Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-12-21
A NEW SCHEME FOR KEEPING UP AGITATION.
The Governor of Virginia sent to the Legisa-
ture on Tuesday the following special message:
Executive DEPARTMENT,

@. ExECUTIvE DEPARTMENT.,
RIcHMoND, DECEMBER l6, 1850.
To the General assembly ofthe State of Vrginia:
GENTLEMEN herewith transmit to you preamble and
resolutions passed by the Convention Of Indiana assembled
revise the Constitution of that State and the report and
resolutions of like Convention Of the State Of Maryland.
The spirit in which they conceived must be regarded
favorable omen aud they excite the hope that the feelings of
bitterness and dssenson which pervade the Conedeacy may
yet pass harmlesy away There are indeed portentous
manifestations Of deep discomfort the South and these have
been heightened and named by the recently pursued
in Vermont The Legislature of that State has virtually by
statute annued the law of Congress for the recapure Of
fugitive slaves which alone induced the Southern States
acquesce in the late compromise measures. Vermont has
thus inflicted upon the whole South at injury and
insult To neither with honor serespect submit
There must be distinct immediate and final settlement
of the question of slavery between the savehong and the
non-slaveholding States. If the present agitation is
tnued the Union will inevitably be destroyed If this element
Of dscod be removed Of eud remains eopadze
the pemanence of confederation No honorable means
should be left untried to restore and pepeuae tranquility.
For this should exhaust every Of Cancellation and
forbeaance We can scarcely pay too much for the esoa
ton of that faernal harmony which is the eblood of
federae Organisations and which alone for any length
Of time preserve the Union. In discharge of the duty which
the South TO herself and her citizens she must maintain
at all hazards and any cost her honor her equality, her
independence, and her essential rights In proof Of her de-
voon to the Union she must be prepared to sacrifice all else
TO her sense of patriotism. .sa
The late action Of Vermont demands an instant settle
ent of the issue which has long distracted the country
The recent action Of Indiana indicate that the time
propous for its amcabe decision For the restoration Of
complete and effecnal harmony would suggest measure
in which the patriots a all sections and all who
and willing to abide by the Constitution, may cooperate
would recommend the adoption BY the Legislature Of re-
solutions inviting all the States Of the Union to unite in send
ing Delegates represent the whole People in General Con-
venon, which ought to assemble at early perod-not
later than Mayat Baltimore other convenient CEN
trail point for the purpose Of bringing to end all sectional
controversies relative to slavery To that end, the
principles which should govern the action of the Convention
ought to be announced in the resolutions by which is cali
ed All should be invited unite in this movement who
in favor of the perpetuaon Of the Unon and who, to attain
this result in favor Of the Fugitive Slave Bill honestly
and cordially enorced who opposed to its repeal or
senta notifications and who adverse to any further ag
taion Of the slavery question: either in Congress in the
States With this the South will be content less than this
only eventuate in the dissolution of the Union The
action Of such Conventions successful and fully sustained
by the non-savehodng States would satisfy and quiet the
South il unsuccessful it would prove that the friends Of
order and the Union mpotent to control the natca
sons which now urging speedy dissolution Is q
measure which addresses itself particular party, and
ers TO political oganizaon but asks the cordial support
of every patriot in all sections Of our widely extended
Republic and which alone adequate redress avert
the terrible evils under which the country now abors Of
which it is apprehensive
To render this measure eecua and to relieve the delibe-
rations Of the Convention from the uammels by which ii
might otherwise be embarrassed, would further recommend
that such resolutions be accompanied with the sincere and
earnest appeal Of the State Of Vgns speaking through
Legislature to her sister States Of the South entreang them
to postpone any extreme action in relation present difficult
ties, until the result OF the deliberations Of such Convention
could be known The restrictive which the Lee
gsaure may adopt might be made dependant for their
inuation upon the utimats action of this Convention.
BY the adoption Of this course il appears me- the Union
might be preserved and perpeuated in faerna harmony
the South enabled present united snd unbroken front
the assaults of anaca adversares The first must be the
sangune hope Of all lovers Of freedom and their country
the last must be the sole refuge Of Southern Independence
only when all brighter hopes proved by this last effort
be futile snd vain The motto Of the South must be- as
has been, Union, if we neutrality-suspicious. if we must
have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obeden
| servant, JOHN B. FLOYD.
| This message was referred TO select committee
| and ordered 10 be printed.