Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-01-28
p From he N z 1tib,me Of 2sd.
THE CoNrAGION. OF SECESSION.

We are beginning 10 feel the effects Of woful exam
pie The daboicsl spiri: of Rebellion not only en-
counters US In the field but 1t has entered
tive chambers and under the maugn prompting Of the
Democratic party bent upon rule or RAIN IL Is
inc with the popular LOYALTY. One year ago, men only
,r5rrnured treason; but success has opened their
mouths and filed their hearts With abominsble pohpcn
devices We are beginning TO see that about the worst
battle lost TO the Union cause thus lar Is t1at 81 lne
New York State Election. Nobody believes horstio
Seymour to be friendly 10 the Administration or to teei
,nv hon, Al sympathy with Its misunderstanding ne
Il elected Governor The mob In Albany has given US
hitter foretaste Of possible anarchy From the West,
We hear of schemes designed by the desperate and dts
aeced-conspracies tending TO fresh ruptures and we
final overthrow of the Republic Wicked men, even al
the North beginning openly and shameess 70 dauy
with dsunion and propose, since dSocation has come
into fashion, to multiply the fragments ofour institutions
An This Is terrible We can better afford TO lose hfty
fights than thus to weaken the morality OF our
cause. We can better afford to submit TO
INVASION than thus to make disintegration Ia
miar 10 our constituencies. We can better anord 10
let the Slaveholdng soldiers bvouac in the Capitol than
10 be BETRAYED into negotiations which are full OF danger
or 10 daily with compromises whcl with their adoption,
must precipitate into unmitgated anarchy ALREADY,
we begin TO hear Of Western Coniederacles OF New Eng
land Confederaces of Middle States transmogrihed into
Middle ConfedeIacies. Already, we have hints OF new
and tempting combinations, aiming at safe and con-
yepent boundaries and the monopoly OF internal nayi-
cation Already the coming Congress casts its dark
shadow before and busy as the Devil always has been
in Washington, time is coming when he will redouble
his activity in that uneasy seat OF an endangered Gov
eminent Hitherto, the restoration of the Union has
been, with the mass of the people, matter OF senti-
mont hut a time is at hand which will not be in the
least poetical and wien must confront public danger
hardened into the most vulgar concrete
Gentlemen who desire 10 be elected TO Congress net
as PATRIOTS but simply and markedly ant-Repubcans
n
much for the perpetuty Of institutions. They eI-
nect TO (atten upon our national troubles. They are
abous who will little how cold the corpse may be,
e sooner or later they may fairly get their teeth into
it, They live, plot, PLAN spout intrigue bargain ana
scheme solely for personal aggrand1ement. Their 10y
alty is limited by their lives and no thought OF the
veal or woe of poserity enters into their calculations
If with the recognition OF the C0nedery, these NOR
IA traitors could be baRshed and with them their whole
brood of venal voters-f We could send them to rest
in the black bosoms OF their Confederate friendsf the
honor worth religion intelligence and wealth Of the
North could have but fair chance OF exercising their
legitimate influence we might consider with greater
GOODNESS the Of the Southern treason But these
mon after the accomplished ACKNOWLEDGMENT, would re-
p1snwould still be with us though not OF us-would
he then as they are now and they always have beer
the ready agents Of Slavery and the paid pmps Of the
.lsveholdug interest Establish State upon the basis
nf N,n.Ownng upon this continent, and the minds Of
Wood. Brooks, Seymour and all that genus will
grayitate toward it with all the force Of a bad
nature Given these men in power, aud the North
ern Republic would be the bought if not the born
thral of the Davis dynasty, ready in Cabinet and
Congress TO do its dirty and demoniac workready to
catch its runaways-ready to wink at the revival
of the African SYSTEMATICALLY to join
alliance against the moral sense Of manknd-ready TO
promote the Secession Of the West from the East
ready for war upon New England--ready to make our
nnor shadow of a Government In Washington much
the tool of the Southern Confederacy as ever the Cab
net of Charles H. the tool OF the French monarch
Political chaerers in the sacred name OF Democracy
would sell themselves FIRST and their neighbors.-
There could be for peImanenee, no prosperity,
private happiness, aud no public greatness.
Il NAV be said that we exaggerate this danger We
do not think So For the political power Of the COG
federacy would be in the hands OF few men, who have
besn educated 10 detest the Union, and who would be
m satisfied with that partial which left
respectabe fragment of the old Republic yet entire
Once fairly separated, they would begin TO feel wants
the existence OF which they do not now admit and they
would be only too ready 10 avail themselves Of those
commercial abilities which they have heretofore af
lerted 10 despisa The great serpent Of Slavery
sould reverse its trail, and look with longing
ewes toward a North left at its mercy by the dis
.nsiops and the disahecon Oft own children. Our
cial freedom would be perpetual aggravauon OF the
bed temper and jealousy which are the inseparabe Hd-
juncts of shveholding. If we were prosperous, our
prosperity would be u continual rebuke Of that sin
which has been called the Of all villsnieS" and
Il we were hopelessy weakened by the dismembC rmen
our cities aud our farms would be the cheap prey OF
every mad partisan who chose 10 promote raid. Nor
should we be without hatred of slavery intensified by
e woes Of which it had been the fruitful mother, and
.ny effort 70 check or 20 Silence the expression Of that
sentiment would but complieate the public dlenma.-
We should still have pro-slavery Governors pro'slavery
fnators pro-savcry Presidents, and prosayery Repre-
tativps aad the very existence Of determined and
uncompronising opposition would drive q en- into
dsrracciu dplomscics aud intrigue not 10 be thought
OF without horrorl If speak sharply, we beg the
reader TO believe that speak sincerely. We have not
zor will we pretend tO have any confidence in the pub
lie virtue of that hungry place hunter who plates OF the
wrongs of the South and of the sins Of the North
who has fine words for the Richmond regime and foul
word, for his own constitutional ruers-whO would re-
store the Union by mu2zng discussion aud by decla
ration of the sanctity Of Involuntary Servitude with
all the solemntes of an of public faithwho feels
il 10 be duty TO apologize for his own loyalty and for
the treason of the public enemy-whO is half this aud
half that and not wholly, body, soul, and spirit, the
honest and unquestionng devotee of the Constitution
and the Iaws-who wastes that Indignation upon the
oes of Slavery which he should naturally bestow upon
lie riepds-who il as utterly without pity for the poor
and defcncecss as he is ignorant of that simple law OF
labor which makes the prosperity Of the employer de-
ncndcp upon his iustice-who IT, in short creature of
bams and of subterfuges, and participates in public
affairs without one ennoblng sentiment or one benevo
lent aspiration Why should this poor hybrid, halt
monarchst and half democrat pretend to any reverence
for human rights be at all coy about selling Others
since he is 80 ready to sell himself? Let see to it
that the triumph Of the Secessonsts does not open for
him market.