Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-12-24
WESSAGE
s ruE GOVERNOR OF yIReINIA-

g THE ofENNo
Nefi6naf Conreqfioa @ Earf = ~ ipseLe
The foIlowing highly imFsEiant message 81
FLOYD, Of yirginiss was eomnun'eaied -
The IerisEatnre on Tuesdag, and teterFea lo
select eommittee
sSEeUffrE DrFART
Decembst i6; ls5Q.
Ts6 GsnsraI AsenMssd Fginia
oypua Pre-
.amble and ResoIution passed pF he g~onyennoRot5
Indiana. assembieffo % rerise tie Ceasutnlto OF
fhaf State, and the Reportapt kes9,Htsenz Q. z
spiriEi In which they are oneeifed masl neEe
ed as favorable ens and mas excite ihe Aepe
sfbsf the feeIinas of bitterness and disSepsion
which9pervade the Consederacg may vet pass
|harmIessiy away. TheFeaFe indeed pestsnfoRs
msnifesiaffons ofdeep diseontent atthe South
ard f6asea lave been heightened and inftme1b Y
die course recently pursued N Aermont
EIegislafnre &c that State has virtually by statute,
sannuiled fhe1awso Congrcssto or theFeeaptpre o.
fugitive slages which alone induced TIE Sqatl-
Eern States 10 ac9uiesee IN the late Compromise
measures Vermont has thus inflicted upon The
whole Sonth. atonee. an injury and an INSULT
TO neither can we with honoso seleresPectsue-
NIT.
There mnst be a distinct, Immediate and final
settlement of the Question Of slayery betweentne
slayehoIding6nda pom slayeholdlng States Hhthe
present ar1afionss eonfinust the Union txillips
Eevitably bedeshoyed iftheelementof dlseoEdbe
removed, no causesoffend remains 20 jeopardize
4he permaneace &C onEG oniedefafion. Nehono5
rabie means should be len untried 10 restorea and
peTpetuate this we Should eN5
every measure of conciliation and @sbeer
ances Wecanscafeely paytoomuch Tor The res
toration Of that fraternal harmony, which Is the
Etife-bIood ofour observation-disclosures. and which
alone can 5pr any lengti Of tine preserre tae
Union. In. ischargeaofthe dpty whlehfhe Soeth
owes 10 herself and her citizens, she must mala-
lain. at IN hazards and n II vcost, her honof. her
equality, her Independence, and her essential
rights. In proof oil her devotiont0 the Union
she must be prepared TO sacrifice al else 70 her
sense Of patriotism.
The late action or Nermonrd demands IN instant
seitIementoffh The issue which has soiong distraet-
ed these0dnfry the recent action of Indiana
seems 10 indicate that the time Is prnpiious tor
its amieable decision. For the restoration ot
complete ard e~iectuaI harmony would suggest
ameasnTe; 81 which the patriots ofrall sections
and all Who reverence and are willing to abide
BY the Constitution mayseo-opeFate.
j would recommend the adoption ~ the LegIs
tatnTe. Of resolutions inviting all che States OF
the Union 10 unite In. sending. delegates TO repre-
sent the whole people in a general Convention
which ought to assemble at an early perlod-nOt
EIafersthan May-at Baltimore, or some other con-
yenient central point Tor the purpose OF bringing
To an end All sectional Controversies relative TO
slavery. To secure that end, the principles
which should govern the action Of the Conyen-
zion. onehf TO be announced inthe resolutions by
(which its called. All shonldbe invitedtn unite
i'm this movement, who are in favor Of the per-
Epeiuation of the Union, and wiOt to attain this re-
fsul, are in favor OF the Fugitive Slave bill, hon.
EestIysaDd cordially enforced; wh0 are opposed 10
its repeal or essential modification, and who are
adverse Is any further agitation OF the slavery
Question, either in Congress or in the States
With this the South viii be content: less than
this can only eyentuate IN the dissolution OF the
Union. The action of such Convention, 1t sue
cessful and fully sustained by the DOD.slaveho!d-
ing States, would satisfy and quiet the South;
&c nsnccessfnf IL would prove that the friends OF
order andfhe Union are impOtent TO control the
ifanatical passions which are urging on aspeedy
tdissofution. II IS A measure which addresses
Itself 10 no particular paFty. and refers to NO par
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. asks the cordial support
Eofeverv true patriot IN alsectiOns of our widely
extendedS epnbiic, and which alone seems ade-
qnafe 10 dress4or avert the terrible evils under
which the country now labors, or of which il is
apprehensfve.
To render this measure e~ffectuaI, andto relieve
the deliberations of the Convention from the
trammeis by which II might otherwise BE embar-
raised, i would further recommend that such
resolutions be accompanied with the sincere and
earnest appeal of the State Of VFginia, speaking
through her Legislature, to her sister States of
the South entreating them to postpone any ex-
treme aetionfn relation 10 present difficulties, nm
I'll the result of the deliberations OF such a Con.
xention could be known. The restrictive mea-
sure which the Legislature may adopt, mightbe
made dependent for their continuation upon the
ultimate action of this Convention.
Blythe adoption .ofihis course, Il appears TO me
the Union might be preserved and peTpetuaied in
~frateTnal harmony, or the South enabled TO pre-
sent united and unbroken front to the assaults
otfanatieal adversa1ies. The FIRST must be the
sangfihe hope of all lovers otfreedom and their
country The last must be the sole refuge of
Southern independents only when all brighter
rhopesare proved 81 this efortto be futile andvaiu
The motto ofthe South must be, as II has been,
Union, five can Independence, IL we must.
Ihaye the honor TO be, most respectfully,
Your obedient servant.
JOHN b. FLOYD.
ON The distinction between Union; DisufIon,
submission and Acquiesecnce.