The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-12-22
SECESSION MOVEMENT AT The SOUTH.

to Charlest ton. He goes Rs "Commiss ioner"
on behalf of the President. The New York
steamer which arrived at Savannah, tuesday,
brought 5000 muskets and so 600 ball cart
ridges for the State. Secretary Thompson,
acting as CommissioLer from Mississippi TO
North Carolina, is in Raleigh, N. U. Ex-Gov.
Mcdonald, of Ga, whoidied few days since
was the President of the memorable Southern
Rights Convention, at Nashville, Tenn in
1850. His last public position was that OF
Elector on the Breckinridga ticketTn Georgia.
THE CITIZENS or MASSACHUSETTS AND TIE
Personal Liberty BILLS.
Chief Justice Shaw, b. Il. Curtis, Joel Par.
ker, and other citizens OF Massachusetts
equally distinguished, have addressed a letter
TO the people of that State on the Personal
Liberty Bills, which they declare to be uncon
sututional. They urge strongly the repeal of
them, and say:
We know it is doubted by some whether the
present is an oppOrtune moment to abrogate
them. 1t is said-We grant these laws are
wrong, but Will you repeal them under a
threat WsansWer no. We would do moth
Ing under threat. We would repeal them
under our own love of right under our own
sense of the sacredness of compacts; under
our own convictio.s OF the nestirnable i'm
portance OF social order and domestic peace
under our feeling Of responsibility TO the me-
mory OF our fathers and the welfare Of our
children, and not under any threat We
would not be prevented from repeating them
by any conduct of Others if such repeal were
III accordance with our own sense of right.
He who refuses TO do Il right thing merely
because ne Is threatened with evil conse-
quences, acts in subjection TO the threat he
Is controlled by ii. His false pride NAV ena-
oie MN 10 disregard the threat, but he lacks
the courage to despise the wrong estimate of
his own conduct, which conduct he knows
would spring only from his love of duty If
every rlght-mlnded man must admit that he
ought to govern his own conduct by these
principles, are they inapplicable to the con-
duct OF great and populous State On what
ground can 1t be malntaiGed that hundreds of
thousands of innocent citizens are to be sub.
Jected TO suffering, because the false pride of
their rulers refuses TO DO right Mankind
have been afflicted long enough and greyious-
ly enough by connections and strifes and wars
sprlnglng from such causes. We had hored
that the nature OF our government would pro-
tect US from swelling the great sum of human
misery, produced by the evil passions of ru-
lers. We had hoped that, inasmuch as the
masses OK the people can have no interest but
to do right, they would have the discernment
10 perceive and the manllness to do it,
and would be too cal1s., too wise, too magnan-
lmous Intentionally TO perseyere In any
wrong, and we hope so still
But what is meant by the exhOrtation not
to repeal these laws under threat2 Who
threatens US, if they should not be repealed
Whatever may have been true in the past
whatever faults of speech nd action may
have been committed on the one side or the
other, we nrmly believe that the men from
whom the worst consequences to our country
and ourselves are likely TO proceed, have no
wish that these laws should be repealed and
no disposition to use any threats in reference
TO them. On the contrary they desire to have
them stand as conspicuous and palpabIe
breaches of the national compact by ourselves:
anu as a1ordIng justification 10 themselves, TO
the world and to posterity, for the destruction
OF the most perfect and prosperous govern
ment which the Providence OF God has ever
permitted the wisdom of man to devise
GOV. HICKS, OF MARYLAND, ON AN EXTRA sEs-
SION.
Gov. Hicks, of Maryland, has written ano-
ther letter in reply to one asking him to call
an extra session of the Legislature. He says
After allowing reasonable time for action
the part of the Northern States, if they
shall neglect or refuse to observe the plain
requirements OF the Constitution then, in nv
judgment, we shall be fully warranted in de-
manding division of the country. We shall
have done our duty TO the Constitution, TO the
memory of our fathers, to ourselves aud pos
terIty, and the South can hOnOrably take such
steps as patriotism and honor may demand
either IN or out of the Uaion. No one will
then be more ready or willing than to follow
the fortunes of the South, but l am utterly
opposed 10 this precpitate action by one twt
or three States
Maryland is border State with only an in-
visible line between her territory and the tree
States and, In my opinion, if separation
should take place, In ten years there will not
be a slave Within her limits. Our State in the
event of q dissolution OF the Union, must be-
come the battle-ground OF the hostile sections,
subject 10 all the horror Of border warfare
This fact will not affect the decision of our
people II we cannot enjoy in the Union the
rights guaranteed BY the Constitution. l shall
be the last one 20 object to u withdrawal of our
State from Confederacy that denies TO US the
enjoyment of our undoubted rights: hut be-
lievlng that neither her honor nor interests
will suffer by proper and just delay cam
not assist III placing her in a position from
which We may hereafter wish to recede
When she moves in the matter, | wish it to
be sid. by side with Nirginia-our nearest
neighb0r-kentuCky and Tennessee The time
has indeed come when we must all look The
danger full in the face, when patriotism, the
memories OF the past aud the hopes OF the fu-
ture, e,imperatively demand that We should use
every exertIon compatible with honor, TO pre-
vent the United States of America from dis
appearing frem among the Nations OF the
wsrid
COUNTY MEETINGS IN VIRGINIA.
The citizens OF OckO-ldge held a meeting
on the 18th inst, at which resolutions were
adopted recommending a Convention OF Com
missioners from all the slave States and all
the border non- -slaveholding States, and from
all the large cities, and from every State or
community Of the country favorable to the
object, TO be assembled on the earliest day
practicable, At some central point within the
border slave States, tor the purpose of con-
siderng the grievances Demanding redress
and the best course for their adj Jus tment and
then reporting their recommendation 10 the
several State sOyereignties OF the nation for
final adj udIcation.
In Roanoke county, meeting on the l. III
inst,
RssoIrsd, That this is the time for settling the
ul f7lCulties between the North and Snut H. fin
ther, that our General Assembly should forth
with cause to be convened Convention of The
people of Virginia, clothed with power to consider
and deter nine what position Virginia shall as
suine IN the present crlc!s, snd To suggest such
necessary IN the event we are compelled to with
draw from the National Government, and seek
for safety and security IN new Confederacy, or
alone. Ard further, that IN the opinion of this
meeting, no Federal or Northern army should be
permitted 70 pass over the SOIL OF Virginia lof the
purpose of making war upon and subJugatlag d
sister Southern State.
Al Amerst q. H., on the l. tn, it was
ReSotrsd That no free people should place
who are unirlendy to them-the loss of liberty
would be the penalty OF such folly. 1t is, there
fore a present and pressing necessity that all ques
uons disturbing the harmony OF the States and es-
peolally those VITAL questions OF alleged an tago-
nIsm between the slave and free States, should
now be settled and settled for all time to come.
GEORGIA.
At meeting of member. of the Legislature
of Georgia, held on the 14th, the following,
among other resolutions, were adopted
I'd That we repudlata the delusive policy of Sc
cession first and co-OperatICn afterwards. Inter
est safety, and success, and ordinary respect to
our sister slaveholdIng States, require oonsulta-
tloa with at least as many will consult, before
secession; and then II secession be deemed advi-
sfter secession. Whatever mode, manner or re
dress be adopted. the frat step to its successful
mpshment is to unite the counsels of those
who are equally aggrleved, and who are sImuIta-
neGusly demanding redress, or at least as many as
will unite their counsels.
3D. That in hasty, i'll advised separate State Sc
eesslon we can see nothing but divisions among
our people, confusion anon. the slaveholdlas 1
states strife around our tiresIdes. and ultimate
defeat TO every movement for the effective redress
of cur grievances.
LOUISIANA MILITARY BOARD