Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-29
For the Standard


TEN YEARS AGO-SHADOWS CAST BEFORE.
Mr. HoLDEN:-I again solicit few moments no.
tice in your useful paper. 1t is time when
citizen may be excused for saying word on public
affairs; and sometimes so light are the grains which
determine human opinions to gravitate this way or
that way, that man knows but few words titly
spoken may turn some minds. 1t seems to be
agreed by all sobcr-mnded men, at the present
crisis, that what need is time to Deliberate and
what we have need to dread is precipitation. The
Seccders dread the effects Of elaboration. They are
afraid if men have time to think, they will begin to
vacillate, and then to revolt The truth is it is so
tremendous thing to break up government, and
the consequences of revolution so serious and
calamtous that the part of wisdom is to strive to
remedy existing grievances by the provisions laid
down in the compact rather than to hazard every
thing by revolution That we have had (both South
and North career of national happiness and growth
under the present government unparalleled in the
history of mankind, is resounded from one end of
the world to the other, and the fame of it has drawn
immigrants by millions to share our fortunes
Would any wise and conscientious man hurry for
ward to destroy such government as il it were an
encumbrance, a curse? But there has been party
TOR many years who are not willing to g let well
enough alone" who sigh for some imagined good
to be gained by revolution, and willing TO risk
all consequences for that possible attainment South
Carolina has for 80 years been the seat and centre
the now boastful avowal of her present party lead
ers. 1t may interest your readers to extract
of private letter, written in 1850, by DR.. James
w. Alexander, of Princeton, whose father was
Virginian and labored many years Presbyterian
minister in that State-the family all having South
ern predictions. The letter shows that that State
was ready, then, so far dSafection to the Union
concerned, to throw off the hateful yoke of our
government, even in the very year when the Com
promise act was passed, guaranteeing safety to slave
property. DR.. Alexander was one of several distn-
gushed men invited to preach before the University
Of Virginia series of dscourses on the Evidences
of Christianity" After his return he writes thus,
among other things, to a friend in Philadelphia:
Dec. 18th, 1850. 8 + The University is
fourishing nearly 400 students. The audience at
the Lectures on the Evidences were large. = =
AS you might suppose, much was said in Virginia
about the slavery business. With one remarkable
exception, | found, among great number with
whom conversed, no man desiring disunion. All
they ask is the carrying out of the Constitution by
enforcing the late law 1.-THE Compromise Act. Such
is unqueStonably the temper of the masses yet
there some terrible fire-eaters" at Richmond,
and these are making great use Of the Vermont null
LITIGATION. Combinations to no Northern goods,
&c, are more rife than had thought. From num-
bers however heard the remark that slavery could
not abide safely in Virginia frontier State-that
its doom was fixed, &c. | fell in with South-Caro-
lima people, and (at Richmond) with B on his
return from South Carolina. There the state of
things is different, for they not only look on seces
sion as possible evil, but pray for it real good
Northern mechanics agents, and operatives rap
idly leaving the State The fear in Virginia among
sober people is, that uth-Carolna will do some
rash act, which will draw forth number of South
ern States to sustain and shield her. Could an in
spired prophet have more exactly foretod what has
come to pass am convinced, from numerous con-
versaOns with leading men, that the repeal of the
Territorial law would throw Virginia into the arms
! of the South, and furthermore divide the State
After all | had read in the papers, was unprepared
for the solemn views taken by good men, of the cr
sis All seem to regard bloodshed the inevitable
| result" &c
You scr. by the above remarks of a sagaclous and
careful visitor to Virginia ten years ago. the fears
entertain i at that time by the best and wisest meI
of the rash impetuosty of that heatlong State
fears which have becn alas too sadly realized. If
Fabius MaNimus gained the glory of saving Rome,
by dcl'gt"g (runctandO) the very virtue which you
now recommend in the motto Watch and Wait"
whose will he the niamy, in all succeeding time, of
running America by precipitancy (testindndO)? Be-
cause that wise and polite commander hung back
| upon the mountains and would not accept the fire.
quent challenges of Hannibal to instant battle, he
was murmured at and Scoffed at-hiS courage doubt
| ed, and he branded with the epithet of Cumc-
| tator, which, in the mouths of his enemies meant
much the same modern stigma, Submission
| ist Yet Posterity, whose decisions outlive the
| spiteful reproaches of contemporaneous passion
| have made that his peculiar glory which was once
his shame Happy to follow, though at humble dis
tance in the wake of this illustrious Roman still
beg leave to borrow the name of
FABIUS.
| January 10, 1861.