New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-24
,rEmmuNGER,s MISSION.

pointed, by the Legislature OF that state, Com
missioner to visit aud address the Legislature Of
Virginia in its behalf Mr. Memminger has &C.
cOrdingy appeared in Virginia, and fulfilled hi,
mission by address, occupying four hours in its
| delivery. We are indebted to The Richmond Dis
patch for copous abstract Of the discourse, which
has saved as the perusa of the whole OF the volu-
| minous document We learn from this report jast
! what Mr. Memmipger was sent to Virginia for.
sHe himself states that the object Of his mission
was: /. To express the cordial sympathy OF South
| Carolina with Virginia in the existing ciIcum-
| stances; 9. To communicate the desire of South
Carolina to unite with Virginia in measures for
their common defense; B. To request Virginia to
sppeint Conference of the Southern States, and
to seDd delegates thereto.
Mr.. MemmiDger is described as "a man of ord-
g. nary appearance, gray haired and gray eyed"
Whether he be man of destiny also, like the gray
eyed Walker, we are not informed. But we are
told he is cold, intellectual man, with mind Of
the highest order" 1t is relief to imagine that
South Carolina has such man LETT. The pyr0-
echnc ardor of most of her orators of the present
day is so conspicuous, that when We are told
South Carolinian is about to make very great
effort in the speaking line, we are instnctivey
prompted to get as far from him as possible. We
are thus enabled to ascertain what Mr.. Memminger
had to offer without those feelings of preliminary
disnoy we should have had, had he come with the
ordinary prestige of Carolina orators.
SO far as clearness of statement goes, Mr.. Mem
miDger has acquitted himself creditably. He has
not befoggtd his hearers as to his meaning by un-
necessary ornament. He has told plain story;
quite too plain story, we think. He has told us,
Substantially the old tale we have heard so many
times before; namely that South Carolina would
be glad to dissolve the Union, and would like to
have the aid of her neighbors TO help her accom-
plish the job Mr.. Memminger comes TO his point
with circumlocution, and with moderation, but he
comes toit. His review of the political history of
the country all points to it. He follows closely in
the footsteps OF Mr.. Calhoun, reproducing the gist
of that genlen ans many dscourses concerning the
same topic That he means dissolution of the Union,
is all very palpable from the circumstance
that the alternatives he suggests are so
mpracticable. Thus he thinks the South might do
very well within the Union, if our Federal system
could be changed, so that we could have two Presi
dentp, OF, what be thinks would be better, two
Seoates-a President elected BY the Free States,
and q President elected by the Slave States,
OF two Senates chosen in this way, with q veto of
each upon tie other. This would be lovely sys.
TEN, particularly if the two Presidents were of oppo
site politics, as they would be sure to be, especially
on the Slavery question. Would not such an ar.
raDgement give harmony to the Unionl 1t is dill
cult to believe any man in his senses could seri-
ousy advocate this scheme, and if it had not
been originally proposed BY Mr.. Calhoun, it would
never survive more than q single suggestion. In
renewing it now Mr.. Memininger only carries out
bis evident programme, to reproduce all the reaec-
tons and views of Mr.. Calhoun upon the whole sub
ject, which he does faithfully. We have not the
least idea that Mr. Memmingsr himself believes in
the possibility Of such proposition being received
with general favor in any quarter. We say, there
fore, he probably lays no stress whatever on the
alternatives TO dissolution of the Union which he
suggests. He makes use of them because they re-
leye the badness aud ofiensiyeness of distinct
plan of separation.
The only new ingredients which Mr. Memmlnger
introduces to sustain the general proposition he
urges are John Brown and Helper. These he
dishes up after the pattern of the Congressional
discussion on these two persons So far az his
treatment Of them goes he is paralleled every day
in Congress by some one Of the Democratic Dis
unionists of that body. These two agencies to
further the fayOrite project of South Carolina, she
seems to be quite unwilling to leave out of the scale
against the Union. The hides of all living subjects
are heaviest when they are first taken off, They
grow lighter every day as they grow dry and stale.
We fancy that neither the skin nor the bones OF
Brown and Helper viii prove great addition to
The weight already in the scale into which they
Lave been thrown, and that they will be found to
be growing lighter every day.
Hitherto the grievances of South Carolina, even
when urged by the feryid eloquence of Hayne and
Hamilton, the fiery impetuOsity of McDuffie, and
the lofty qualities Of Mr.. Calhoun, have been
reckoDed inadequate TO command, or to conciliate
acquiescence in her desires. We can hardly con-
ceiye that Brown and Helper are sufficient now to
turn the scale in her favor, after all those efficient
personal agencies which we have referred to are
Withdrawn from the contest. Especially must we
deem this to be So since the Slaveholding States
have of late years had everything their own way in
the Federal Government in all its branches, Exec
utiye, Legislative and Judicial. At their bidding,
the Wilnot Proviso has been repudiated, the MIS-
souri, Compromise repealed; the Lecompton Const-
tuition made and accepted, the Supreme Court has
prostituted ITSELF and the Federal Executive has
bowed to their dictation. The old bone OF conten-
t;on the Tariff has been a-rapped 10 their satisfac-