning Of her words, they are for the Union,
maintained upon just and equitable principles.
No State of the whole thirty -four, perhaps, has
more reason to complain of Northern Interior
ence and aggression, as it is termed, than Vir-
ginia,-no States Of the thirty-four, certainly,
than Virginia and Maryland. Upon tho soil
and within the jurisdiction of Virginia was that
awful tragedy, the John Brown raid. commenced
and ended. Her citizens have been killed upon
their own soil and the war opened at her very
door. The perpetrators were arrested, tried,
convicted, hung; and now old Virginia speaks
at the ballot-box in thunder tones, which echo
from the Alleghanies and Blue Ridge to the
Atlantic, procaiming yet for the Union, if any
thing worth saving is to be saved The Union
first, failing in that, God help us, the next best
thing.
Virginia and Maryland, together, have lost
more and suffered more than all the gulf States
combined, and now would strive to save and
perpetuate the Union Could tho Northern
people but now have their say at the ballot-box,
and be left free to express the sentiment nearest
their heart, on this awfully threatening question,
we little doubt but that full and overwhelm-
ing majority would be rolled up in favor Of the
union of States, the union of interest, and the
union Of hearts, in response to the voice Of the
Old Dominion. They can best see that while
Virginia and Maryland loves this Union, and
the form of government which our fathers gave
us, and are determined under all fair and hon.
orable circumstances to remain where they have
so long been happy and blest as people; yet,
if there be DO exhibit of fairness if there be no
show of Justice and equal right, on the part of
the North towards the South, they are deter
mined no longer to submit to Northern fanati-
cism, or Northern oppression; but to break of
all connection and leave them to themselves, as
Ephriam joined to bis idols.
We hope our readers will not suppose from
the last sentence, that we design to intimate,
much less assert, that Virginia and Maryland
haze been submitting to this arrogance, fanati-
cism and oppression. By no means. We are
well aware that some have thus argued, but, as
we opine, on false premises. We have never
submitted we never will submit. We have
demonstrated with them time and again; begged,
never. We have warned them often of their
error; quailed or trembled, never. We have
Smplofed them for their own good to mend their
way frequently; bowed the knee of supplication,
never. We have felt, at Harper's Ferry, the
force of their intentions, and that act of theirs
was promptly met, promptly punished. The
act of whom? The act of fanatics. The pur-
pose of band, whose fanatical purpose and
reasonable design was an individual affair,
which was not then the act of the North, nor
will be, till the people have refused the Just de-
nands Of Southern interest. The act of John
Brown was the act of all his endorsers and only
bis endorsers, and if the people of the North
will in mass, as we cannot doubt they will,
should an opportunity be afforded them, con-
demu that act-according to the whole country
such assurances of peace as the whole country
have right to demand-we assert that they
are in no wise responsible for such action as was
had at Harper's Ferry. Shall the people be
allowed the privilege of speaking on this vexed
question
Some are constituting the vote Of Virginia into
Republican victory but for our soul we can.
not understand the process by which they arrive
at such conclusion. Virginia says, grant us our
just assurances of right and we remain with
you; refuse, and we no longer stay. Is this
submission? Is this yielding? And Maryland
what does Maryland say? Grant us assurance
chat oar rights shall be maintained inviolate
under the Constitution, and we are with you
refuse, and we leave. Is this submission? Is
this bowling before Northern power? By
what course of reasoning certain ends are ar
rived at in certain quarters we know not. For
our own part, we cannot see one reason for say
ing, the good Union vote of Virginia was vote
for submission, any more than the desire on the
part of Maryland to preserve the Union and
prevent immediate disunion, is selling out to
she North.
~ When Montgomery proposed to mem
beers of the present Congressto resign their seats
and thus let the matter 60 back to the people,
why did Republican members refuse toact upon
it? Was not this an evidence that they, the
Republican members, themselves feared to trust
themselves IN the hands of the people? We are
told that the Republican members Of Congress
reflect the wishes of the people North; if 50, why