, 1860-01-14

UNION.
Tie inaugural Massage Of Gov. Letcher OF
Virginia, isa remarkable document in more
respects than one Profcsscdy paper de-
voted 10 1l.e local Interests Of the State to
wlose Legislature it was addressed, it is al
most entirely taken up with discussion Of
National politics subject Of Stato affairs
being dismissed with less than twenty lines.
1t is remarkable ALSO in that while it grossly
1nisreprcscnts the doctrines Of the Republican
party it openly arrows the intention Of the
Democratic party rot to submit to the result
Of the next Presidential election should it be
ia favor Of tho Republican nominee. The fol-
lowing is the language of Cor. fletcher:
II the nggrcssions to which ne have been sub
jected fnr mnuy years are 10 be repeated, If
mutual d'strnst and Suspicion are TO continue,
mud If TIC election of sectional Republican
candidate to the Presidency in lsGD is to be su.
pef1dded, it is useless to attempt to conceal the
fact thut, i'll the present temper OF the Southern;
people, IL r1nn3t Ls, and will not be submitted TO.
This irEepreesib,c conflict" doctrine, an
nounced aud advocated by the ablest and most
distinguished leader Of the Republican purity, is
au open declaration Of war against the institu.
tion of African Slavery, wherever 1t exists. aud
would be disloyal tU Virginia and the Souti,
il did not declare tlat the eiectiuu Of sucl
lnah, entertaining Ruch sentiments, and ndvo-
eating s,.cL doctrines ouyAl to 1e rssietd by TIE
xtarrAolIiMg .Stattx. The idca Of permitting
the army and navy ot the United States, and
tho appointment ot high judicial and executive
officers, Post Masters Included, cdha"t h taft,'.
tdintd BY t.t South for d moment.
The "a.gressions here complained Of, as
offered hy The Republican party, consist in
holding precisely The same opinions with re-
ference to Slavery that Gov. Letclcr held at
the time he indorRcd tile RufTner pamphlet
the same that Washington. Jefferson, Edmund
Randolph, Patrick J1eury, Madison, John Tay-
lor of Caroline, old George Mason and Mon
roe-the men wl, gave ronown to Virginia
alesmanslil,--c1ltcrtanc and so frequently
and clo1ucnlly cnforccd--thc same, in fact,
that the great men Of all pa,ties adv ocated,
from tic foundation Of the Republic to the le-
riod when the Democratic party were de.
tauchcd by tic l,eresics Of Calhoun and
commenced breaking down our national com.
promises and claiming constitutional guaran-
tees for carrying slavery everywhere. Even
the, doctrine Of Ill irrcressibic conflict a'-.Ae
1nost Objectionable Of all 10 Sontl,crrers
first enunciahed hy Mr. Jefferson, and has been
subscribed To, in some form or other, by all
til, leading STATESMEN Of the country. And
thus VIC have the spectacle Of 4 Governor Of
~ ri
the Union should a political Organization, de-
riving its doctrines directly from the most re-
nowncd and most highly honored Of the
former statesmen Of that commonwealth,
succeed to power! Tho fact is 4 sad co1nmen
tary upon Virginia degcncracy.
Another remarkable feature in the Message Q
Gov. Lctcl,er Isl proposition for I Convention
Of the States accompanied with the distinc
declaration that failure Of tue free Suites
either to unite in the proposed Convention o
to acccdc to all that pro-slavery cisunion Dc
mocracy demands, will constitute sutiicle''
justification on tho part Of the South to with
draw from the Union. So that, according t
the Governor Of Virginia, disunion is coutin
CANT upon tho happening Of the following
events.
.,.l..: The election Of q Republican President
2. The failure Of the free States to so int
tue proposed Convention.
3. The refusal Of the FREQ States 10 conced'
anything Which the Democratic party dc
rnands on the part Of slavery. :.
I ~,