Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-02-04

peu and enormous taxes driven TO seek safety i'm the
a'ms oi o''pouu military governments at home to
gue ior protection from foreign powcr of whose interest
cd designs they would be made the victim and the
SPORTY
Our sister State OF South Carolina now invites Virgin
Ia INTO convention OF the Southern States, with the
open avowa on her part that she considers secession
IN other words, disunion-as the true and only remedy
Tor the evils complained Of This invitation has certain
~ been given in discouteous sense vet cannot but
think when 1t is recoeced that Virginia has already
on more than one OCCASION soemny expressed her opn
ion to South Carolina against the adoption OF this her IA
vorte remedy, that it doubtful compliment at least
TO Ie-propose II TO her at moment when it might be
| supposed tina: her consistency aud frmness had been
somewhat wrought upon by circumstances and consde
raons appealing rather to her fears than her undersan
! ding
Be this as may South Carolina deserves most res
pectiul answer; and that answer should be distinguished
by the nlness of which she herself has set an homo
rable example II Virginia thinks she has here
oiore thought, that disunon whether by the Of
secession or any other not the wise and proper RENE
dy Tor existing evils she ought in candour TO say So
And II such IS her opinion why should her representa-
ves make her party to a sectional convention propos-
ed primarily and avOwedly with a view to secession
/ the one true and only practical remedy:
To my mind, there are two obvious and conclusive Oh
ectOns against the acceptance of the invitation The
hrstis that upon an issue of vital character as that
in contemplation, the people of Virginia should be left
perfectly free and uucOmmted to decide for themselves
it their sovereign and exclusive right 10 do,when
the solemn crisis, demanding their decision and their
ton shall arrive The other is that the expedent of
this convention while likely tolcad satisfactory re-
suit and certain not to receive the of
raj Of the slayehOdug States with which Virginia by
juXtapostou and community of interests, is most init
macly connected, would yet serve TO distract our at
cntOn, and prevent the concentration Of efforts
other measures OF both a more legitimate and more eff
| icent character.
There other views OF this subject which deserve to
be most maturey poudered Suppose il TO be decreed
that owing to The unhappy and dscordant passions of
men-cerauy by no necessary operation OF Inc system
SeltbS glorious union of confederate States is to be
broken up; what is to be the order Of things that
will, probably, arise from los ruins? Spccuatious upon
the dissolution OF the Union novelty in our pot
cal history They were INDUCED before, well as since,
the adoption OF the present Federal Constitution Ii has
been hitherto supposed, with exceptions until re-
Gently taat should the catastrophe OF dissolution
occur three coHgd'raco least, would have 10 he
constructed out O! the shattered fragments.
A. l'.a as 1911, distinguished senator Of South Car.
Dina Ne hcDlIiie, ON the loor OF the Senate presented
"a ist iiai OF the system which in his conception
would siug om the ashes Of thc present aud he gave
u, the perspective OF three grand coniederaciesa
uiucuuug conlcGcrlry, 10 consist OF the Eastern aud
Middle States; farming coniclcrlcE oil the Western
and Northwestern States and planting coniedeiacy OF
the S.ahem and SouthWe states In this arrange
utut, 10 is evident thai the able and eloquent Senator
looked to industrial interests o chief potency in
trolling thr permanent redistribution OF the States into
nra coni,demc!cs
Being at thlt time a member OF the Senate and called
upon TO PIE cut some views Ia opposition To those OF the
scaator Of south Carolina, io' whom ever cherished
tha highest respect vel, the warmest personal re-
gard, r'yohei IN my mind, thoroughly as was
pth!c OF DONG the s0ddeung theme OF possible disO-
luton % The Union, with the new aihnites and relations
Of The States that would be most likely 10 follow such
catastrophe The result, O! that careful consideration OF
"A 4.
and more confirmed me, Was that, by whatever line the
Union might be violently severed IN the moment OF an
evapeiat.ng conflict on sectional question connected
with jhe domestic institutions Of portion of the States
other aud more operative considerations resulting from
physical and commercial laws, would and must decide
the Interior earmug Of the parts into new coued-
eIaci.s
Maryland for example to whom Virginia is iudissolu-
J, united their early history proves, by the interests
AMI necessities involved u the jurisdiction and OF the
broad u.yis Die waters common to BOTH is bound by
similar ties through tie Chesapeake aud the Slsqueau
ul 10 the States of Delaware and Peunsy lyanit; and
these again to their uyiglOr New Jersey by the n1tu
raj artery of commerce common 10 all Jlroc of them;
alil. the latter is Ia like mauher linked with NV York
h le c.Iiry OF the Hudson ITS noble bay aloriiuc
Indispensable channel, Of intercourse and trade Tor the
day aud hourly use OF both Of these c~mnous STATES
II we look TO thc West we md Virginia in oue-hal Of
her domain united byt the same natural g,m,ns through
the Ohio and H. tributaries to Kentucky and the States
of h. NORTHWEST Will. these latter bv the fiat of ma
ure must ever form with the slyeLollug Stats on Tie
bank. OF the Mississippi one common sovereign OF the
"aher Of watcr- which the outlet 70 the ocean pro-
vded foI them all. Virginia on her Southern Dor Ter
In like manner aad by similar ties stands inseplrbly
associated with her uuionoyiag and conservative sister
II t,s. North Carolina and Tennessee
Come what may, hcn,f you will excuse me for repeat
ing the language OF my answer TO Mr. McDulhe AL the
above mentioned great central States Of the Union
both sides Of the Allegheny and including the mighty
valley OF the Mississippi are tied together by natural
bonds which neither the folly nor the wckedness
can ever permanently dissolve; aud il separation should
at any future time take pacet occur only at the ex
tremtie7 where the centrifugal tendencies occasionally
manifested Will IN the end II to be hoped be con'roL,
ed by the Instincts OF an American nationality as wen
as 10y sober calculation oil consequences.
To these considerations II may DC auleu that 'he DOT
der states, on oOth sizes OIL 'e ue WHICH separates Tue
slayc-holdng and non-Slayehodng communities oil Ame'
rca, must ever nave pecuAr ana 'Pe'la interest III
preserving their present political connection as the only
means OF a'ertng those hos'nes ana eohlc' between
them, "nch IN Tue absence o' ''' ConIt0'o' 'e ul
ference o. 'ue'I uoi's'i0 Oi'i NV 'o' s''
RE TO- ]" '' sIn1'! " e. TIL
y" my ou' "aur ,,p,C ,t ,onsry,Io-s NJ tho
,ti l. -, ,',, 20 o,.J.r,,,I..i,o. ,t,, -,
mon - "01.I ~ Lii, IL ~ - H.
,,'9' 49, ~" Wv ] 800, ,c To- hr IL
ems ANA - ,' r o., 80 pc ,l
I ,. ca '''' ,0N - - -, Xo, 10 ,,i,ed ~
'".o' '1' ''I ~! Up - w., 49, III. 81
"A l,'',,'! anu P-', 'o.'''" ~ - - t;.,i =; -.
VI N' ~ - t, tI;,. ,l Ir;,is
.t-e." anu 'o'''' '''E",'O' '''' i - i =;
iC' ''1 ''.'1' e. -' 70 , .f, ,,l,I;t7 -. ~
',o s-"l -! W -, + ,I' Id, ] G
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'i'' 80 -, ~ IL o, ,-t rc,ls he tom,
the HoF"a' coh-''oN Oh 'nDs' ANU "''S' N''O' NC
PO1"'! M ,.,io ,e mo-, the roy,sr 70 oyer.