Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-22
special Message OF Governor Wise.


The following special message Of the Cover
nor Of Virginia, was communicated to the Lee
gisature on the 10th instant:
To the Senate and House of Delegates Of the
General assembly Of the Commonwealth Of
Virginia:
GENTLEMEN: | hesitate to decide upon COM
plying with the request of the Governor and
Legislature of Vermont, to lay before you the
accompanying resolutions of that State, /" on SO
much OF the Governors message as relates to
Kansas
These resolutions are In every sense offensive
to us, and unbecoming the intercourse and cor
respondence which should obtain between SOW
ereign States In the same Confederacy. They
are designed to rritate public feeling upon a
topic, concerning which it is naturally and ha-
bitually sensitive and excited, and are cacu-
lated to impair the affection which should bind
the people of the States together in national
union. Extremely erroneous and false, in fact
and in principle, they are not worthy OF discus
sion. The time for discussing such unwelcome
missves from State to State is passed. We
cannot reason with the heads of fanatics, nor
touch hearts fatally bent upon treason.
From time to time, for many years, the au-
thors Of such mischief have been demonstrated
peat outrages, to renew insults, and at last to
organize opposition to the Constitution and
laws, and to seize upon State and Federal au-
thority for further aggression.
In the present posture of relations, we can
but wait in calm, dignifed, and patient compo
sure, either for the worst to come to the worst,
or for returning sense of patriotism, rever-
ence for the past, a sacred regard to law and
order, a love of justice and of peace, to be re-
awakened and to restore a sisterhood of States,
its affection, its harmony, its glory and
strength.
i, therefore, recommend that no action be
had or taken upon these resolutions by you.
1t is proper, perhaps, that they should be pre-
served only as State archives, in proof of the
wrong offered US and of our lorbearancc; and
and this, and respect for State sovereignty
alone, determine me to notice them as | now
do. They are but minor results of the same
cause Of apprehension and danger which has
assumed much more formidable phase, and
now arrests the gravest attention of our coun.
try. The federal government is arrested in its
operation, the representative branch of Con-
gress is dlsorganized, and the representative
principle itself is brought into disrepute by it
at this very moment; and, in such crisis as
this, we can hardly descend to look TO its re-
suits upon Vermont Legislature and Execu-
tive. Our attention is called 10 Washington
city, not to Montpelier. Parties, affiliated
with those of Vermont who have sent to us
these resolutions, have grown so strong as to
succeed in electing to Congress more than one
hundred representatives to oppose mere mi
nority who are now defending the Constitution,
and in withholding from that minority the sup
port of thirty representatives, chiefly of the
Southern States; and the effect is, that the
House OF Representatives cannot be organized,
except upon terms subversive of the Constitu-
ton and Union; and the South is distracted
and divided against itself. Is the design of the
plurality disunioaP Is the purpose of the
faction dirision among ourselves If so, it is
time that all people and all interests in our
country should be aroused to sense of the
fact, that the easiest step to disunion is a pith-
drdacat Of representation, and that the most
potent cause TO compel withdrapal Of repre-
sentdtion rs TO disorganize, distract and degrade
representation. How long Virginia shall be
kept waiting for organization on constitutional
terms? how long she shall be kept waiting on
disorganization, 10 aroid being PIT upon terms
Of dishonor or being exposed TO danger are
questions for her people and her Legislature
to determine. For my part, | repeat the re-
commentator, of calm, collected dignity, and
of patient and forbearng patriotism. Wait!
bat be not icanting TO ourselves and our pos
terity, / earnestly implore you.
With the highest respect, your obedient ser
want, HENRY A. WISE.
RICHMOND, VA Jan. Is. 1856