Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-29


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Proud Position of Virginia I!
After nine days exciting discussion, the
Wilmot Proviso resolutions Of Mr..
CONWAY, published i'll our paper Of last
weekly passed the House of Delegates. on
the ooh inst, by the overwhelming and
triumphant majority ofone hundred and four
uotes The vote stood III to 10, IN the
House, and 81 to 5, in the Senate-giving
the decided majority of one hunared and
twenty- eight on joint vote. Virginia has
thus taken a proud, patriotic and noble
stand-,he Constitutional rights Of the
South have been asserted, and the deter
mination of our good old commonwealth
to maintain them, has been fully and un-
equivocally evinced. The Old Dominion
has assumed the ground. that Congress
has not the power to restrict slavery in our
newly acquired territories, and that they
are open TO the use and occupation Of ev-
cry citizen Of the United States, there to
employ his means and property, and it
matters not whether he be from the North
or the South, the East or the West. tits
a declaration Of equality among the citi-
zens of the Union-it is the just and law
full assertion of common property and
common interest in those possessions, pur-
chased by the blood and treasure of the
Whole people,, therefore free, open and ac-
cessible to every citizen Of the United
States that may desire to locate within their
boundaries. 1t is the positive and solemn
assertion Of the rights of person and prop
erty guaranteed to US by the Constitution,
and the resolutions emphaticaIIy declare
the settled purpose Of Virginia to resist all
encroachments and aggressions upon her
rights and her slave property, at "all haz-
ards and to the last extremity"
Virginia claims for her citizens the same
rights privileges and immunities that are
claimed or possessed by the citizens ofany
other State-she demands of the Federal
G Government that the same protection shall
be extended to the property Of her people,
that is given to the property of the people
of other States. and insists upon the Con-
sti,utional right of any Of her citizens to
remove with their property, Of whatever
characterit may be, to the Territories re-
Gently acquired, and tina, it shall there re-
ceive the same protection and be placed
upon an equal footing with the properly,
ofthe citizens of other States, who may
settle in those territories. 1t is just. e-
gal, equitable demand--it matters not
whether the property Of our people con-
sists ofhorses, cattle, merchandise or slaueS,
1 it is as much entitled to protection and
safety as the looms, spinning -jennies and
manufacturing machinery Of the people
Of the North. Both have the right to
take their property there, and equal pro.
lection is due to them.
Having common interest in our new
possessions, Virginia claims an equal par
ticipation in whatever benefits and adyan-
,ages are TO be derived from them. There
being a Constitutional recognition Of her
slaue property by the Federal Government,
wi,hou! which acknowledgement she new
er would have entered into the federal
compact, she therefore urges the right oil
her citizens to migrate to those territories
and settle there in the possession and en-
joyment Of that property. Claiming this
as Constitutional right, she denies the
power oGCongress to destroy or restrict
The exercise gift and protests against such
an act, as making determination un-
warranted by, and in violation of the COM
promises Of the Constitution" and in "de.
roga'ion Of that perfect equality that be-
longs TO the several States as members oil
this Union"
We repeat, that Virginia now occupies
proud, patriotic and noble position. wor'
thy Of our time .honored commonwealth,
which~has ever been steadfast in her devo.
lion to State Rights. To the delegates
from Augusta we can render no .hanks-
they refused to stand by their State, they
have forfeited the plaudit of SWELL done
good and faithful servants !"
ILLINOIS SENAToR.-Gen. James Shields
has been elected TO- the Senate of the u
States, from the State Of Illinois, 10 sue
! coed Mr.. Breeze, whose term Of service
/ will expire on the 4th March next. The