Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-29

grevous and in,olerable outrage upon her rights.
| and PLAIN violation Of the duty imposed upon the
state o. New York by the Constitulsn and Lava
Of the United States.
Therelusal to surrender fusilives from Justice up.
| IN the grounds on which il has been vindeated by
your Exeelleney, and followed it has been by an
Aet OF the GENERAL Assembly ofN York, which seems
10 nave been sedulousy eontrived To render il ext
TO impossible to recapture stve slave who shall
escape to New York, involves an assault upon an
institution OF the Southern States, deeply interwo-
ven with their whole poliiy, and TO any foreign in
reference with which they are keenly sensitive. IL
oy directly violating or rendering nugatory two Of
the plainest and most explicit provisions Of the
Constitution of the United States.
In this state OF things is scarcely be wonder
cd a. that some oil our citizens, emine mt in virtue
ond patriotism, should be inclined to regard New
York as having placed herself out Of the pale of
the Union, and forfeited all right to have any claim
made by her under the authority OF the Constitu-
ton OF the Union, respected and complied with,
while she retains her present attitude of hostility to
its obligations. While, however n course of rets-
Iiaton towards New York might be justified, so far
es she Is concerned, by her repeated and perscver
ing disregard OF her obligations, is deemed be-
coming the high character which il has been the
desire of this State to deserve, for good faith re-
speet for the Constitution, aud devotion to the
Union, to retort even upon her an act involving n
violation OF constitutional duty. she has refused 10
comply with the Constitution. Virginia will scru.
pulousy obey 1t. She has wantonly' assailed our
property by acts of legislation, endang erng its
safety and impairing its value. Virginia will again
appeal to her justice, and entreatng her to retrace
her steps, IN the mean time resort only to lawful and
constitutional means of self protection and redress
She has refused and still refuses surrender crimi-
nails who have fed from our justice, and is pursu-
ing course calculated to make the Empire State
an asy lum for ielons and runaway slaves. Virginia
still respects and relies upon the Constitution and
the laws, and will surrender fugitves from Justice
and tugitves from labour when lawfully demanded.
trust, sir, that you will in this that we are
ready TO perform duties, rather than Quick TO
retaate injuries, and that you will find in IL ex-
ample OF forbearance, and proof of anxious de-
sire to preserve harmony, and sedulous regard for
justice and good faith, which will not he without be-
neht IN inducing you and your great State to re-.
tract those assaults upon our institutions, OF which
the State of Virginia so Justly complains.
he motives and principles on which your de-
mand Is now Internationally complied with by the
Executive OF this State, lin conformity, as | am
happy to believe, with the almost unanimous con.
eurrence OF the Legslature,l ought to he regarded
as hope II will Oe, as giving earnest, that as
this State recognises in all their extent and will per-
form faithfully and scrupuously, all her duties and
obligations under the Constitution OF the Union she
expects and will insist upon every other State ex-
hioting an equal fidelity TO its Constitutional obi
cations.
u is in no spirit of menace, but from an anxious
desire TO preserve harmony between the States and
prevent collisions which must necessarily impair the
value and stability of the Union, if they do no, en-
danger and finally destroy It, thatI assure your Ex
cellency that the State OF Virginia cannot AGO uiescs
in, and will not submit TO- those asgressious OF n,
York, which have occasioned the existing contro-
vefsy between those two great Commonwealth
therefore accompany this communication in
forming you OF the fact that your demand for the
surrender OF the fugitive from your State is grant.
cd, with an earnest protest against those nseres.
sions, and an anxious and respectful appeal TO Won
and through you TO the State whose organ youare'
TO review the positions you have taken, and nv
magnanlmous abandonment of erroneous and nm
tenable opinions and measures, restore those har
monious relations between the States which il is
alike the interest and duty Of all TO endeavour 10
perpetuate.
have the honor to be
Very respectfully,
Your obedieni ser'vt
JNO NJ. PATTON.
To wM. II. SEWARD, ESQ.
Governor OF New York (