Year: 1861

L A.,


January 10th, 1861.
The election of Mr. Cowan of the western
part of this State, to the United States Senate,
is looked upon with much favor. He is about
4S years of age, lawyer of talent and of a
high order of educaton a republican, tariff
man and is fresh from the people, having never
held Office Mr. Wilmot, the opposing candi-
date, would have been preferred by many, but
on the whole it is believed that the State will
be represented by Mr. Cowan in manner every
way suitable to her dignity and her important
position in the Union.


Pennsylvania has set the example of setting
old and leading politicians aside and it remains
to be seen if Virginia will have the magnanim-
ity of following it. Her leading politicians,
headed by Mr. Mason, have never represented
any thing else but her passions and prejudices
and now let us see if she has men who can rep
resent her former glory, as it was once upheld
and illustrated by Washington, Jefferson, Mad
ison, Monroe, Mercer, and other similar great
men. Mr. Mason has made use of the great
name acquired to Virginia by those patriots in
order to sustain his State in her present wrong
position; and in consequence her reputation
and character under his auspices have gone
down rapidly. He has even forgotten the part
of Senator of free State to the Legislature
of a free people, and has resorted to the old di-
plomatic jugglery of the last century as prop
er means of representing his State in the new
guse in which he has contributed to place her.


1t is not by such men as Mason and the other
leaders of Virginia that the honor and respec-
liability of the slave States which they talk so
much about can be preserved. 1t was observed
as one of the political phenomena of Mexico,
that just in proportion as she degenerated into
anarchy, just in the same proportion did she
dwell on her honor and national decor1tm. She
seemed to reflect that these qualities can be at
tanned and preserved only through moral recti-
tude, and that nations, like honorable, high
minded individuals, should fear nothing so much
as being in the wrong. Mr. Mason, like the
man who is detected in a crime, is boldly def
ant of moral right and calls slavery blessing.
If this is the sentiment of Virginia, then she is
at war with the general government, for that
government declares liberty blessing.


1t is plain that the time has come for settling
the slave question and that the way the most
consistent with respectablity is to side with the
general government against armed factions
The government cannot permit a subordinate
interest, under the shelter of compromise, to
go on aggregatng and accumulating the mate
rials of q certain insurrection which can be put
down only at the expense of immense treasure
and blood which the government must pay
Or, let us suppose that the question is ultimate
ly to be settled by peaceable and gradual man
omission; in the meantime slaves are being in
creased at the expense of the people. The
shareholders are increasing their crops at The
expense Of the whole country, and are sure o.
getting their pay while no other interests are.


We can make no compromises with slavery
under any circumstances. When one has onct
compromised with moral wrong, he becomes
slave to wrong Once compound with villain
and you will have either to fight him in the enc
or submit to all his exactions. We cannot pre-
vent the necessity of resort to arms by sub
mitting to exactions to-day


see it stated that the financial crisis has no
been much felt in New England, and that work
men have no difficulty in finding employment
Such is not the case here, because the trad
here is more connected with the South than
ten been applied to for relief by stout, health
men since have been here who have said tina
they were in want of employment. They nigh
have been specializing like some of their supe
riors, on the political calamities of the times
but such speculations are as bad as the reality
When healthy, stalwart white men can conde
I scend to beg the times must be bad indeed.
1t is folly to talk of compromising with slav
labor, when free, white voters are begging 70
, want of work, A man in New Jersey the 9th
er day broke into a shop window merely for tn
/ purpose of being sent to the lookup hous
where he could get something TO eat. Like tn
South Carolinians, he defed the laws, for tn
p rpose of attracting attention to his necessi
, , ties. Free laboring men do not, and cannc
get their rights where labor is dishonored
slavery. The power that dishonors labor
rendering it compulsory and degrading, will OF
press laboring men everywhere. There may
no immediate want of employment in Ne
. England, but under the pressure of the slave
power, an incubus rests upon labor there, pal
alizing its efforts, as it does here. There is nj
half the activity, or half of the population
New England that there would be if our go'
e ernment should give the same protection I
free labor that it has done to slave labor


But whether our government gives us imm,
date protection or not, it is to be sustained, b.


cause it is the government Of the people. The
q have set it up for securing to themselves an
}. their postery the blessings of Liberty, and the
/ will maintain and defend it. This State has ha
: some of its citizens condemned to be hung {,
a treason, and it will claim the same imparti
y justice upon traitors everywhere.


n Yours truly, w. P.



MR.. sEWARD's sPEECH--No CoMPRC