Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-02-14

binding ON us. When our fathers framed the Con.
-s,i,utou, they ordained Supreme Court to try
and determine all questions OF right arising under
that Constitution and il is part of the agreement
of those who framed and of those who adopted tina,
instrument, that the parties To 1.-THE States and
citizens of these United S,a,e3-should await and
abide by the decisions of that Supreme Court And
il is q little remarkable tha.in 1910, the Legisa-
ture of Virgins sulemn!y voted against an ame,l-
ment Of the Constitution proposed by PennsyIva-
mia, which was intended to ahridge the powers of
the Supreme Court. So that by the compac, Of
our Union, an act passed by Congress may 90 ve-
tocd by the President-but if approved by him,
may be annued by the Supreme Court, and will
bc SO annuiled if Unconstitutional. Did you design
TO delegate to us the power to organize resistance
10 law Of Congress without pausng to wait for
CONSTITUTIONS redrcss2 We know YOU did not.
We admit, fellow citizens, that owing to the
short sigh;cducss and imrerlccon Of human nature,
Constitution may be prepared and solemnly a
greed to, which in its results may prove SO oppres-
sive to portion os The parties to it rs to justify
them, quietly if they can, forc;bly il they must in
Withdrawing themselves from is obligations
and restraints Such ,Ray prove 10 be tire case with
regard TO But ives submit 10 yCu whether The
move ment 10 withdrawals resis--is not the COM
menccmen, Of revolution and whether il docs
not belong 10 the people, alone in their sovereign
capacity TO begin ard carry on that revolution q
Aud permit us here 10 Say, fellow. citizens, that
grea, mercy forbid when you, becoming satisfied
that your sacred rights no longer safe under the
Constitution and Union of these States, resolve in
the exercise of your sovereign power, TO dissolve
the Union anu to grid yourselves with the arms of
frcemen 10 defend your homcs and your property
your wives and your children, we trust with Gods
good blessing, ID be in your mds;-pcrh0pS with
as brave hearts and as much of the "uncouluerablc
wii-tle courage never to submit or yield" as
those who now threaten lOudest But never 10
never. will of car accord and In airdncc of your
nstruc.lons.-of your settled and well expressed
wishes, mpiously sicze the torch-rush reckessly
forward and sci fire TO . train which may blow up
the Union; lay low in the dust the fabric faith
ers reared and beneath its ruins the hopes of
our COuniry--aye of the world II this Se recre-
ancy to the South, then are we recreant if this he
treason against your interests then do deserve
your reprolatun.
But, fellow citizens, consider we'll the price of
disunion-the gain, the advantage OF resistance to
the Winit proviso should il be passed? For ,rhat
do men call on you TO resst2 Let Us soberly
slider the mater-suppose we were wrong In our
conscientious scruples about legislative actun in
sstancc to the Federal au,horiiy-suppose we were
wrong in thinking that you had not delegated to us
the power to make for you the pledge demanded of
u.s. ought we as mere matter of cXpcdiency, TO
have made the pledge2 The pledge is to resist
your own Federal Government in case it passes
law extending the Wilmot proviso to California
and .NeW .lerco There are certain conceded
facts in connection with this suhject.-Firs, that
by the laws in force in New Mexico and California,
slavery Is now prohibited.
Second, thai to introduce slavery, these laws
must be repealed Third, that if thuse laws were
repealed and slavery authorized by law, such is the
character of the SOIL climate and population of those
territories, that slavery could not exist, 10 the
language of MIR. Buchanan, sit would be imposSi-
bic TO icgislale slavery into existence there
fIot ,rnlac la,- -; linz
slavery are first repealed the practical effect of the
/ w iim0t proyso would be to leave the subject Of
slavery just rs it is in the territories. We
refer you TO Mr. Calhoun's Address 10 the South,
to show that there is no wish on his part that of
the South ''to extend slavery" that is, to procure
the repeal of those laws by Congress. Ills motto is
Glands off, let the territories alone!'' TO this
extent, we say he is right We too say, "lei the
! territories alone" We too opposed 10 any ac-
! ton of Congress this subject-eirher To extend
slavery or 10 pass the Wilmot proviso. Blu, sup
pose Congress and the President should think differ
emily, and, by stretch of power and hy the force
, oil prejudice and passion, should pass the Wilmot
proviso. We then, sober minded and rejecting
men, would be called upon TO submit or 10 resist p?
| In making up your Judgment you would first look
at the effect of the WmOt proviso as Lac Sup.
pose you were satisfied ii would have effect as
law, there being already in force law of the same
sort. You would then look at its effect in feet in
laws already in force Suppose you Were satisfied
by the testimony Of Mr. " aiker, Mr. Buchanan.
Gen. Cas-, Mr.. Polk (see his last annual message,
and OF all Intelligent witnesses, that far as the
existence 81 slavery in the territories is concerned
II matters not whether the Nilmot provso be pass
ed or not that slavery will mott canno, ex st
there. Would you, for such act, any more dis
solve the Union or resist the Federal authority
than you did when the Wilmot prov!s0 waseXtend-
ed 10 Oregon al any rate, are not considerable n
here presented sufficient 10 induce YOU to desire
mol To be pledged to any particular course, but to
tie eii tree TO decide and 10 act when the emergency
arises rs II may seem best in the sight of God and
IN view 81 your interests and duties for you 20
act In this situation we have left you can YOU
rcproach us fer SO doing?
The potent argument for insisting on the
conway resolutions was not that the Thomas feso-
luiionS were not strong cnough but that having
passed the resolutions t'47, it would be dsgracofu
10 retreat from dRy position assumed IN them. We.
believing that it WRONG TO have assumed that
ground and one of us (Mr. Shelley having in lS47
raised his solitary voice soemDiy against the multi
ilcaOn contained in those resolutions Ga fact well
remembered by his brother members Messrs Stroh-
or and Harrison, and lie doubts not by Messrs Iiar
vie aud Floyd Nythe could moi icei the force Of
The argument urged, TO re affirm what origin
ally wrong.
Virginia has now apparently twice pledged her
self 10 resistance in case Congress passes the vii
mot proviso. And yet in our conciences we are as
sured that not even ''a bakers dozen and three'
could now be found in the General Assembly who
would vote for measures of resistance ''to the last
extremity" in any such event Such arc their
present views, and the conclusions of their cool
judgments. And yet Sbou'd the Wmot proviso
be passed in an ill-faied hour, how could these
representatives Of Virginia then back out? The
very argument which forced them to repeat The
threat would gOad them on TO execute it-Prde
and the scathiug Of false honour would ring