The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-19

comments,
1t was referred to the committee on Federal
relations.
MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.
Executive DEPARTMENT.,
RICHMOND, Dec. l6, 1850.
Tol'e General AssemJiy ofhe State Of Virginia:
Gentlemen: herewith transmit to you Il pre-
alnble and resolutions passed by the Convention
Of Indiana, assembled to revise the constitution
Of that State, and the report and resolutions of Il
like convention of the State of Maryland The
spirit in which they are conceived must be re-
yarded as favorable omen. and they excite the
hope that the feelings of bitterness and dssen-
sion which pervade the contederacy may yet
pass harmlessly away. There are, indeed, por
tentous manifestations of deep discomfort at the
South: and these have been heightened and in
famed by the course recently pursued in Yer
mont. The Legislature Of that State has vrtu-
ally, by statute, annuled the law of Congress
for the recaptnre of fugitive slaves, which alone
induced the Southern States acQuiesce in the
late Compromise measures. Vermont has thus
inflicted upon the whole South at once an in
Jury and m insult To NEITHER can we with
honor or sclf-rcspect submit.
There must be Il distinct, immediate, and final
SPlll'lhfhl OF tne question OF slavery between
Tue ,'ovchodHg and n" con sl."chnl4r~ Slates
II the present agitation is continued, the Union
will Inevitably be destroyed If this clemcrt Of
di>cord be removed, no cause of irud remains to
| Ie"pardize the permancnce OF our confederation
| No honorable means should be left untried to
restore and perpetuatr tranquility For this we
! should exhaust every measure Of cancellation
and torbrurance. Wrca scarcely pay too much
for the restoration Of that tratcrnul harmony
which is the life blood Of our ftderative organi-
| ZutiOn, and which alone can for any length Of
time preserve the Union. In discharge of the
| duty which the South owes to herself and her
citizens, she must maintain at all hazards and at
any cost, her honor, her equality, her independ.
ence, and her essential rights. In proof Of her
devotion to the Union, she must be prepared to
secrfce all else to her sense Of patriotism.
The late action Of Vermont demands an in
slant settlement Of the Issue which has 80 long
distracted the country. Tho recent action Of
Indiana seems to Indicate that the time is propi-
tious for its amicabe decision For the rcsto.
ration Of complete ard oflectual harmony, !
would suggest measure in which the patriots
| of all sections, and all who reverence and are
willing to abide by the Constitution, may co,
| operate.
would recommend the adoption BY the le.
gislature, of resolutions inviting all the States Of
the Union to unite in sending delegates to re,
present the whole people in General Conven-
ton, which ought to assemble 1t an early period
not later than May-at Baltimore, or sorit
other convenient central point, for the purp Sc
Of bringing to al end all sectional controversies
relative to slavery. To secure that end, the
principles which should govern the action Of the
convention ought to be announced in the reso-
lutions by which it is called. All should be in
,;t,1 1,,, .
Of the perpetuation Of the Union, and who. to
attain this result, are in favor of the Fugitive
slave bill, honestly and cordially enforccd-who
are opposed to its repeal or essential moditica-
! ton. and who are adverse to any farther 40 ta-
ton Of the slavery question, either in Congress
or in the States. With this the South will be
! contrnt-rss than this only eventuAte in
! the dissolution Of the Union. The action of
such a convention, if successful and fully sus-
! tanned by the mons aveholding States, would
satisfy and quiet the SoutIl-if unsuccessful. it
! would prove that the friends Of order and the
Union are important to control the tanatica
passions which are now urging on speedy dis
solution. 1t is a measure which addresses itself
to no particular party, and refers to 10 political
organizations but asks the cordial support of
every true patriot in all sections of our idey-
extended republic and which alone seems adc-
/
! which the country now labors, or Of which it is
apprchensive.
TO render this measure eftctual, and to re-
licvc the deliberations Of the convention from
the trammels by which it might otherwise be
enbarrassed | would farther recommend that
such resolutions be accompanied with the sim
cere and earnest appeal of the State Of Virginia,
speaking through her legislature to her sister
States Of the South, en- .reating them TO post
pone any extreme action in relation TO present
difficulties, until the result Of the deliberations
of such convention could be known. The re-
strictive measures which the, legislature NAV
adopt, might be made dependent for their con.
tinuation upon the ultimate action Of this con-
vention.
BY the adoption Of this course, it appears to
me, the Union might be preserved and perpctu-
ated in fraternal harmony, or the South enabled
to present = united and unbrokcn front to the
assaults of fanalical adversaries The first
must be the sanguine hope Of all lovers Of free
dom and their country the last must be the
T sole refuge Of Southern independence, only
when all brighter hopes are proved by this last
effort to be futile and vain. The motto of this
must be, as it has been, Union, if we can-Inde-
pendence, if we must.
have the honor to be, very respectfully
, your obedent servant
JOHN 3. FLOYD.