Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-18
Virginia Commissioners to the Southern


sci with tho border slave States, meets with
concurrence and approval in influential quar-
! ters Without designing the least opposition
to this, or any other movement, which has for
its object the united and concurrent action Of all
the slave States, we yet feel some doubts Us to its
usefulness or propriety. Indeed there is a view
of the subject in which positive injury might
result from such Il commission. Virginia has
but recently rejected similar proposition from
South Carolina and Mississippi, made in SYM
pathy and kind feeling for i daring and inf.-
nous wrong pcrpctrated upon her own SOIL
South Carolina WAS not the only State whose
counsels were rejected, but Mississippi, who
has not acted with prccipitant haste, was also
rejected by Virginia. To send Commissioners 10
these two States to solicit conference when YOU
| rejected their sympathy and would have none of
their advice, would not tend to any good re.
suit whatever There remains then Georgia,
Alabama, Florida and Louisiana, 10 whom the
commissioners could go without the embarrass-
mrnt that would attend them in South Carolina
and Mississippi We should not desire to see
Commissioners sent to these States and not sent
to South Carolina and Mississippi. But there is
another difficulty. Commissioners from Yirsi-
mia shonlL he authorized by the sovereignty Of
Virginia to speak to the Conventions of the
Cotton States The present Legislature Of
Virginia having elected the counsels Of South
crn States could nut with any grace, approach
| those States by Commissioners. but the Con
vertlon Of Virginia, deputing Commissioners
TO visit the Southern States, and lay be-
fore those States, in Conventions assembled,
the sovereign will of Virginia, would produce
that united South which all patriots at the
South now desire.
| Commissioners from the Convention Of Er.
ginia would he clothed with dignity and re-
sponsibiIity which no Legislature could confer,
and would be received and listened to with a
Difference and respect never paid TO any act Of
State Legislature 1t would bc one sovereign
people comforting with other sovercigntieS and
empowered to act for and bind in common ac
ton all the States OF the South; but legislative
commissioners would have no power, and could
do no good whatever The Southern States
wcnId not know what Importance to attach to q
Legislative commissioner, since Legislatures arc
unstable and changcabc bodies; but Conrcn-
tions Of State sovereignty comforting and coun-
selling with the representatives Of sovereign
tics have that about them which carries au-
thority and commands respect
The great difficulty which will attend this
subject Of Commissioners, is that the Southern
can bc appointed by Convention and, ap.
pointed 10y any other authority, would not be
received with that respect and Difference which
they should receive, to be productive Of good.
If the Legislature will act promptly, and
assemble Tie Convention with all possible dsS-
patch, providing for the election Of delegates
at the earliest practicable day, the Convention
nay assemble in time to arrest the permanent
dissolution of the Conftdcracy. But there
must be no delay, nn hcSitancy, but prnmptncss
and despatch.
10 Commissioners, either Conventional o.
Legislative, can prevent the secession Of tlr
cotton States, but Commissioners may du
much to re-uritc upon permanent settlement
the States Of the Union
The recurring agitation Of the slavery
question: attended as it is with periodical pc
culinary embarrassment, prostrating trade and
l,op ipr nT tbu mol
"casc Di$nnion is preferable to such pcriadi.
cal crises in the pccuniary affairs Of thc com.
try. No people can stand proslrat;ol y!
their business evrry four years, with inferno
diatc disturbances every six and twelve months.
The approach of each session Of Congress is now
regarded by prudent men with the utmost
anxiety, and by the great mass OF the people
with apprchcnsons Of u bloody conflict on the
floor The secession Of the cotton States will
bring the slavery question to point, from which
something definite NAY be ascertained. Their
secession will test the question OF permanent
peace Of the Union, Of renL settlement Of the
slavery question; and that test will determine
the future OF the country whether il is TO be
united or divided II by arrestlng dSnnion we
should continue these periodical ngItationS @!
tic slavery question, and leave the snhjcct in
lis present disturbed and unsettled condition,
then We arc opposed to arrestnS diSunion.
We are disposed TO let the cotton States pur-
:;uc their course until they bring the country
TO state "f permanent peace or bloody war.
We prefer, therefore, to see Commissioners
sent to those States Gfter secession. They can
then ascertain peace terms from the North and
submit tircn rs the basis Of reunion to l'c ac-
ccptcl Or rejected as they offer permanent
peace ur Il hollow truce.
If it is the hope Of any whu now advocate
commissioners to the cotton States, 10 divide
their counsels, to detach any one or more Of
them from South Carolina we shall oppose all
commissions; and would advise the cotton
States 10 watch well all commissioners accrcdit
ed to them, and not to South Carolina. Beware
! they 10 not admit a Trojan horse; if they per-
hit themselves to become divided-Georgia
seeking safety in the patched up compromises
of "criSs committees" and leaving South ca.
! rulina to breast the storm Of secession aiGne
and unsuproltc--a submission awaits tlcm
more degrading than that sought to be imposed
upon Virginia and the border States. But if,
in concert, they maintain their rights, listening
| to no commissions from any quarter that Go
not first tender guarantee ofthcir equality and
their rights, they must eventually rally to their
support, not only the border States, but the
great mass of the Northern conservative peo-
pie.
If any Commissioners are appointed by the
Legislature, they should be sent first to Mary.
land, to confer with that Statcupon the plan OF