Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-26
THE NASHVILLE CONVENTION.

sue IL VIII 10 acCeptaDle 10 our readers to have their
possession, the resolutions of the Legislature recon-
mending the convention to the people. They were
adopted on the 9Th Of February last and are in these
words
Whereas the recent action of the General Assembly
upon the Wilmot Provso and kindred subjects and in
relation to fugitive slaves has with no other re-
Spouse from the non-slaveholdng States than violent
Remuneration and systematic perseverance in the
wrongs OF which we complained: And, whereas it is
apparent that the inevitable result OF such course Of
acton on the part OF portion OF the States, must
be to excite bitterness jealousy and dstrust among
the rest to kinde the angrest passions to extnguish
that spirit OF concession and destroy that mutual for
beafance and traternal affection which founded and
have sustained contederacy and finally to dissolve
the Union itself: And whereas we are anxious if pos
sble to avert the evils which threaten u.s. and believe
HAT the most etectual OF doing this are to be
found In the cordial union OF the whole South for the
)nantanance OF the Constitution and the preservation
OF the Union it can be preserved and for their own
preservation it it cannot
l. Be it therefore, Resolued, by the General ASSEM-
oily OF Vng1n1a, That upon the questions thus perse-
verngy and recklessy forced upon the country Virginia
has taken her position, and that position will be main
tanned Her loyalty to the Union matter of empty
profession 1t stamped upon every page other history
No State has done as much to form the Union; none
prepared to do more to perpetuate it in the spirit in
which it was formed and in which alone it can be pre-
served. But loyal she. is and has always been, it
were fatal error to suppose that Virginia will ever con-
sent that that Union, TO which she has looked as
OF happiness and honor shall be converted into
an instrument OF degradation and oppression
2 Resotued, That in the of the passage of the
Wimot Provso, or OF any law aboshing slavery in thes
District OF Columbia Tor IN any interfering with
the rights otsavehoders therein aboshng slavery in
or the slave trade between the States Virginia will be
prepared to unite with her sister savehodng States in
Convention or otherwise, In the adoption OF any mea-
sures that may be necessary to provide for their mutual
defence, or to secure their common safety. y
s. Resoteed, That in the opinion of this General AS
semby, Southern Convention in which the States as
States represented should consist of delegates Sc
ected by the people of the several States in Convention
assembled who should carry with them all the authori-
ty derived from such appointment and be prepared
to act for those whom they represent
T. ResoIoed therefore, That upon the happening of
either OF the contingencies contemplated in the second
resolution the Governor be authorised and requested
nstead OF converting the Legisaue) issue his proc
lamaton tor the election OF delegates to State Con-
Ventlon, to take into consideration the mode and
sure OF redress with power to appoint delegates to
Southern Convention, and to adopt such measures as
the crisis may demand The said delegates to be
chosen by each city, county election district accord
ing to its representation in the House of Delegates and
General Assembly.
S. ResoLued, That regarding the Convention propos-
ed to be held at Nashville on the first Monday in June
next as intended to enable the people of the South to
take counsel together to the best and most eecual
means OF resisting the aggressons of the North of
forcing compliance on their part with their constitu
honal obligations, and thereby OF preserving the Union
OF these States now in minent peril by OF the
course pursued by the saveholdng States and their
representatives in Congress- in their ceaseless agitation
and that too IN the most unfrendly spirit OF questions
involving the peace, the institutions and the yery exist
ence OF the Southern States; and approving the objects
OF said Convention, above forth, the General As
semby doth recommend to the good people of this Com
monweath to send delegates thereto; and that to this
end, they hold primary meetings each city, county
and election district in the State, and appoint delegates
TO Convention to be held in each Congressional Dis
lrlc in the month OF May next and that the District
Conventions so constituted do each select persons,
Zone from each of the political parties of the coun
ty0 who shall be delegates to the said Nashville Con-
vention.
n1,oI Thot tba # chi
wealth be requested to send copy of these resolutions
TO each of the ave-holdng States in this Union and
also to our Senators and Representatives in Congress
We shall be pardoned, we hope, for briefly stating
our own views the subject of the Nashville Conven-
ton, asst is presented to the consideration of the
citizens OF Richmond and all Virginia 1t pains us as
much, as It can pain any Southern with Southern
heat IN his BOSOM to divisions in the South, upon
any question affecting Southern interests. And what
ever varances OF opinion may unhappy exist amongst
u.s. it is not in to differ from those whom we know
TO be true to the Southern cause, except as to the
pediency of policy than of another to secure
the safety and the honour Of the Southern States.
The scheme of the Nashville Con vention was first
brought distinctly to the attention of our Legislature in
certain resolutions reported to the House of Delegates
the 18th OF January last, by select committee of
which Mr. Claiborne was Chairman These resolu-
tons simply reafirmed the resolutions of the previous
session the subject of slavery and provided for the
election by the Legislature of four delegates at large
TO the Nashville Convention, and the election of fifteen
delegates by the people, from each Congressional
District, the expenses OF the nineteen delegates to be
paid out of the Treasury of the State. Immediate &C
ton upon the resolutions earnestly pressed but th
House postponed their final consideration, and the,J
were afterwards referred to Joint Committee, which
reported the series ultimately adopted, the 9Th of
February, with some slight mod ifcatons.
twill be perceived that the resolutions passed by the Lee
gislaure, and inserted above differ very materially from
the original proposition of Mr.. Clabornes committee
In the first place. they prescribe the solemn course of ac
tion namely, State Convention and Southern Leapue
which the State OF Virginia will resort in the event Of
the actual enactment by Congress of either of four spe
chic obnoxious laws, viz law prohibiting slavery in
the Territories law abolshing slavery in the District
OF Columbia, law prohibiting the slave trade between
the States and law abolishng slavery in the States
Secondly, they declare the objects Tor which, in the
opinion oil the Legislature the Nashville Convention was
designed be held and limit its approval of the Con-
yenton those objects Alone which are to enable the
people othe South to take counsel together as to the
best means OF avertng Northern aggressions and thus of
preserving the Union. The provision for paying ex-
penses of the delegates was moreover omitted.
Ii the circumstances under which the Legislature
adopted these resolves be remembered, and their own
snguarly cautious language be properly weighed, we
think will be manifest that the altered state OF facts
now existing calls upon the people Of the State de-
cline compliance with the recommendation of the
Nashville Convention When the Legislature acted
the danger OF the passage of the Wimot Provso
through Congress was believed be imminent, and it
apprehended that long train of offensive aim
ing at the ultimate extinction OF slavery in the States
would speedily follow that aggression which of itself
the South had declared would be OF dissolution |
The whole Southern country was alarmed and it wa. |
thought by majority of the members OF both Houses
that If Virginia recommended the Southern Conyen-
ton for certain, specific, conservative ends there would
be general and cordial concurrence of the Southern
States in the But for the expectation of such
a concurrence the recommendation would never have