Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-06
THE MEETING TONIGHT.


suggestion that the public meeting, called to take
place this evening, should be postponed, so that
the public mind, in arriving at definite opinions
upon the important subject of sending delegates
to Nashville in conformity with the recommended
ton of the Legislature, might have the advantage
of all desirable time for deliberations, we hoped
there would be ready acquiescence on the part
of those who originated the call The Enquirer
of yesterday however, reiterates its appeal to the
citizens to assemble. 1t is now too late to argue
the question of postponement, and we therefore
unite in the appeal for general turn out.
When this project of the Southern Convention
was first brought up before the Legislature, we
regarded it, as our readers know, not without mis-
giving; but convinced as we were that it was of
the utmost importance, in the then existing state
of the sectional dispute, that the South should
exhibit as much unanmity as possible, we laid
aside our objections and concurred in the adop-
ton fthe modified resolutions, which We're drawn
by Mr.. Stanard, of the Senate. These resolu-
tons took ground of the strongest character, de-
caring the determination of Virginia to resist at
all hazards either of three definite forms of ag-
erosion In this they had our most hearty ap-
probation. The fifth resolution, in answer to
which the meeting tonight is called, recommend
ed the people to hold primary meetings, to consti-
tute district conventions which should elect dele
gates to the Nashville Convention.
Since the adoption of this recommendation reso-
luton, events have TRANSFERRED, which, in our judg-
ment, have placed new aspect on the question of
appointing delegates to Nashville. Virginia pro-
to init in
ter States Of. the South, not doubling that they
would meetthe proposal with all the solemnity
which she herself attachedto ity She clothed the
delegates that should be appointed by her people.
with all the panoply of law. She expected them
to meet at Nashville, representatives from other
Southern States having similar credentials of au-
thorty. She did not foresee that any of those
States would wholly fail to be represented YET
upon looking to what has transpired in each of the
slavehoding States we find that, if the people of
Virginia second the recommendation of their Le-
gslature, they will only elect delegates to repre-
sent them in body, which may not be held at ALL
and, which, if held, will have nosuch organization
to justify the participation of Virginia in its deli
berations.
Let us briefly review the present state of the
Convention movement in each of the slave
States
Delaaoare, though usually denominated a slave
State, is rot so in feeling. Her representatives
in Congress have generally voted for the Wmot
Proviso. She has never declared against any
Northern aggression, still less has she undertaken
to unite with the Southern States in devisng ''the
mode and measure of redress"
The Legislature of Maryland, at its recent ses-
sion, adopted unanimously series of resolutions
avowing her purpose to stand by her sister States
of the South, in resisting the Wilmot Proviso,
Abolition in the District of Columbia, or interter-
ence with the slave trade between the States; but
no declaration was made in favour of the South
ern Convention, nor has there been, so far as we
are informed, any popular movement in any of the
counties, for the purpose of elechng delegates.
In North Carolina, there was no session of
the Legislature last winter. The counties of the
Wilmington Congressional District have had
District Convention, which appointed two dele
gates to Nashville. In other parts of the State,
we believe no similar convention has yet been
held. In Granville and some other counties, the
people have, in public assembly, condemned the
scheme of the Southern Convention.
In South Carolina, the members of the Legis-
lature in an informal meeting, previously sanction
ed by the Legislature itself, appointed delegates
10 Nashville from the State at large and recon-
mended the people of each Congressional district
to meet in district Convention and choose other
Delegates The recommendation has been gene
rally responded to-
In Georgia. the Legislature made provision (f
we correctly understand statement in the last
Savannah Georgian) for general election by the
people of delegates to Nashville to take place
throughout the State on Tuesday, the I'd instant !
We have not received any intelligence of the re-
suit. The Savannah Georgian of the 3D. ex-
presses the apprehension that the vote would be
small one, for it says that "many of the people
believe that the time for action has not yet come
they still cherish the hope that all difficulties will
be settled by Congress, and that the Nashville
Convention will be unnecessary" The Georgian,
however, declares (and we doubt not truly that
small vote for the Convention would be no indca-
ton of division of sentiment as to the main point
OF uniting to resist oppression when it shall be
clearly necessary. At preliminary meetings in
several of the counties, the Nashville Convention
has been discountenanced.
In Florida, the Legislature was not in session.
The members of Congress urged the Governor,
to invite the people to hold primary meetings, to
organize district conventions, which should elect
delegates to Nashville. But Gov Brown declined
TO adopt their counsel, In some of the counties,
meetings have been held, and we think it proba-
bic that the State will have its full complement of
delegates, though some opposition has been ma
infested particularly in Tallahassee and Pensacola
In Alabama, the Legislature failed to agree