Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-16

saying (aler dlluulHg 10 lnc supposed uuty OF Nle
slaveholdng States to "prepare, consult, combine,
unite for prompt and decisive action,'') as follows:
" In this care for the present, and preparation for
the future, 1T BECOMES VIRGINIA TO ACT AMONG
THE FOREMOST. The UNITED STATES
South askt Of her, and her position. her charac-
ter, and interest demand it,
We need not pursue any further our examina-
non OF the programmes of Revolution, in the shape
OF Resolves by State Legislatures in conformity to
the Resolutions and Address of the Mississippi
Convention. They have the same general features
and objects. Enough has been shown to prove
the Mississippi plan, upon which they are founded,
to be indefinite as to its objects except the avowed
purpose of resistance to the General Government
in the first instance, and, ultimately, of breaking up
that Government, in the vain and presumptuous
hope of establishing better one in its place. What
kind of Government that would be- Who kaoWs?
The Government established by their Forefathers
is not good enough for these aspiring States
They want something else What will it be-
They are weary of alliance and Intercourse with
the Northern States. What will they substitute
for it. A commercial alliance with Great Britain
substitute Tor the intercourse with the Northern
Democratic journal of the country as part of the
plan Of Southern Confederacy. How many ties
will be snapt asunder when these revolutionary
gentlemen shall succeed in severing the bands of
the Union Of the number and nature of them
imagination may conceive something. Suppose,
for instance, one small item, the post-oice lines
which connect the Southern States Tor such of
them as shall constitute the new Utopia) with the
Northern and Western States to be suddenly cut
of-as they would of course at once be by the
dissolution of the Union-how strange feeling
would it not be which our Southern friends would
experience on finding themselves, by their own act,
thus set adrJf from the United States This, how
ever, would be prvation of small consequence in
the complication of disasters inevitably attendant
upon the erection Of the new Empire of the Uni
ted States South
Should the reader have compared, as he has
read, the characteristics of the Hartford Convention
with those of the proposed Nashville Convention,
he cannot have failed to remark, that what was
proposed by the former was in the spirit of devo-
ton to the Unon of reverence for the Constitution,
and submission to the Laws; whilst the scheme of
the Nashville Convention is in these particulars
directly the reverse. Its origin, its progress, it's
aim, are all contrary to the spirit of the Laws and
the Constitutions and its highest accomplishment
is to be the death Of the Union Whatever, there
fore, of obloquy rests, justly or unustly, in the
mind of the South, upon the memory of the Hart
ford Convention, must attach, in the mind of every
man capable of drawing distinction, with con-
centrated dislike, to the plan of the Nashville
Convention and the Southern Confederacy Of
which it is the now avowed forerunner.
It is much to be doubted, besides, in the event Of
the proposed assembly Of the Convention at Nash
ville that it will aoat for the slow process of cleo
ton of conventions Of separate States to choose de-
legates, representing the State soveregnties, to
Convention of States to be afterwards held for the
formation Of Southern Confederacy. This pro-
ject Of a Southern Confederacy has been, as we
have heretofore shown too long at nurse not to be
by this time pretty well grown. The Nashville
Convention would probably be no sooner organized
than some leader would start up and produce from
his pocket constitution, frame Of govern
ment, ready made, embracing perfect organiza-
ton, to be adopted by acclamation--for it would
not bear debate, and still less the reflex of public
opinion-and put in operation, possibly, by choos-
ing at Presidentor Dictator, as the case may
be,) and investing him Professionally with plenary
powers, until the form of election of Legislature
and appointment of Executive and Judicial officers
could be gone through. Every one who is fami-
liar with the history and the machinery Of political
conventions-our venerable neighbor Of the Union
newspaper, for example-will see not only the pos
sibility, but the probability of such surprise
this being attempted, and attempted with success.
We shall not conclude what we have to say
on this subject with any moral of our own devils
ing. Resortng to an authority from which we
have before now drawn wise instruction for our
selves and our readers, we commend to them
the following from distinguished English author,
which appears to us to have direct bearing upon
the subject now before us:
Before men listen even to moderate alterations
8 in the Government of their country, they ought
TO take that principles not propagated for
that purpose which are too big for their object.
Doctrines limited in their present application and
: wide in their general principles, are never meant
: to be confined to what they at first pretend fl
8 were to form prognostic of the effect of the
present Vaccinations on the people from their
sense Of any grievance they suffer under this con-
: stitution, my mind would be at ease. But there
8 is wide difference between the multitude, when
. they act against their Government from sense
of grievance, or from zeal for some opinions.
{ When men are thoroughly possessed with that