The Spectator, August 7, 1860, p. 2, c. 5
To N.K. Trout, Mayor, and Gen. Harman and Capt. Baylor, Commonwealth's Attornies [sic]--
Nothing is more common than to hear our citizens declaim against the abolitionists. If a stranger comes into our midst who is even suspected of entertaining or inculcating abolition sentiments, the whole community is at once and justly in an uproar. Yet we have among our own people two classes of persons who do more harm to our slave population than all the abolitionists of the North combined. I refer, 1st., to those who stand as nominal masters for negroes, who are really free, and who are permitted to hire themselves out, and go at large at pleasure. I have reason to believe there are negroes in Staunton and in the country who are living, trading and acting as free persons, who have bought and paid for their freedom, except a nominal balance which is permitted to remain unpaid, merely as a device to evade the laws.--These cases should be looked after. And 2nd, there is another class, who permit their slaves to live in independent houses from their owners, to keep house, work for themselves and pay to their owners a portion of their earnings. This matter ought to be inquired into by our Mayor and Commonwealth's Attornies [sic] and Grand Juries. If orders were given to the public officer to ferret out all such cases and report them to the proper authorities, a good service would be done to the public.
Observer.
The Spectator, August 21, 1860, p. 2, c. 1
The Douglas Convention which met in this place on Thursday last, was attended by a large number of delegates. The personel [sic] of the body was very good indeed, much better than Democratic Conventions generally. It was composed of fine-looking and intelligent gentlemen, and the proceedings were not marked by that disorder and "confusion worse confounded" which generally characterize the proceedings of Democratic Conventions. The members did not drink as much mean whiskey as the members in other Democratic Conventions, and consequently were in a better condition to behave themselves.
The members of the Douglas Convention were men of spirit and backbone. They seemed to be conscious of their rights as Democrats, and were determined to maintain them at all hazards and to the last extremity. The large majority of them scorned the idea of affiliating with the Breckinridge party which they denounced as a party of disorganizers and disunionists. The considered the Breckinridge men as mutineers in the ship of Democracy who should be thrown overboard. They were determined to nail the Douglas flag to the mast and, sink or swim, to fight under that flag and no other. The Breckinridge men, feeling that they were about to be driven to the wall, were anxious to unite with the Douglas party, but the latter were resolved to repudiate all propositions of compromise or affiliation.
The Convention contained much more talent than we had expected, and conducted its proceedings with order, regularity and propriety.--Every member seemed to be actuated by a firm determination to preserve the regular organization of his party, and to oppose its seceding disorganizers to the bitter end. It was truly gratifying to us to witness such a spirit of devotion to the Union as was manifested by the members of the Convention. They made such good, eloquent and Union-loving speeches that we thought they ought to be members of the great, national, conservative, Constitutional Union Party. That they are patriots we have not a doubt. There was not a member of that body who harbored in the most secret recesses of his heart a single sentiment hostile to the preservation of our Union and the perpetuation of our glorious free institutions. To all they said so eloquently in behalf of the Union, and in execration of treasonable disunionists, our heart responded. It always does our very soul good to heart sound, patriotic, Union-loving sentiments, even when lisped by a faltering and stammering tongue, and when uttered by eloquent lips we can scarcely refrain from shouting aloud in an ecstasy of joy.
The speeches were so much in the character of those delivered by the members of the Constitutional Union party, that we sometimes almost forgot that we were in a Democratic Convention. The Convention was spirited and enthusiastic, and the proceedings were transacted with concord and harmony. In this respect, too, it resembles the Conventions of the Union party more than those of the Democratic party. It contrasted, not only well, but gloriously, with past Democratic Conventions. Were all the disorder and disgraceful scenes which have heretofore characterized Democratic Conventions caused by those who have seceded from the regular organization? The Convention transacted its business in good order; and when it adjourned, after being favored with stirring speeches by several of the members, and the side-shaking anecdotes of Dr. Stovall, each and every member was in a state of joyous exhilaration.
The Spectator, August 28, 1860, p. 1, c. 6
A good-tempered, well-mannered child, is one of the most beautiful and blessed things of earth--the divinely human bud of a divinely flowering humanity. If children knew how much, by pleasant courtesy to one another and cheerful obedience to their parents, they can command of admiration and love, they would surely cultivate good behaviour and delight in it. In the social economy of the Chinese, irreverence towards parents and the aged, is regarded and punished as the most culpable act of childhood. Hence the universal modest and humble deportment of Chinese youth. They are not accustomed to nicknames and bickerings among themselves, and their intercourse with their elders is always deferential. These admirable habits of childhood, encouraged and cultivated by all proper consideration on the part of their parents and society, as well as by fundamental edicts of the State, seldom forsake them in maturer years.
"Honor thy father, and thy mother," is one of the Divine commandments, and the just punishment of childish irreverence towards the aged, may be learned from the history of the children who mocked Elijah. First of all, let children honour their parents--and if they honour, they will love and obey them. Let them avoid evil communications and evil companions. Let them keep their hearts and their tongues pure. Let them be sincere and honest. Let them speak the truth always--no matter what the temptation to falsehood, speak the truth--truthfulness in childhood is the chiefest of jewels.
The Spectator, August 28, 1860, p. 1, c. 7
This good Saxon word (wife) is after all, the dearest and most sacred word in the whole vocabulary of love. Around it clusters all that is most beautiful, chaste, and permanent in the tender passion. Into whatever forbidden paths the heart of man may wander, still it must return, at last, to the hallowed name of wife for consolation and rest. Any other relation between the sexes, however alluring to the imagination, invariably ends in wretchedness, in shame and degradation.
The Spectator, August 28, 1860, p. 2, c. 1
The great work to be accomplished in the present canvass is the preservation of the Union against the combined assaults of Sectionalism, North and South. Union or Disunion--that is the great and absorbing question in comparison with which all others upon which political parties have been heretofore divided sink into absolute insignificance. It is folly to mention, much less to quarrel over and separate upon mere matters of governmental policy, when the success of either of the two sectional parties now striving for the ascendance, may lead to the utter destruction of the government itself. The crisis which we have reached demands the oblivion of past differences, and the hearty and cordial union of all good men for the common patriotic object of preserving inviolate the sacred "palladium of our liberties."
We have ever believed that whenever the conviction forced itself upon the minds of the honest masses of the American people that the Union was really in peril, they would rise in their majesty and their strength to rebuke the traitorous designs of corrupt and selfish men. The people are now convinced, and the result everywhere will be a "regular ground swell" in behalf of the Constitution and the Union. Many of those, who have heretofore acted with the Democratic party, who would not believe us, cannot now doubt the disunion designs of many in their own ranks with whom they have heretofore cooperated, since their desertion of the regular Democratic organization to follow the leadership and fight under the treasonable flag of Wm. L. Yancey, who has justly been denominated the "Seward of the South." Into the arms of this designing and selfish man and his associates in mischief Breckinridge has deliberately thrown himself, and if elected by their influence and exertions, we should expect him to be the creature of their will.
We do not state these facts and ask Democratic people to believe them, upon our authority, but they are so told by many of the most prominent and honest men of their own party--not the leaders who are all committed to Yancey and Disunion--but by such men as those assembled in Convention at Staunton on the 16th, representing the people and not the politicians. We should be glad to see them unite cordially in the support of Bell, who was nominated as the candidate of a party specially organized for the preservation of the Union; but if they are unwilling to do that, we hope to see them stand firmly together in determined opposition to the election of Breckinridge. Those men in the Douglas Convention spoke noble and patriotic words in behalf of the Union boldly and fearlessly, and if the honest Democrats who have been unconsciously drawn into the disunion ranks cannot be induced to enter the regularly organized Union army, we trust that they will do the next best thing by enlisting with the conservative and Union-loving portion of their own party.