Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-11-11

THERE ARE CERTAIN EMERGENCIES WHEN
YOUR PROFOUND LEGISLATORS AND SAGE DELIBE-
RATIvE COUNCILS ARE NIGHTLY IN TIE WAY OF
NATION AND WHEN AN OUNCE OF HAREBRAIN-
ED DECISION IS WORTH A POUND OF SAGE DOUBT
AND CAUTIOUS DISCUSSION"
That celebrated historian, Diedrich Knicker-
booker, fully alive 10 the dignity and importance
OF his undertaking, and detern ined TO deduce
tor posterty an easy philosophy from tho exam
pies OF the chief actors in his narrative, INDUCES
IN the above valuable reflection while treating
ot the golden reign of the renowned Walter the
Doubtcr." No one coonisant of the proceedings
OF the preliminary Union meeting, held in our
Court House, on Friday week, can doubt for an
Instant that the policy pursued BY the ruling
spirits of that assemblage, was the legitimate
offspring of some such conclusion as that with
which our historian furnishes US. The captains
of the Gold guard" of Augusta Federalism, not
content with their denuncations, few months
ago, of the Nashville Convention, and with the
resolutions then passed announcing in substance,
their determination TO cherish the Union "at all
hazards and to the las: extremity issued no.
| lice, on the Wednesday preceding, of their pur-
pose to hold preliminary Union meeting on
Friday the LIST day of Our Superior Court, II
would be impossible within a reasonable COM
pass, to give minute detail of all the occurren-
ces Of the meeting it snffices us to make brief
ausion to the principal, for the sake of theco
mentary we deem it proper TO make. On the
morning suggested in the notice, some two hun
dred of our citizens who had been drawn TO
town by the business of the Court, assembled in
the Court House, to consider what might be pro-
posed Not more than one in ten of them-f
so large proportion even as that-had ever, we
venture to assert, found time to acquaint them
selves with the terms of the so-called Compro-
mise passed by the last Congress; yet, without
any previous discussion of the measures which
engrossed the Legislative wisdom of the land for
ten months, and some Of which had at last been
acquiesced in by most meagre majorities, this
primary and accidental assemblage of the peo-
pie was called upon to, and actual, did, pass
resolutions expressive Of their appreciation of
the said Compromise, and further, fixed day
tor future meeting, which is in more solemn
form 10 register the edict which they had pro-
nounced. 1t was in vain that few of the De-
mocratic Republicans of Augusta protested a.
gainst the proceeding; under the falacious cry
OF Union, and denunciations of Dsunion-
| ozark became light,
And wrong made right"
and doubts if any were entertained, by the great
| mass OF the meeting, were soon resolved away.
Now, thu Init ~
cd, is on the fourth Monday Of this month, again
to be offered to the people for their endorsaton
we take the liberty of addressing few words of
caution and advice to the Democratic State
Rights party of Augusta. Beware, then, Demo-
Gratis, when those who have always been your
political adversaries, seek to impress you with
the belief that the questions upon which they
are about to address you rise above all consde-
rations of par:y-beware how you follow their
counsels, lest, by SO doing, you should unwit-
tingly give death-bow to principles which in
times past you have held essential to your liber-
ties Remember that the Constitution which is
the bond OF our Union has ever been dear to you
but that the Constitution which you have slriven
to uphold and defend, is the Constitution as ex-
pounded for you by a Jefferson and Madison,
not Constitution which gives to the Federal Co.
vernment unlimited and limitable powers, and
which leaves the States scarcely a shadow of
sovereignty, but one which cautiously circum-
scribes within narrow limits the powers Of the
Federal Government, + which leaves to the States
and the people the great residuum not expressly
vested by them in the hands OF their Federal a.
gents. Your opponents under the lead of their
Adamses and their Clays, have, time and again.
sought to strengthen the hands of the Federal
Government and to weaken the hands of the
States; they have proposed high Protective Ia
riffs, United States Banks, extravagant systems
OF Internal Improvements, and a host Of kindred
measures, which, you, regarding as contrary to
the letter or spirit of the Constitution, and derog
atory from your reserved rights, have always
resisted, and most generally, with success. You
| have always manifested your devotion to the
Union by acting as viglant guardians Of the
Constitution ) you have always believed that it
could not be departed from, either in letter or
in spirit, without endangering Union you have
never ceased to cherish. You have been con-
vinced, that by yielding to Federal aggressions,
you would but be rendering yourselves instru-
mental in the creation of tyranny which soon.
er or later you would be forced to resist, and YOU
have therefore always wthstood the beginnings
| OF Federal nsurpation. For resolutely main
tanning at all hazards the rights and interests of
your State, you have frequently been accused by
the friends of Federal power of being deficient
in patriotism, with the same justice, with which
man might be accused by a false philan,hro-
pist of a want OF generosity, who should refuse
that support to foreign charity which was es-
sential to the comfort and welfare of his own
family. Such is The principle that has always
governed your action you have never pursued
that short-sighted and temporising policy which
iS satisfied with tho c,,no,1;uyo