The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-12-01
THE PROPOSED STATE CONVENTION

people of Virginia, to consider what it may
become the State to do in the crisis which is
upon US, will command general attention.
Is in response to a letter addressed to him
by one of the editors of the Richmond En-
Quirer. Senator Mason says that whilst be is
disinciiaed at all times to volunteer his
| opinions, he has not the slightest indisposi-
tion TO express them when they are asked
He proceeds
have observed, with great satisfaction.
that the Governor has called the Legislature
10 meet at an early day, and deeply impressed
with the diserdered condition of the country
from causes far beyond the reach of legislation a.
have taken it for granted their first act will
| oe 10 order elections for general Convention
OF the State.
The questions now forced upon the country
are vital IN their solution, to the peace the
honor, and the safety of the Southern States
virginia, whether in territory, in population
or in position, certainly takes no inferior rank
In the III; aud it is of the last importance
| to her. as IL Is 10 them, that the matured sense
| OF her people should be expressed in delibera-
ton on these grave questions, and, If neces.
| sary, carried into execution, in the solemn
forms OF her sovereign authority.
All that has happened, and much that has
yet to come, was foreseen and predicted by
those not claiming to be wise beyond their
generation, as the legitimate and inevitable
fruits OF the ascendancY of the Abolition party
Ia the North. How could it be other rwise p
seats of Federal authority, and by overwhelm-
| ing majorities in the non. .slaveholding States.
great political power, whose open and
avowed mission is to break up and destroy III.
terests in property, and in society, and in all
the slaveholding States which, when effected
must reduce their lands to deserts and brow
their people as outcasts upon he world. The
pubic voice ordaining this atrocious wrong
comes from people who have no part or lot
IN the great interest so recklessly assaied, for
1t will stand as a recorded fact that not sim
gle electoral vote will be cast in support of
this power in any State where this interes t
pertains.
Who does not see and feel that when the
States of the South are subjected to this do
Ininion they Will be brought, against their will,
under q government to which they are not
parties, and over which they hold not the
| slightest check! p! This is not the form of gov
ernment winch our ances tors gave us, nor is 1t
| government which our people will endure.
The people at the North, in thus acting, have
| separated themselves from the people of the
| South, and the government they thus inaugu-
rate will be to us the government of q foreign
power We shall stand to such powers as Itaiy
| TO Austria, and Poland to Russia. 1t will be
| one people governed by another people. Who
| can wonder, then, at the startling events which
| have crowded before rs since the anti Federal
| act of this Northern election :
What was seen yesterday but in dim dis
tance, is the reality of to-day and that W hich
| is looked to but as PROBABILITY to-day, be-
| comes the stern fact of Tomorrow. Our peo-
.
! sitiye. When hostile arm is raised against
| them they do not wait for the blew, but rust
| at once TO disable the adversary. And this is
what they are doing now.
| Let review events, and then we may the
better understand what may devolve on Vir-
| ginia a the political exigencies of the times.
| The election of President IS made and moth
| ing remains but formally to cast, and then to
count the electoral vote. There are those who
| beiieve-and l am one Of them-that no safety
| remains to the Southern States and their peo-
| pie. but such as shall be vindicated by stern
purpose OF self-protectioG. The event that
| Axes this belief is not the election OF the man
| it is the accession of the power, of which he is
| the minister. They determine the political in-
| tentions OF that power, Lot by its party plat
| form, (grosS and insulting thought it be,) noI
| by the threats and taunts of its insolent lieu
| tenants, or its demoralIZed press. They deter.
| mine it, by the spirit OF the Northern mind
| sviuced by an obdurate tenacity of purpose
| through every yicissituds OF political fortune;
| by the statutes of the Northern States, passed
| as veil in violation of all honorable faith as OF
| highest constitutional obligation, paralyZine
| the laws of Congress, made in pursuance O.
| the Constitution, to protect the property o.
| Southern people; by the encouragement and
| support given at the North to conspiracies
and conspirators within their borders
| against the lives and property of the people
| OF the South and by their refusal or failure
TO pass laws for the punishment of such of
| tenders, or for preyention of the like in future
| by the open recommendation of their Sena
tors and Represen tatiyes of publications is.
| sued ut the North, for circulation at the South
designed, by false and calamnious charges, tC
| fomeLt divisions amongst our people, and to
incite the servile class to insurrection and ra
pine; by the sanction given To such inhuman
| and cruel conduct by constituents at the North
i'll returning such Represen tatives back to the
| Federal councils; and, if more were wanting
| by that fixed and settled policy, made the cor
| ner-stone of the incoming administration, tC
| which there is no party exception at the NortD,
| which refuses to the people at the South &
| common right with the people at the North
| in the common Territories OF the Con federacy
| Such are some OF the reasons which, l be-
| leve, have satisfied those of whom l speak
| which certainly have convinced me, that the
| Southern people must now look to their OWE
| State authorities, and TO them only, for theil
safety in the future; whether in the toi N Of
other and higher securities in the present Con
frderacy, or In new Contederacy, the inj urec
States must determine in Convention.
Indeed in the progress OF events, So far, thu
field of deliberation may be narrowed. Ont
State has already made her elsction to aban.
| don the confederation. / think, to South
Carolina, we may safely assume that as fact
and with which the future has nothing more
TO do than TO establish it in history. As tC
three other States, and most probably four
there is every reason to believe they are pre-
| pared also TO secede as soon as the acts of sep
| aration can be reduced TO form. What may b.
| the sense OF other States in this great crisis
| (tor great it certainly Isl as to the proper
meas ures to be adopted for their safety, l will
4
| of one State is a disruption of the Union.
| Whether, in the opinion of other States, sht
has determined wisely or unwisely, the Stat'
| is to be the arbiter of her own act her destiny
| is in her Owl keeping, under submission alon,
| to the Supreme Ruler of the universe. TX
| reason otherwise, is to treat State of the Con
| federacy not as one of the coz nfederates, bu
| as an integral part of a consolidated Empire
| Fortunately for the occasion and its conse
Quences, this is not an open question in Vir
| ginia.
| Our honored State has ever maintained tina
| our Federal system was q confederation O.
| sovereign powers, not a aconsolidation of State,
| into one people; and, as D. conseq uence, when
| ever State considered the compact broken
| aud IN manner 10 endanger her safety suct
| State stood remi tied, as in sovereign right II
determine for herself, and under no responsi
| bility, save to the opinion of the civilized
| world, oth the mode and measure of redress
The disruption of the Federal Union thus
| imminent, or, should more properly say, &C
tual, is great and pregnant event; and il
| considering, therefore, how it may become thu
| Convention of Virginia to act, we must lool
to that event as material If not a controlin,
| element in Its deliberations. In the mrs
| place, it may, and most probably will, force
upon the Federal Government the settlemen
between it and the several States, of tn
| question of the right Of secession. If tha
| right is denied, a new and paramount lssu
| will be made between the States and the Fed
| eral power, which will be presented to th
| Virginia Convention in itmine. One thing Il
| very clear, Virginia (no more tnan any othe
| Southern STATED will not be passive, shouit
| any attempt bs made, by force, to redoce suci
| seceding State or States to subjection.
| Ia the next place, It'll s to my mind equal,
| clear. should one OF the States separate iron
| the Union on this slavery question, the disruf {
ton will necessarily carry with IL the ilk
separation OF all those slaveholding States
| whose destiny it is to continue such unless
| under a returning sense OF right ard justice II
the Nor thern mind, all may remain on sucl
| securities for the future will establish thi
great social interest in the exclusive charge o
those to whom ii pertains.
| l have ventured thus, though with un
fslgned difidence, to look forward to wha
| Xirainia may ha called 10 consider and de