Year: 1859

!


blended with our benefits of business or


pleasure. Fires have become frequent


of late-a majority Of them evidently


the work Of incendiarisln. One that


happened on Sunday night last, destroy


ing property to the value Of over half a


million, and laying waste the fairest and


most thriving portion of the CITY, was


evidently Of this character. Our svm-


pathes are more naturally aroused in


such cases when the subject touches


ourselves or those connected with rs


In the present instance near and dear


relative having suffered the loss Of some


thousands, and "Phnnix" having lost a


greater portion Of a valuable library


you will perceive the shoe pinches the


more, from the fact that he has every


moral reason to believe in the act of in


cendiarism, and its author, alsho no DOS


tive or legal proof may exist of the act


We have nothing newer of the Har-


per's Ferry insurrection, than was re-


celved by telegraph. 1t was move


ment that will cause all Southerners to


become more circumspect with regard


to the servile population, and strangers


travelling among them. From the de-


velopements of late in the southern par.


Ishes, where vigilant committees have


been found necessary, it is evident we


have worthless horde among us, that


would be ready to join in insurrectionary
movements from the North or South
That such man as this villain Brown,
could introduce thousands Of rifles and
pixies, with ammunition sufficient to sup-
ply a considerable army, directly in the
heart of slaveholding country, and take
possession Of one of the largest of the
United States armories, is most sieni-
ficant fact, and one by which we should
profit. At the Baton Rouge arsenal
which is frequently left without cor
poraPs guard, there are always arms aud
ammunition sufficient for an army of
from thirty thousand to fifty thousand
men; and if such movement as that of
Harper's Ferry may be made in Virginia,
what would hinder similar movement
in the neighborhood Of the Capital, by a
band of those ruf1ians and desperadocs
suddenly descending the river? have
always regretted the abolition of our
militia system. That it was inefficient
was no good reason for it's annihilation.
1t might have been improved, and by
degrees perfected. As it is now, we
have titled Generals, Colonels, Majors
and Captains, but no soldiers; the latter
class will be found, in case of emergen-
cy, the most useful, and should at all
times be in such condition as to answer
to the call of the bugle or tap of the
drum. In my humble opinion it is high
time that every county and parish in the
Southern States should be thoroughly
and efficiently organized with military
discipline A few years ago, a very ex-
,ensive plot was discovered in Tennes
zee. 1t originated ut the Iron Works,
where great numbers of white people
rom every part of the country are as
'ociated with the slaves, and altho but
me or two of the white leaders were
discovered, a large number of slaves
we're tried, found guilty, and executed.
The prevalence of secret political clubs
greatly enhances the danger from those
niscreants ard emissaries, who will
;ome among US ander the guise of friend
hip and religion, as did the infamous
durrell in his nefarious career Some
ew years ago, when K N'ism was in
is glory, one of the order from Ohio
tated to me that the highest degrees
;ould not be conferred in the South, as
hey had for their aim and object the alb
'lition of all slavery. At all events, we
now positively that the foul spirit of
is at work-that


Mother Of tortures prosecuting zeal,


High flashing in her hand the ready torch,


Or poniard bathed in unbelieying blood;


Hells feEeest fend of sanity brow demnre,


Assuming Celestial Seraph's name,