The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-05-07
WING Address to the People OF
virginia.


At an adjourned meeting Of the Wing mem
hers Of the General Assembly, and Of the Con-
vention To reinm their Constitution, held al tbs
capitol in Richmond, an Address 10 the People Of
Virginia was presented by the committee, adopt
ed by the MEETING, and ordered to be published.
The following is an extract from ii;
We do mol deny lha, out of the acts OF
the Federal authorities or the conduct Of
other States, causes may arise TO justify
an aggrieyed State in Iesnriing 10 the
strongest measures Of redress, for. as has
been well said. to deny this would be Ia
question The very title by which the peo.
pie of This country hold their liberties. But
we mean To say that cause sufficient 10
Justify member OF this confederacy in
Withdrawing from il. and riolaiing the
faith plighled TO the resi-, must be Of such
enormous magnitude, marked by such
unquesiionable aggrava,ion. and Of such
imperious necessity, as to leave no doubt
on the mind OF an impartial public Of lis
adequaieness. In the present case, the
injuries complained uf are not peculiar 10
the Stale complaining, but are shared IN
an equal. il mol superior degree. by the
ether Southern States. And yet these
States find in them no sufficient excuse
for disturbing the Union. Indeed. the
very acts from which the injuries arc SIP.
posed to proeeed-lhe admission Of Caii.
fornia as State, aud the settlement Of the
Texan boundary--derived from their vail
diiy, in part. as tile records Of Congress
show, from The votes Of Southern repre-
sen,aiives We think. iherrfnre. we haz'
ard nothing in declaring that. in The pre-
sent condiliun " affairs, Federal and State
there is no justification nnr even excuse
for the ,nediiatpd secession.
lfihe aei were such in It's consea ences
as to be visited oalr upon that State, We
might remain passive; yet mol the less in
ierested spectators Of The issue. But. nm
fortunately, il is Gar n,terwi-e, and bui too
well calculated To involve in the same in,
discriminate ruin with The offending mem.
Der Of The coniederscy, the most innocen
and even deserving.
/ We mean TO express no opinion on The
coniroverled question Of the right ol I
Stale to secede from the conle,leracy, MOI
nf the constitutional duties az the Fedora
authorizes, in such an emergency. We
should certainly never desire To see til,
soil Of our sister States pressed by the
hostile lIead Of Federal troops. nor hel
SONS slaughtered in unnatural war. Blu
we can give no assurance that the Other
States will find i, compatible with ,heil
safety TO surrender the important port O
that State, or 10 behold some European
power establish luolh0id there and The
very fortress erected by revolutionary
hands. pass-perLaps under coereed urea.
ties -in.o the possession Of the naughty
toe against whose aggressions il was de.
signed 10 be defence.
To Louisiana j, would hardly be con-
ceded that she should secede with the
insulh Of the Mississippi. or TO Florida,
that she should secede with The command
of the Gulph, since either would. bv the
ACT. convert into foreign. perhaps hostile
States, Territory, paid for out Of the com
mon treasury. and Obtained for the high
purpose Of the national safety. And YET
jf the at of successful secession be once
committed. il will be impossible. ever sfer,
10 deny 10 any dissatisfied member Of The
rnnIederaey The rghllo followIhe example.
The inevitable consequence must be. that
The Federal authority will cease 10 he re-
specIed al home. and that abroad ,!isposi.
uops wifi son be manifested TO lake