Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-22

The proposition has been pressed with a rood
deal of earnestness, by the Washington Union and
the Richmond Enquirer, that the present Virgil.
mia Legislature should send commissioner, OF
commissioners, to South Carolina, to dissuade
that State from secession. We should be glad
to see the Legislature adopt any course which
would honestly and authoritativelv make known
to her sister Southern States the undeniable fact
that she is content and determined to remain in
the Union, with the late measures of adjustment
engrafted upon the statute book Inasmuch as
The South Carolina Legislature is not now in ses.
sion, and will assemble again but few weeks be.
;ore our own, and as their Convention can onlv
meet after call by the Legislature, there seems
to be no urgent necessity at present for the pro.
posed commission. Nevertheless, as commits.
sioners could not be deputed to visit South Car.
DINA without some definite instructions, and as
we consider it chiefly important that the Lepisa.
ture should in some form declare tie purpose ot
the State we should have no objection to their ap-
pointment. But, in our humble judgment, all that
the circumstances require, is the adoption of res
olntons substantially like those presented in the
House of Delegates Thursday evening, BY
Mr.. Scott of Fauquier. We cannot see how
any man, who does not secretly wish for DISH
MON, can object to the declarations contained
in these resolutions. 1t cannot be disputed that
they aver what is simply true, namely, that Virgil
ma will adhere to the Union with the Compromise
measures, and would deplore its dissolution by
the secession of South Carolina. But there is
portion ofthe Democratic party, who fear that
the adoption of such resolutions would tend to
iniure their Congressional candidates in the next
election, by furnishing a. condemnation of their
course in Congress. A small fraction sympa-
thize at heart with the Disunonists of South Ca
rolina, desire her withdrawal, and calculate upon
her dragging" Virginia into secession. Now
unless the Legislature is willing to fall into this
policy, it unquestionably behoves every member
who really wishes to preserve the Union, to unite
in frank avowal ofthe position of the State
Unjust be recollected that the question now pend
ing in South Carolina, is simply this whether
she shall secede alone, or defer it until the other
Southern States will join her The violent par.
ty act upon the belief that, if their tate declares
O't
States will combine with her. The moderate
party require The previous issuance of such
cooperation, and this party is understood to
include Judge Butler and majority of the rep
resentation in the House. They plant themselves
mainly upon The speech of Mr. Langdon Cheves
before the Nashville Convention, in which he i'm
pliedly argued that the success and propriety of
secession would in a great degree depend on the
willingness of Virginia to lead the movement, and
that the joint action of at least four or five States
was indispensable. In the present state of the
question in South Carolina, ii is obviously of the
highest Importance that the intentions of Virginia
should be formally and unequivocally declared.
And we can tell those gentlemen of the Demo-
cratic party who may be disposed to allow party
considerations 10 thwart the dictates of duty that
the Wings will profit far more by their refusing
to make such declaration, and thus permitting
the intentions of Virginia to be misnterpreted
than by their concurrence in a course which the
people will approve.