| C. Alexander, "C. Alexander to John H. McCue," December 12, 1859 Summary
John Brown's raid made Whig leaders furious with the Democrats in Virginia. The Democrats, they suggested, were agitators
of the slavery issue, recklessly endangering the fragile accommodation between the sections on slavery.
EXCERPT:
"There is considerable War Spirit in this country. We are seeing in the Harpers Ferry affair, the legitimate consequences
of the Jno Letcher election--that result justified Old Brown & friends in believing that a Majority of Virginians were ready
to join them. The Democracy are responsible for it, & should be held so, for all this slavery agitation they have kept it
alive for years."
Full-text web version of letter 
Location of original letter
McCue Family Papers (MS 4406), Box 4, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia
Points of Analysis to this Data:
 "Augusta's Whig Party emphasized that slavery was safer within the Union than without and that in the 1860 election slavery
had become needlessly politicized. The Augusta Whigs moved to develop a new party around Constitutional Unionism."
Citation: Key = E062
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