New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-30
THE WAR FOR THE IlNl0N.,
morRnN NOTES ON VIRGINIA.
r,o,respcnsepce Of TIE N. Y. Tribune.


ubysical and moral status of the localities of Vir
cnia and Maryland Iprcpose TO give sequel there
70 now, giving account of the recent history Of
Secession
About rteey years ago the writer was living in the
town Of War,nton, Fauquier County, Va. j was
fresh from College, and began to go the way OF
all Virginia fesil-Poiitics. The first lesson /
taught by nv advisers and associates that Virginia
was TO be got of the hands Of old fo2es" Scott,
Summers, A. H. Stuart and the rest, were deadly foes
60 our ri ghis- The first thing knew that was
talking in hot-beaded way to my own father, whom
j had been told was uDsound l was promising Sc
cessionist and States Rights boy.
A short time after this Messrs. Nason and Hunter
were invited 70 great dinner at that town. They
came. En1ood Fisher cane with them; also some
lawyer from Newly Ork TO be toasted for unWeared
slave catching for his Southern brethren. forget who
be was but if be sees this he will know and / will
add for his benefit what he heard that in dining
with some very distinguished SCNtherners next day,
heard him he lawyer spoken of and made the ex. for
fe remark that oven their best the North did
not know how to behave when they got down among
gentlemen" At the Mason and Hunter dinner all the
speeches were in favor ii the Secession al o proper
tnOe Of The South. Mason and Hunter went around
aad visited various families aud everywhere the
versaiion snch IS now 10 have been traitor
'cns Mr. Hunter seemed TO lave been more real and
earnest, aud lis interest seemed mtre occupied with
&aes-s hts ideas, than with actually ting in
Gan forces practically hostile to the Covenant. This
was about the time of the passage of the Compromise
~ 1850.
After these gentlemen left, meeting Of few per-
sans took place in the Clerks Office 70 consider
whether the Democracy should'a once enter upon an
agitation Of tie Disunion policy. One OF the leading
men there was T. NJ. Smith, who, however taid he
was not quite ready to leave the ULion, though he
tlsught that should put that rod ip soak
for the North, wbsh was every doy getting more and
r,sre arrogant. lie was editor Of TIE alexandria
SeRtint which was -eeized the other day. TIE idea
wsS freely discussed and presented that there
difficulties in the Souths governing the country directly
To have Southern in the White House perpetually
would excite alarm but the safest plan was to have
Northern men who would be passive 10 the hands of
psndry powers behind the throne" The P.rces and
Bucbanans with Davies and Floyds really ruling
would be better, at least until things were ripe
Tor setting up for ourselves an uncle Of Dne who
via in I, g Democratic Convention Of Ciucinus that
~ minated buchanan, said in my hearing on biz re-
turn thu the Virginia delegation did not acce6e to ire
Nomination Of Buchanan until they were presented
wib he most solemn pledge that in any issue between
believe, though Of this not certain, tia; be said
Gls pledge was given them ia writing.l I
believe, though of this am no certain that ne sao
this pledge was given them In writing
Wb the classes of treacherous and ambitious men,
h q. Mason and Floyd the better class CT eroriss,
Hrn,er. Garneu, Henry A. Washington, and others,
were easily brought to cooperate, until Virginia had
sormea a special Code Of Politics of her own, labeled
~Sta,es Rights" which South Carolina demanded
finally that she should put into Practice learned
several years afterwaId that Immediately upon tire
passage of the Omnibus Bill as it was called, tDs
leaders of the Slave Olgarchy the handwriting on
the wall and at promoted and solicited organza-
ions in all the Southern communities, to agitate and
gradually promote Secession. At one Of these meet
), ings was, as have said, present.
need scarcely say that these meetings were entre'!
confined TO the Democracy, The antagonism betweel
the Wing and Democratic parties in Virgins, is nue.
more bitter than have in the Free States
4nd aaf antagoasa e1tts as D'uea mas day as ever
These parties may fall but their spirits, like those
the Norsemen in the legend will fight as they MS
above the battlefield. The other day gentleman il
Richmond, who had been Lieutenant Governor of th'
State, and if bis talents instead of bis being old
line Whig has been consulted, would have had the
highest Offices, sent word to Democrat who had ip
quired what he was about: "Tell him am bearinl
arms against my country-tbat being what be aud hi
party have brought NE to-" This bitter feelinj
between the Wings and the Democrats has by ii
been sllayed by recent events. have reason
tabelieve that the Wings Of Eastern Virginia will fur
nish the basis, the General Government fur
sishee the arm 10 rebuild the Government in Virginia
They nave long been defeated and prosecuted party
A Virginia and can scarcely share the lsarels Of th
Secession Democracy.
There fact concerning the Secession Of the State
which have not yet met with in print, but which
personally know When il was found that the Con
yenuon would not take the State out Of the Union, cir
ulars (secret sent 10 leading Democrats through
out tie State calling for their instant appearance in
Richmond. They were sent chiefly by The Enquirer,
Despatch and Tyler and Wise Set and such boiling
Secessonists Daniel, Beverly, Wexford, and then
clique. About the time quarrel was got up be.
tween John II. Daniel, Of The Examiner, noted
duelist, and Marmaduke Johnson who was anti-Seces
sionis merely for effect, j. e., to show the Submis
sioDists a. they were called what was to be the order
of the day. challenge from Daniel passed. but tie
authorities interfered. Then the Democrats swsrIned
a Richmond in obedience to the call il soon semi
organized suppose, for the Convention was informed
- day that unless passed ordinance of Secession
there was another Convention Of men from each Of
cher districts to supersede them / am disposed 70
think, therefore, that the casual assertion of your
clear.beaded Baltimore correspondent is not an exag-
geaton and that the Virginia members voted in that
Convention actually with pistols at their heads.
When these returned home, they had harder
work TODD in swapping tie ties that bound unpohdcal