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

for the preservation Of the institutions Of the SOUTH
g. Resolved, That while we do not intend here
by To he understood conceding that Congress has
the power, under the Constitution to enact a law
prohibiting Slavery in any portion oftho Territories
of the United Satcs-yc, Tor the sake of preserv-
ing the peace and promoting the rerpe,uiiy Of the
Union, we are willing that the basis Of the Nilsson
n Compromise should be adopted in reference TO tie
recently acquired territories of n Mexico and Cali
furnia
g. ReSolrea, That we regard the passage Of any
law by congress, Interfering with the rights of
Shareholders in The District of Columbia. as a d-
rect attack upon the institutions Of the savehod-
ing states, which ought TO he met at the threshold
and resisted at every hazard.
These resolutions similar 10 those offered in
the North Carolina Legislature and which, with
4 most important amendment avuwinr the LOYALTY
of The people Of North Carolina 90 the Union Of
these States, and their firm determination ''io dis
couDteAanco whatever may suggest even suspicion
that II can IN any event he abandoned. ;" and arc
the same which in their original shape have since
passed shat body without the amendment referred
TO, and which the Washington Uni1n. aud other
Southern papers lauaed.as taking strong Southern
ground on the subject OF Slavery. For these resp
!u.ions, substitute irr Mir Conveys Ire to;3d;
the Y0ie icing ayes 10, noes 50. SuEe'y here
an opportunity lJr compromise aud cOnc'iialion.-
But Lo, the stern res3ive--the unaitcrabe decree
/ had cone forth that Virginia should roc lie
! 10 reNOutOn ana ulStnlOn IN case me w
| mot proviSo were passed and all who dared To
raise their voices against such pledge, Were 10 he
crushed recreaut to The South. You fellow cit
Izens, will determine whether who. triiiou co',-
cediay the constituiionalty ofthe NVilnot provso,
voted 10 resist hy all constitutional means lis enact
ment, as well as all other agGrcssions upon the
South. have been recroant 10 our trust But as we
have said, the decree had gone forth that Virginia
should no,c he committed 10 dissolution OF the
Union. In case the WIn.ot proviso were passed
that Its enforcement" should lie met ',rtt deter.
m:Rcd resistance al al hazard, and 10 Tie las. ca-
fFemdy' 1t was Furthermore determined. that
th; should be regarded as no empty vapouring but
as serious. revolutionary threat. Accordingly
netc resolution added 10 those Of lS47-No
Ill, requiring the Governor ''immcdiTteiy" on "ilc
! passage oil the Wiinot prOviso'' tn convene, (iOt
fhe people IN theiH Sovereignty, in sohmo Concen-
ton, 10 deliberate on the most awful question ever
submitted for mans decision, butl "ie Legislature,
to consider OF the I1ode and measure of redrcSS-
We'll may the Charleston Mercury, the leading
! nnlitying paper of South Carolina, declare that
virginia has taken step an ddranCe Of her sister
States. 10 prove that ''ite redress designed was
rot constitutional but revolutionary redress, the
| majority of the House Of Delegates of Virginia
| laughed and hisScl down an amendment proposed by
Mr.. Watson, of Albemarle, 10 the effect that ali
constitutional remedies should be exhausted before
! resistance bcgan--Mr. Watson's amendment was
In these words, "Resoved. That whilst we pro-
test against the injustice and unconstiiuonality of
the measures referred 10, nevertheless declare
1t TO be our opinion, that in the event OF their re-
celvlng the sanction of Congress and the Executive
Virginia should not take redress into her own hands
uniii the judgment of the Supreme Judicial tribu-
nal or The Union, shall have been invoked for our
relief and invoked in vain" For daring TO offer
such an amendment in free land of law and con-
sti,utlonal liberty, Mr.. Watson has been branded
as 1.-THE nousing delegate from Albemarle." Under
no
Conway, Of Sposylvana, VIC then brough,
| to a direct vote on all H,e resolution ia lump
| We voted against them-nUt that diSapprovcd
OF ali they contained; but that there was that in
them which, under the soemu sanctions of our oaths
and looking to duties TO you and the trust YOU
nave conlded TO us to our glorious Union and lis
countless blessings and 10 the unuitcrabe Of
dsunlon, civil strife and perhaps Of servile war;
dfhed not pledge you 10 maintain.
Fellow citizens, the Constitution Of the United
! States Is still the supreme law OF the land. On
| the first day of the present session Of the General
Assembly, in obedience 10 that sacred instrument.
tur ourselves personally and, your servants, on
your behalf, we swore soemnly to support that is,
10 maintain and uphold, that Constitution. Thus
ettered by the sanctions oGan oath, Were bro'l
10 decide rle question whether we, us legislators
! could consceniiOusy and constu!iona!iy organize
| q plan Of resistance TO the Federal authority and
set on foot measures, which upon the happening of
!
the passage of the W!mot proviso, must result in
a dissolution Of the Union and The downfall and
breaking Of that Constitution we had sworn 10 up
hold and preserve. We bciieccG-all men knc,C-
that !t the W lTlo; provso be hereafter passed and
be carried into effect, Virginia is bound by virtue
OF her resolutions either 90 hack out or to resist lat
all hazards aud 90 the last extremity" even 10 the
dissolution Of the Union and the destruction of the
/ Constitution. We dared not vote Virginia into q
| position from which she might back ont and dis
grace herself; still less could we dare 10 vote her
INTO the only other position, winch ii was proposed
size should occupy, that Of open hostility and resist
aDcC 70 the Union and the Constitution Of the Uni
/ ted States. Let us pause for moment and inquire
wien before the doctrine was preached that State
Legislature had the power, III the first place TO de-
clare what acts of the General Government onght
'to be resisted at ell hazards and 10 the last eXtreln.
! uy," ard in tie second place, ''io consider tie
mode and measure" Of resistance. Why, fellow
citizens, such an idea, never dreamed of in the
/ palmy days OF South Carolina Notification Who
| enacted The celebrated Modification ordinances of
/ South Carolina ! Not the Legislature that body
could not be organized without swearing 10 support
the Constitution Of TIE United States. No, no, it
wa9 no: the Legislature which considered and de-
/ termincd chic mote md measure Of redress'' in
, South Carolina, put it was COnvCatiOn Of the
sovereign people which passed these ordinances
irgnla then declared that the resolutions Of l10S
80 did not justify South Carolina even i'm this
couT5cMr. Madison also AT that crisis, declared
that il never intended by the resolutions Of '9S
--'99 HAT State had right under the compact
OF the Union 10 resist the Federal authority And
what said Augusta, nubie old Augusta, in answer
70 Andrew Jackson, the man Of the iron will, who
called upon the couatry to sustain him in his firm
resolve 20 crush Modification You remember her
answer, uttered by the celebrated resolutions Of
John ii. Peyton, which were adopted by but two
dissenting voices, by meeting of her citizens over
which Brscoc &. Baldwin presided Those were
I DO t,.I,o IL