The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-07-28

into the awful gulf of civil war, the South in
tends to content herself with looking after her
internal quiet, which we very well understand
the Radicals would disturb, not only as a
means of gratifying their hate, but az meas
ure CT policy, We demonstrate against the
madness, but should the talked-of war come,
shall keep our heads clear aud our hands in
our pockets.
A Critic "Barks up the Wrong Tree. -
Our attention has been especially called to
communication which recently appeared in
the columns of cotemporsry. 1t had not
escaped our observation, and we should not
now allude to it but for the fact that we
learn suggestion it contained is likely to
produce false impression relative to the
course of this paper toward the johnson
Club of Portsmouth. Our epistolary critic
has risen up in judgment on this paper in
the columns of the Virginan, and pounces
not only upon the Day Book but the State |!
The name of the paper to which he sent his
communication should have protected this
heroic old Commonwealth from sneers or cen
sure She has been called the Mother of
States" but now she could more fifty be
named great grand Mother, as implying
dotage p
Thank God, the State needs no vindca-
ton at our hands; and if this charge be pre-
fered against her by one of her own children,
we point him to that famous example in
Grecian history, when, in reply to a similar
charge from an ungratefu son, the great
tragic Poet produced the master piece of his
genius. If Virginia be in her "dotage" she is
not Virginla-that she is still hers If, the
blazing record of the last five years shows be-
You'd all question
We pass on now to his allusion to this
journal, Of which he says:
"a newspaper, which at first eulogises the
call made by the johnson Constitutional
Club, two or three days after pronounces the
call impracticable on account of the short
time, and proceeds to make call itself, ne
cessarily later"
This statement is correct. We did publish
and advocate call for State Convention in
Petersburg, and subsequently we did abandon
it. This change of base was effected in good
order, on the 10th. This is understood to be
an act of hostility towards the Portsmouth
Club
In reply to this, we call attention to the
following extract from the Petersburg Index,
of the 18th. The Index Of that date, which
is important, publishes an extract from the
Richmond Times, endorsing the action of the
Albemarle meeting, calling for the assembly
of the old Executive Committees in Richmond,
and asking an expression of opinion from the
press. On this the Index, of the date indica-
ted, to wit, the 18th, begins its commentaries
as follows: GAS our readers are aware, the
Index has already taken the above position,
and invites prompt expression from its
| contemporaries" If then, Petersburg aban-
doned the call of the johnson Club four days
before the Day Book, we should like to know
if its members were disposed to insist upon
going to that city to a State Convention
which would have consisted OF themselves
only We do not impute this rejection Of
the call to lack of hospitality, but to the
fact that the Index looked upon the plan as
| impracticable.
! We make this statement for our numerous
Portsmouth readers, i'll order that they may
be fully enlightened upon the course taken by
this paper, upon which our unknown critic
| has INDUCED his animadversions For the
subsequent course of this paper we have only
to say that we enjoy the comfortable convic-
ton that, in advancing the claims of Norfolk
we consulted the interests Of the district, and
| the convenience of Portsmouth. But in the
| abundance Of our anxiety to secure a full eX.
preston of public opinion, we abated oul
claims for convention here and Joined the
Vrginian in calling for delegates to Peters
burg.
| We cannot conclude this notice of the effl-
sion of our critic, without cautioning oul
Portsmouth friends against the danger of al
lowing any one to SOW the seeds of discord and
animosity between these two towns, which are
intimately knit together by the ties of COM
mon kindred and mutual interests. Let us
have emulation, but not animosity. Let us
recognize the fact that for good or ill we are
Siamese-twins in trade and commences; and
let him who doubts the assertion stand al
hour at the Ferry wharf, and watch the
steady human tide flowing from one shore te
the other.
Its Money Value.
Congress has been occupied many month,