The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-20
special Message or the Governor orvirs,nla.
Executive DKPARTMEHT,
RICHMOND, Dec. 10, 1850


RICHMOND, Dec. 10, 1850.
the General assembly Of The State Of Virginia
GENTLEMEN herewith transmit TO you pre-
amble and resolutions passed by the Convention OF
Indiana, assembled torcvise the constitution OF that
State, and the report and resolutions OF IKE Con
vention of the State of Maryland. The spirit in
which they are conceived must be regarded a
favorable omen, and they excite the hope that the
feelings of bitterness and dissension which pervade
the Confederacy may yet pass lharmeasly away.
There are, indeed, portentous manifestations of
deep discomfort at the South and these have been
heightened and inilaIned by the course recently
pursued in Vermont. The Legislature OF that State
has virtually, by statute annuled the law OF Con-
gress for the recapture OF fugitive slaves, which
alone induced the Southern States to acquiesce in
the late compromise measures Vermont has thus
inflicted upon the whole South at once an injury
and an insult. To neither with honor or
self respect submit.
There must be distinct, immediate, and final
settlement of the question of slavery between the
slavehodiDg and the non. slaveholding States II
the present agitation Is continued, the Union Will
inevitably be destroyed. II this element of discord
be removed, no cause OF feud remains 10 jeopardize
the pcrinanence OF our confederation No honor
able means should be left untried restore and
perpctuate tranquility For this we should
hatIst every measure of Cancellation and iorbear-
ance We can scarcely pay too much for the re-
storation of that fraternal harmony, which Is the
hie.blood OF our iederate organization, 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 main
tain at all hazards and at any cost her honor, her
equality, her Independence, and her essential
rights In proof Of her devotion to the Union, she
must be prepared to sacrifice all else to her sense of
patriotism.
The late action of Vermont demands an instant
settlement OF the issue which has long distracted
the country. The recent action of Indiana seems
to indicate that the time ID propitious for its AMIGA
bic decision. For the restoration of complete and
efiectual harmony, would suggest measure, in
u,b nat fall Hal w ho
ence and are willing to abide by the Constitution,
may cooperate.
would recommend the adoption by the Legisla-
turc of resolutions, inviting all the States of the
Union to unite in sending delegates to represent
the whole people in General Convention, which
ought to assemble at an early period not later
than May, al Baltimore, or some other convenient
central point for the purpose of bringing TO an 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 resolutions by which ID called All should
be invited TO unite IN this movement who are IN
favor of the perpctuaton of the Union and who, to
attain this result, in favor of the Fugitive Slave
Bill, honestly and cordially enforced, who OPP
posed To its repeal or essential modification, and
who are adverse to any further agitation OF the
slavery question: either in Congress In the States.
With this the South will be content less than this
can only evenuae IN the dissolution of the Union.
The action of su Convention, if successful and
fully sustained the yeholding States would
satisfy and quiet the South; if unsuccessful, il
would prove that the friends Of order and the
Union are iinpotent to control the fanatcal pas
sions which are now urging on speedy dissolu-
ton Ii Is measure which addresses itself to no
particular party, and refers TO political organ
CATION, but asks the cordial support of every true
patriot in all sections of widely extended Re
public, ana which alone seems adequate to redress
avert the terrible evils under which the country
now labors, or OF which it is apprehensive.
To render this measure eficctual, and TO relieve
the deliberations of the Convention from the tram
mes by which il might otherwise be embarrassed,
| would further recommend that such resolutions
be accompanied with the sincere and earnest APP
peal of the State of Virginia. speaking through her
Legislature TO her sister States of the South, en-
treating them TO postpone any extreme action In
relation to present difficulties until the result OF
the deliberations of such Convention could be
known. The restrictive measures which the Legis-
lature may adopt might be made dependent for
their continuation upon the ultimate action of this
Convention.
BY the adoption of this course, it appears to me,
the Union might be preserved and perpetuated III
fraernal harmony, or the South enabled 10 present
a united and unbroken front to the assaults of ia
natica adversaries. The first must be the sangune
hope of all lovers Of freedom and their country the
last must be the sole refuge of Southern independ-
ence only when all brighter hopes are proved by
this last effort be futile and vain The of the
South must be, as it has been-U Mon, If We can
independence, if we must
have the honor 10 be, very respectfully, your
obedicnt servant,
JOHN Il. FLOYD.