The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-21
VIRGINIA.

llhOlAIl,
! The following resolutions have been sdopted
in the House of Delegates Virginia, with much
unanimity, except the fifth on which the vote
stood-yeas 81, nays 20.
Whereas the recent action of the General As
/ sembly upon the Wilmot Proviso and kindred
subjects, and in relation to fugitive slaves, has
met with no other response from the non-saye-
/ holding States than violent denunciation and q
| systematic perseverance in the wrongs Of which
! we complained and whereas it is apparent that
the inevitable result Of such n course of action On
the part OF portion Of the States must be 10 ex-
cite bitterness, jealousy, and distrust among the
rest 10 kinde the angriest passions to extingui.h
that spirit Of concession and destroy that mutual
lorbearance and fraternal affection which founded
and have Sustained our Confederncy and finally
10 dissolve the Union itself: ami whereas we are
anxious if nOssiblr 10 avert the eyiIs whisl
threaten ~ ard believe thst tho NET rifectu,l
means OF doiug tNis arr 10 be found ia the c0rtiai
union Of the whole South for the maintenance of
the Constitution, and the preservation of the
Union, If il can be preserved, and for their own
preservation If it cannot:
L. Be therefore resolved By The General ASsemllp
Of VugiHia, That upon the questions thus perse-
yeringly and recklessly forced upon tho country
Virginia has taken her position and that position
will be maintained. Her loyalty to the Union il
no matter of empty profession. IL is stamped on
every page of her history. No State has done IA
much TO form the Union; none is prepared to do
more TO perpe;uate il in the spirit in which twas
formed, and in which alone it can be preserved
But loyal as she is, and always has been il were
fatal error to suppose that Virginia will ever
consent that that Union, to which she has looked
as source of happiness and honor, shall be
verted into an instrument of degradation and op-
preston
? ReSolred, That, in the event of the passage
of the Wilmot Proviso, or of any law abolishing
slavery in the District of Columbia, Tor in any
manner interfering with the rights of slavehold-
ers therein, CT nbolishing slavery or the slave
tro5e hafwaa" fh~ Sfates1 Vi-.Inia viii BIO
pared to unite with her sister slaveholding States
in convention or otherwise in the adoption of any
measures that may be necessary to provide for
their mutual defence, or to secure their common
safety
3. RsSolred, That, in the opinion of this Gener-
al Assembly, Southern convention, in which the
States States are represented should consist Of
delegates selected by the people Of the several
States in convention assembled, who should carry
with them all the authority derived from such mn
appointment, and be prepared to act for those
whom they represent.
4. Resolred, thretore, That, upon the happening
of either of the contingencies contemplated in tho
second resolution, the Governor be authorized and
requested (instcad Of converting the LEGISLATURE
TO issue his proclamation for the election of dele
gates 10 State convention, 10 take into consider
alton the mode and measure of redress, with power
to appoint delegates to Southern convention, and
to adopt such measures as the crisis may demand
The said delegates to be chosen by each city,
county or election district according to its repre-
sentation in the House Of Delegates, aud to re-
ceive the same pay and mileage as members of the
General Assembly
8. Rssolred, That regarding the convention pro-
posed TO be held at Nashville on the first Monday
In June next as intended to enable the peoplaof
the South to take counsel together rs to the best
and most eifectual means of resisting the aggres-
sions Of the North, Of enforcing compliance on
their part with their constitutional obgatien&
| and thereby of preserving the union of tk0lS
States, now in imminent peril by reason OF the
course pursued by the non-slaveholding States
| and their representatives. in Congress, in their
ceaseless agitation land that too in the most I'M
friendly spirit Of questions involving the peace,
| the institutions, and the very existence Of the
Southern States, and approving the objects Of the
| said convention as above set forth, the General
Assembly doth recommend to the good people Of
this Commonwealth to send delegates thereto,
and that, 10 this end, they hold primary meetings
in each city, county, and election district, in the
State, and appoint delegates to convention to be
held in each congressional district Ia the month OF
May next. and that the district conventions 80
constituted, do each select two persons, lone from
each Of the two political parties Of the country
who shall be delegates to the said Nashville Con-
vention'
,.sI,b ~ .o,,o..ad ~ ~ y, WI, ,ha's
resolutions 10 each OF the slayeholding STATES Of
this Union, and also to our Senators and Repre-
sentatiyes in Congress.
A.
olutions, Mr. Watson presented the resolutions of
his county, Albemarle, protesting against the
Nashville Convention, and all proposals of repri-
SAILS non-intercoursc, &c, as premature.
The second resolution, as it originally stood,
mentioned the "abolition of the slave-trade in
the District Of Columbia as one Of the causes
for resistance "at all hazards, and to the last ex
tremity" But this was stricken out, and tho
words in brackets were inserted
After the adoption Of the second resolution the
following proceedings TOOK place
Mr. Snowden read despatch from member
OF Congress In washington, stating that Mr..
ROOTS proposition TO apply the Wilmot Proviso
to tho Territories had been rejected by twenty
eight majority. II was regarded as settling tho
defeat Of the Proviso. Much applause In the
Hall
We hope the constituents Of the eighteen Dem
ocrats and fourteen Wings from the North, who
voted to lay Roots resolution on the table, and
so OF the score OF the dodgers on that resolution,
will note those proceedings Will they echo the
4 nc rcs0'"'ions were sch. 10 Tue senate, ~here