The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-14

HuRTFUL DELUsIoN.--The National Intelligen-
Ger, of Tuesday publishes, under the head of ga
Voice from Virginia" an anonymous letter, TO
which it gives particular prominence "because it
is from the pen of gentleman Of honorable es-
tmation, who understands perhaps well as any
man in the State, the merit of pending questions
in the General Government, and the sentiments Of
the people Of Virginia in regard to them" And
the editors rejoice to have ''from such man" a
confirmation to the letter Of the opinion they have
expressed, cor the loyalty Of the people Of vir-
ginia to the Union"
1.-THE letter referred to had merely borne testi-
mony to the devotion of our people to the Union,
certainly should have taken no exception to it;
for we well convinced, as the writer, or the
editors of the ntelligencer be, other loyalty
to the Federal Constitution But we feel il to be
our duty to enter our protest against the declara-
ton substantially made in the following passage,
that Virginia, Notwithstanding all she has said
through her Legislature and her primary assem-
bes, would quietly submit to the application of
the Wilmot Proviso to the territories, course
which the lntelligencer has perseverngly main
tanned that the whole South ought to pursue:
81 haze yet TO see the man, (says the Intelligent
GERS correspondent in this section of the State,
who will, for a moment, listen to the suggestion,
Of the thought even of dissolution Of the Union
Dissolve this Union! For what' Because the
people of California choose to prohibit slavery
within her borders' Because Congress may at
tach the slavery prohibition to a bill establishing
the Territory of Utah or New Mexico' Surely
not. It has ever been the doctrine of the South to
leave this question to the People Of each particular
State to settle it for themselves; and in regard to
it's existence in the Territories, Congress undertook
in l840, to apply the prohibition to Oregon, and
it was carried, in Democratic Congress, and APP
proved by the Democratic President, Mr.. Polk!
We confess we are at loss to understand why
| it is that the National Intelligencer should con-
slider it necessary to throw before Congress, from
/ to opa hero r,ra
scented, that the people of the Southern States will
| not make good the declarations of their Legsla-
lures, conventions, and public meetings, that they
will not tolerate the passage Of the Wilmot Pro-
! viso Virginia, by three successive Legislatures,
| with almost unanimous voices, has solemnly as
serted that she will resist it g at every hazard and
to the last extremity" What good does the In
telligencer expect to accomplish by inviting Com
gress as it does in effect, to put that resolution
| the test? Can the doubts, which it endeavors to
throw upon the reality Of the determination Of the
State to resist particular measure, have any
other influence than to spur the Free-soil party
/ on to the contamination of their mad schemes 1t
/ is precisely because that unscrupuous faction
are still persuaded Of the truth the views Of the
Intelligencer and its Virginia correspondent, that
| they persist in their dangerous course. If ever
| the honor Of a people was committed to the car
/ rying out declared purpose, the honor Of the
| people of Virginia is committed to resisting the
| Wmot Proviso. 1t is most unjust reproach to
the men in whom they have, again and again, re-
ferred their confidence, to say that their resolu
tons are empty words. Virginia is undoubtedly
devoted to the Union, but her devotion is to the
Union under the Constitution. She entered the
| Union with the memorable capeat, that she would
resume the powers she transferred to the General
Government, whenever her rights should be vio-
lated She believes that her rights would be vio-
lated by an exclusion Of her citizens from the
public territories IL her present generation were
| wanting in courage to maintain her honor, the
spirit Of their sires would rise up and shame them
into bodness.- Richmond Illness satH8r