Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-29
The Position Of Vuginja-Slaue trade in TIL
District.

District.
AS it may be we'll for Virginia to know every
euise in which her late resolves will 90 before
the people of South Carolina, we copy the follow
ing paragraph frola the "Southern Press" which,
we presume, has larger patronage in that State
than in any other:
ANTI CLrMAx-The submit sion resolutions reported
BY the committee OF thirteen in the Virginia House oil
Delegates and based on the resolutions offered by Hon
X. +. Scott have passed that body almost unanl-
naously,-Whigs and Democrats, Southern rights men
and suomssionsts, all uniting in the most marvellous
concord This is the body which passed IN l94o reso-
luton declaring that they would resist at all hazards
law OF Congress aboshng the slave trade in the Dis
trict of Columbia
When Elisha, the prophet, foretold to Naaman, the
Syrian the sins he was going 10 commit. the syrian
asked indignantly, Us thy servant dog, mat ne
should do this thing ;"
Virginia vaunted that she would resist at all hazards
and to the last extremity She has arrived at the last
extremity without ressting-she has sacrilced more
without hazard than she could have done with t-and
she has passed under the Caudine forks-oic U0h'
sit gloria mundi.
The only tangible point in this offensive accu-
saton against the course of Virginia is the 81 ate
ment that, in 1913, the Legislature declared that
she would resist, at all hazards, a law Of Con-
gress abolishng the slave trade in the District Of
Columbia and yet, notwithstanding the act ofthe
late Congress, has almost unanimously passed
Submissive resolutions" The "Southerm Press"
has been at reat pains to pr, IS upon public at
tenton, this charge concerning the former de-
claration of the Virginia Legislature in regard to
the slave trade in the District, and, inasmuch as
its representation of the matter is by no means
correct, we think it proper to give the true hiso-
ny.
The Legislature passed no resolution, in lS48,
touching the District slave trade. The resolu-
tons of that year related altogether to apprehend
ed legislation by Congress to prohibit slavery in
the Territories acquired from Mexico. On Sat-
urday the Goth day Of January, $40, a series of
resolutions was adopted, reaffirming and repeat
ing those of 1S48, and embracing, in addition,
the following resolves:
H. Resolved, That we regard the passage of n law
by the United States aboshng slavery the slave trade
in the District of Columbia direct attack upon the
Institutions OF the Southern States to be resisted at every
hazard
H. Resoloed, That in the event of the passage by
Congress Of the "Wilmot Provso' any law abolish
ing slavery the slave trade in the District OF Column.
ba the Governor of this Common wealth is requested
Immediately 10 convene the Legislature OF this State III
II snail nave aulCurHeQ) W VI liiooo
measure OF redress.
The first of these resolutions doubtless, con-
tans the decla, alton to which the Southern Press
refers, and that paper is at liberty to take the full
benefit of the strength of its language though it
is worthy of remark that this resolution was in-
duced by the then recent adoption by the House
of Representatives of the famous resolution Of
tho to u,bi, .b
sive than its substantive proposition to prohibit the
slave trade in the District That preamble and its
resolution, it will be remembered, was in these
words:
Whereas, The traffic now prosecuted in this metro
polls othe Republic, in human beings caels is
rary TO natural justice and the fundamental principles OF
political system, and is noorolsly reproach to our
country throughout Chrsendom, and serious hndrance
to the progress of Republican Liberty among the
tons oil the earth-lherefOre
ResolDed, That the Committee on the District Of
Columbia be instructed to report as soon practicable,
bill prohibiting the slave trade IN said District
With such an announcement Of the motives
which governed the Northern majority ofthe House
in proposing the prohibition, it is not surprising
that the Legislature of Virginia should have mat
the threat by its emphatic declaration Of resist
ance
Such was the action of the Legislature of ls4s,
-'49. At an early period (Jan. 3oth 1860 Of
the following session. commencing Simultaneous
ly with the long session oil the late Congress, the
close of which was slgnazed by the passage of
the measures of adjustments joint committee ofthe
legislature reported another series Of resolutions.
The second Of these resolutions, as it came from
the Committee, made the passage Of any law abol-
ishng "Slavery or the slave trade in the District
of Columbia, a contingency in which Virginia
would be prepared for combining with other south
ern States to take measures of mutual defence.
The resolutions were taken up in the House of
Delegates on Tuesday the 9th of February
Mr.. Albert G. Pandleton (DemocraD moved tie
amend the second resolution by striking out the
words "or the slave trade" before Sin the District
Of Columbia" and so otherwise modifying the
phraseoogy as to make the resolution read thus:
II. Resolued. that n the OF the passage ofthe
Wimot Proviso. OF any law abolshmg slavery in |
The District of Columbia in any manner interfering
with the rights of shareholders therein. abohng
slavery the slave trade between the States, Virginia
will be prepared 10 unite with her sister saveholdng
States, in Convention otherwise in the adoption of
any provide for their mutual defence, to
secure their mutual safety.
The language Of the original resolution was,
"any law aboshing slavery or The Stare trade
in the District of Columbia or between the
States.''
Mr.. Pendletons motion to amend was adopted |
ayes 80, noes 81, and the resolution as amended
was passed, ayes 1875, noes2.
The date Of this important proceeding deserves
to be noted, because it is in a great degree, OK
planatory of The amendment. Mr. Clay had, but
a few days before, on the 29th of January, intro
duced, in the Senate of the United St ates, his
Compromise resolutions (not the report of the |
Committee of Thirteen.) One of them proposed
as part of general plan of settlement the pro-
hibition Of the trade in slaves brought to the Dis