The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-21
COMMUNICATED.
THE ELECTIONS.
i Few Plain Remarks.


In my last endeavored to show that the
secessionists of the State, operating under
the speeious guise Of Conservatism, had
drought forth no fruits meet for repent
ance.D and were not entitled, as yet, to re-
mission from the conslderate people who
love law and order, and peace and quiet, |
and who revere the Union of our fathers.
The gist of the argument was that we had
better try these new converts to Conserva-
tsn little longer before handing them the
reins.
I charged that in cold blood they struck
for the destruction OF the Union. Virginia,
it is true, held off for awhile, but her
Democracy were almost a unit for secession,
and after little she got into bad company,
joined hands with wicked South Carolina,
and soon became as guilty as the guitlest.
They not only deliberately resolved on
separation, but they as deliberately de-
terininod that heJe should be no COM
promise--ao peaceful adjustment. Dis
union, at all hazards and under all circum-
stances, was the clearly married pro-
gramme.
The South, in 1880, demanded Of the
North a new and better fugitive slave law
than that Of 1893, and Congress accorded
it. 1t soon mended its hold, and further
required that the Southern Shareholder
should have the right to go into the terrific
ries and take his slaves along with him.
This. for the sake Of union and peace, was
conceded.
But the Southern people, Virginia in
cuded. were not satisfied with these gene
rous concessions, though they covered the
whole question Of slavery and their sub
sequent action demonstrated eonclusively
that they did not mean TO stop one inch
short of disruption.
To quiet Southern apprehension and
avoid sectional strife, Congress, by an al
most unanimous vote, passed a resolution
recommending the Northern States to re-
peal their personal liberty laws, but this
patriotic holding out of the olive branch
was spurned.
The compromise committee of the Senate
of the United States, by way of Cancellation,
submitted bill to punish raids upon the
States like that of John Brown, but the
Southern members refused to cooperate,
and the measure failed, for want of that CO.
operation.
When the notes of Southern dssatisfac-
ton became so loud as to excite alarm for
the Union, Congress participated in the
alarm, and to restore harmony almost
unanimously adopted q resolution that the
Federal Government had no constitutional
authority to interfere with slavery in the
States.
And by constitutional majority it
adopted resolution recommending to the
States the adoption of an amendment of the
constitution forever forbidding legislation
by Congress on the subject of slavery
Two leading Secessionists, Mr.. Toombs and
Mr.. Jefferson Davis, voted against this
proffered protection to slavery, and the
South in body followed their reasonable
counsels. DISUNION WAS WANTED, AND
NOTHING ELSE WOULD BE ACCEPTED.
1t was the general sentiment early in the
strife that the adoption Of the Crttenden
Compromise would have arrested the rebel
lion, but it is an historical fact that when
this measure of pacification was under con-
sideraton in the Senate, it was lost by the
action, or rather non-action, of Southern
Senator's themselves.
Perhaps, it will be said that it is not in
the interest of harmony to drag this re-
markable fact from the recesscs of oblivion
bat when party is seeking, popular sup
port that eyinced an implacable hate of the
Union by refusing to save it when it could
have saved it, it is right, it is duty, to bring
it out in the broad light ofday.
And that is, beyond doubt, the history
of the hour. Every one who was of adul
age the first year of the rebellion, must re
member the cutlery of regret and lamenta
ton that went forth when the vote on the
Clarke amendment (as it was called wa:
announced-a vote that sounded the death
knell of the Union, and turned over this
great and then happy country to the horrors
Of a bloody civil war.
| quote from speech Of an actor in Tho
scene, Andrew johnson, late President o
the United States, delivered during the re
bellion:
When the life of my government (said Mr.
Johnson is in peril, care not who strikes tn
blow, my arm is against him, and TO him VIII
stands around the altar of my country, whethe
he be Wing, Democrat, Republican, or American
l extend my right hand of fellowship. lAp
piause.1 "Bnt if you had given us the Critten
den compromise the Union would have beer
sayed' Is the cry that has been raised The,
say that by refusing the Crittenden compromis,
the country has been involved in rebellion. Blu
how does the fact stand Six Southern Sena
tors when the vote stood twenty three to twenty
five refused 10 vote, violating the rules of III,
Senate and allowing Clars's amendment to b.
adopted. thus defeating the Crittenden resou
TONS and then they telegraphed to the Soutl
that al. was lost You see that the South itsel
rejected the Ctittenden compromise. The objee
OF the party was to divide the government
They refused to accept the Crittenden compro
mise resolutions at first, and they would refus
them now. Who aided in this [''Booby Brooks
Fernando Wood, Nallandgham.'l 1t is know