The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-18
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1850.
The Position of Virginia.

art Of memory, seems to be as important tc
the modern politician, as it was to certain
ancient philosopher. But much depends or
the classification of events ,--which to- re-
member and which to forget. In the
present attitude Of affairs, it has occurred tc
us that the public, solemn, repeated Official
declarations Of the State Of Virginia con-
corning the great questions now pending
might have some claim to be yet consider
ed--at least by her sons. We therefore
subjoin certain resolutions, that have passed
her Legislature within the last few years.
They were adopted after ample deliberation
and debate-without distinction of party,
and with extraordinary unanimity. If the
honoy and character of State can be
pledged to anything, they are pledged to
these resolutions. II any State has honor
and character to pledge, Virginia has.
Virginia did not make these declarations
without believing they were right, nor with
out determination to maintain them. They
were not made as threats, or as boasts, or
as pretensions that might be supported,
qualified, or abandoned, according to circum-
stances. They Were 10 stand. NAn9 any
different Interpretation of them, is an impu-
tation upon her, Of blustey and hypocrisy
Yet now we ksaf It proposed by some,
that Virginia shall consent to compromise
or an adjustment Of the present controver-
sy-not that will be in accordance with
her own principles, or her own purpose, as
thus repeatedly and solemnly avowed, but
that will give her 6 as much as she can
get"-that is, as much as those are willing
to grant-against whose impudent and in
sulting threats she replied SO nobly and SO
we'll
And has it come to this, that Vir-
ginia--the whole South-that rny State,
the meanest in spirit and weakest in power,
in this Union of equal States, and in con-
troversy as to the most vital, constitutional
rights, personal honor, domestic peace, and
political power, shall be taught to submit to
the will Of mere majority, and take what
it can get Why this is the doctrine Of
abect submission to absolute power, ex-
pressed in the most pusillanimous terms 1t
is the language Of the huckster-of the men
dicant-it is the offer Of an inferior commo-
dity to the buyer at has o,on price-lt is the
humble supplication Of the destitute and dis
possessed to the possessor-it is surrender
at discretion.
Virginia asserted that she was equal
owner with other States of the Territory
Of California--the richest region of the
world-an that her citizens had an equal
right to emigrate thither, If she is to
be denied all such rights, what kind Of
a Stake" does she "get" by that. Vir-
ginia thought, and nobody denied, that her
citizens had Alright to emigrate to any part Of
Texas. If this right is cut off as to large
portion of that State, what sort Of "get" is
that for Virginia. She thought that in the
District Of Columbia she had some Interest
in the slavery question, with which Congress
had no right to interfere, even as to the slave
trade. But Congress undertakes to abolish
that !; and if it has that power, has the
power to abolish slavery itself there. What
does Virginia get by that' What does Vir-
ginia get by anything proposed Why, the
utmost it is pretended she will get, is law
to give a little more security to that property
which the Constitution has already been found
too weak to secure against majority here
tofore weaker than in future--and she will
have her right recognized to emigrate to New
Mexico and Utah where nobody wants to 60
and where no STAKEHOLDER can remain after
their admission as States, as the population
already there will be certain to exclude hin
in forming State Constitution. Virginia
then, is required to give up the jurisdiction
over slavery, and the abolition OF the slave
trade to northern majority she is to give
up perhaps twice her own area OF territory
in Texas and abandon all her right to Cali.
fornia, and in return for these she is to get q
promise--a Northern promise--not to take
anything msre at present!
Has anything occurred since these resolu-
tons were adopted by Virginia to render
them nugatory' Nothing. The people in.
habiting the northern part of California have
adopted Constitution excluding slavery
and claiming as boundary the whole Pa
cifc coast..o the Territory. This itself is {
result of Northern aggression; for, under the
threat OF the Wilmot Proviso, Southern peo
pie were prevented from immigrating thither