Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-14

| correspondence New York Times.
LEEsBURG, Va, Nov. l, 1862
Nothing sud nobody in all Leesburg interes
ed me bat one white-haired old Virginia gentle
man, Of whom history viii have word to sal
/ mean John Jsnney, the President Of the Vii
ginis Convention st Richmond that voted tb
state out OF the Union, and whose home is j
this town In the convention he constantly an
persistently voted against every measure lookin
in any way whatever toward secession, thoug
as its President he had to afiK his name to
| document which he considered the death war
rant and suicide of toe STATE. Knowing ths
when he afterWard returned home, and the tim
for the popular vote came, he voted for seces
sion, was curious to know what Influences haC
worked this interior change in high and pur
sOuled nature.
Calling at bis residence, was received will
| cordislity by the tall, spare figure with noble
white che1etUre, whose every linesmsnt, aud tht
! high courtiy, old time manners plainly showed
the fine old Virginia gentleman. Mr.. Janney
Is now about sixty FIVE, aud has been of late
| months in feeble health. Il was not difficult
presently 70 carry the conversation frOs present
'halTs and give 1t historical turn. It did not
need his avowal to inform mo that he had been
all along an old line Henry Clay Wing, and that
he bad long kept himself alOof from practical
politics it was easy to sas that, such as they
have been North and South they must have Of
tended ms honest temper It IVES little remark
able, therefore, that he should have been chosen
the presiding officer of the convention On the
question Of secession and tho choice of so conser-
vstlve, Union Loving man, showed there was
some moderation and virtue IN the body The
convention met, you will remember, in the mid
die OF February Oh and ne laid great stress on the
thoroughly Union sentiment that pervaSed il
durDg its earlier sessions. If 2 vote on the
question had been taken any tims duriug the
month preceding the attack on Fort Sumler.
three-fOurths, at least, OF sll the voices would
have been sgaiDst the ordinance. When that
event took place, the secession mercury on the
instant lesped up in the barometer. {" Was the
attack purposely timed to effect the deliberations
OF the body-was the fuse cut at the right length
to carry the shell where wanted ~ There Is
too much reason TO lear it wss.' The Union
party in the convention, however, still struggled
on They sent delegates to Wsshington-bsg-
ging, implOriDg scme assuring word-sore basis
OF nope, some compromise which they could pre-
sent to their people. " And Mr.. S., / am bonnd
to tell you we got encouragement rather than
encouragement" Unable thus to pct snv ral,v-
ing point, the Union party was overslaughed by
the dlsUnlonlSts, and the secession was voted nv
a large majority, Mr. Jsnney, with some Others.
holding out 10 the last. The convention dis
solved, the members went home. the nopuIar
vote without whose ratification the sction Of Tie
bsdy was v0ce, and nothing more ." was ahout
70 come on; but, before tue day arrived. Mr
Lincoln bound Virginia with the blockade. and
invaded her soil by marching troops into Alex
andrla. When the time fjr the popular vote
came, John Januey gave his voice for secession.
The invasion, State rights and the old tine ira
dIuons Rad done their work. &" Sir. am. in
word, FrginiaE-s citizen cf a commonwealth
That. had ez!sttd d as sovereign organized govern
ment Tor two hundred years before the United
,S'ates FAD name" Snch, IL sentence, is
-hs history OF The lapse Of thousands of the best
ana pureat men OF Firgiuis-men who are now
.he mainstsy Of the rebellion in the council and
IN the field. And certainly there could have
been no condition of mind Elore favorable to ths
purposes Of the pi0ttcTs Of disuuion than they
found in the principles, preiudicgs and traditions
Of Yirginiaus
/ thought, however, that l could detect
1swning consciousness in the mind Of Mr. jan
1ey OF how he, ard conservative minded men
Ike bin, had been used by tho South Carolina
lte-ea'efs 1 telt delicate at pressing him on
these tender points, but the rebellion has obvi-
ously 10 his mind not a clean birth record. Tba
secession Of South Carolina and the Gulf States
le regards as a gigantic erime-uuDrovoked, |
lnealled Tor unauthorized, illegal and iisbojicaI
Next to this he accounts the acceptance by
me washington government of the attack on
tort Sumter as a challenge to war, followed by
he calling out Of 70 600 men, IS q grand politi
,2l bloRder He excoristes Mr.. Buchanan
Nhom ne looks upon as the weakest and mesnest
u all the tools sver used by tyTanical faction
-ioI not reinforcing Fort Sumter at tine
= hen 1t could have been done without giving
)Hense but he also hlames Mr Lincoln for
'TeatIng SIS case for wer an effsir that states-
nsnshlp would have made a diplomatic trans |
'ctlon OF. The lack Of that stgtesmanship now /
), ne thinks, the greste,t trouble; for he CON |
uers there IS none Of 1t on either side. Read |
ha Constitution, srd you will see that the
'fice of the President is carved ont for the |
inos OF q giant; and who have you there, and /
Who have we Sir, there were in my day, |
rants in the land, and we have now only |
,igmies'
As tor the prospects of the Southern Confede- |
acy he had nothing but dark propbesies. That
ecesslon VIII stop with the present split, he has
'ot the talntest idea. There sre antsgonistie
elements already at work that must, ere lopg.
make new fractures. The radical opposition of
interests on the taliH question viii make Viz
INA ana border State Coute6eTacy, or attempt
u ConiedeTacy, before half generation is past.
asked hin whether, if the Confederate forces
hould be driven out of Virginia, and a new
'opuisr vote ordered, there would be chance
j the rescindmg OF the ordinance of secession
M the return of the State TO the Uniou. None.
lone whatever. The wrongs, expressions and
lolences OF the Washington government have
'een TOO great, the alienation of the DeopIe too !
ntense, ever to make thGt possible" / asked
nm about the circumstances attending the
'opular vote, and whether, from the local ter
oTlsm, 1t could be considered q fair cne; AMI 7
allied 10 has mind Mr. Masou's declaration a.
ne lime that If there was any man in Virginia
lot prepared to vote secession he should leave
he state. 30 tar as ne knew, it was made with
'sIIsGt FAIRNESS and freedom; az for Mr Mason's
Peecn, 1t was net the first or onlv foolish
hing that persons had said Bat do Won
uPpose that any Viginian voted against his
onsclence on account Of such 8 declaration ~
% you not think thst ne should bs to0ether-
hat Union is desirable " Why it is written
N the very face # the geography" CilIustrat.
ng 1t by examples All if it were but an
ver, and things were as they used to be- But
here IS no hope; both parties will 60 on until
Ach Is utterly exhausted and ruined, and is
eady 10 welcome peace aud protection brought
y any lron-handed military despot. The ex-
'enment of republican constitutional govern
liberty regulated by lsw-I consider
failure. There is not a shadow of eonetihl-
Ionsl government on either side" The Presi-
ents emancipation probation he looks upon as
he greatest political bluuder possible and he is
uTlous to know what extraordinary pressure
must have been brought to bear on him to issue
;, after bis declaration to Chicago delegates. It
7ill soldify, unite and intensity all the hostili-
es, hatreds, and snimcsities of the South
BHt do these sentiments amount to much in
he long runl" 1T is true hat in the long
1n, every people is governed by its conviction
its own interests" But, difficult though
7unicn may az present seem, is not everything
lore easy than dissolution ~ / confess see
othing between Union and chaos; but how is
to be done One thing know if my
ision Of how 1t can be settled were as clear as
~ desire is intense that it should be settled. the
'ar would speedily be at an end"
l give you ihe salient points Of conversa-
on prolonged till midnight. The next morning
6, by invitation, breskfs tasted with him and
irs Janney-they having no children lie is