The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-29

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TUESDAY, APRIL 80. 1851.
address OF tho whis members OF tho Viz
xinia Legislature and Convention, on
the Compromise.
We publish this document to-day-to use
cant phrase, as part of the history of the times
We think, however, it is important to the grea
body Of the people of the South to know tn,
views Of the leading members of great party
in great State Of the South 1t may be pre-
sumed that the members OF that party in two
such important bodies az the Contention anc
Legislature of Virginia represent, at least to ,
considerable extent, the sentiments of tho party
in the State.
The first part ofthis address is devoted to the
praise of the Union and contains the following
Not less dear to us than to the patriots who
achieved our independence should BE- " the unity
Ofgovernment which constitutes US one people"
In the language of the Farewell Address of him
who merits to be called the Father of our
Country, we should regard that unity as "a
main pillar Of our real independence; the sup
port Of our tranquility at home, our peace abroad.
Of our safety, Of our prosperity; of the very
liberty which we 80 highly prize" Hardening
to this solemn and venerable advice, we should
cherish a cordial, habtual and immovnble at
tachment to it." and earnestly desire to see
every one stink and speak Of it as the palla-
dunn Of our political safety and prosperity
watch for its preservation, with jealous care
discountenance whatever may suggest even a
suspicion that it can in any event, be abandoned
VrSHsr p0Sntv H.
OF every attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion Of our
country from the rest or enfeebIe the sacred ties
that link together the various parts"
AS an unqualified and idola.rous devotion to
the Union is about the only argument that can
be advanced for submission in the South to the
Compromise, and as Gen. WASHINGTON INDUCED
in expressions. on that subject, that give some
color 70 this sentiment, and hence is frequently
quoted, we consider it important to examine his
viewa.
Gen. WAsHIKcToN's farewell address was
written in 1876, when the country was about to
divide into political parties-Federalists and Re.
publicans And this address was directed as
much against party divisions as sectional diyis-
ions. Hence, in this address he says of party
at serves always to distract the public coun.
ellis, and enfeeble the public administration. 1t
agitates the community with ill-founded jealous
les and false alarms; kindles the animosity of
one part against another, foments occasionally
riot and insurrection 1t opens the door to for
eign influence and corruption, which find facili.
tated access to the government itself through
the channels of party passions. Thus the policy
m uylIl M nm pfru I'll
policy and will Of another"
Notwithstanding WAsHIkoross Farewell Ad-
dress, JEFFERSON, MADISON, and others, went on
to organize party agrinst WAsHISaToN's own
views. They organized the Republican party of
'sS They were supported in this policy by their
own State, the native State of WASHINGTON. as
we'll as Of themselves-the State of Virginia.
And the celebrated resolutions Of 90, or rather
of 90, were passed by the legislature of that
State. These resolutions were opposed by
General WASHINGTON, and, notwithstanding his
retirement from the Presidency, he entered
actively into the politics of his native State, to
put down the Republican party. He denounced
the course of that party, he denounced these
resolutions rs measures which must eventual
ly dissolve the Union, or produce coercion"-to
use his own language.
II the Republicans of that day had been such
AFFECT worshippers of man, and of name, as
the compromises now, they would have deserted
the rights Of the States, and this government
would have become, or remained despotism.
But the great leaders of the Republican party
had principle, fortitude, and independence of
thought aud character, and they saved the rights
of the States, and the Union of the States in
opposition to General WASHINGTON, PATRICK
HESY, JOHN MARSHALL, JoHH A1Ar4s and AL.
KxAKDER HAMmToN-who were all against
them--all Union men par excellence, and men
with more character, talent, and public service
to sustain them, than all the compromisers put
together. Those, therefore, who now quote
WAsHrSeroN's Farewell Address against dis
union, have no business to appear as political
party, for the same document condemns them.
The Virginia Wings do not adventure on an
argument in support of the Compromise. They
say:
Whilst candor compels us TO admit that those
measures are not, in all respects, what we could
desire, we yet do not hesitate TO declare that we
perceive in them nothing tyrannical nor de-
grading, nor oppressive TO any portion of the
confederncy; nothing but what every patriot
may consistently sanction and as compromise
of conflicting opinions, as a settlement of IN
angry sectional controversy threatening in its
fury the Union itself, we think they commend
themselves to universal support
Net tyrannical nor degrading We should
like to know where, in all the volumes Of his
tory, an instance can be found, where the in
stitutions of whole people have been excluded
from vast territory which belonged to them,
by any thing else than the power and the des-
potism of tyrant
In this case the pretence on which the thing
was done, was an insult to the understanding
superadded TO the degradation of caste. Tn
inhabitants Of California excluded slavery. Thi