Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-12-20


deral or State oter than OF the BAVe-holdng States
interfering With, or aiming At the Abotonor extinction,
or Ultimate OF slavery in the States choosing
| TO ALLOW it.
And With ALL and pervadng, and vitAzing all want,
and l. for one would cordially invoke revival OF that
old patriotic rate-nal feeling which made OF old one
and nvncble and would make forever, one nvinci-
| be, and indivisble.
This would be but apply the precise sslisame pin
cipes and compromises originally incorporated into the
Constitution il referees to slAv,ry only adapting them
10 the n tircu Instances in which We ind ourselves
placed The Constitution gave the South African sliVe-
ry-it gave the NorsH exemption from IT, The proposed
change applies that principle to the Territories II t
omitted guarantees against Eostil attempts Of The Fede
raj Government upon slavery 1t only because no one
dreamed that day that 'udce could SO blind men to
duty and honor as suffer the dsoya thought TO be for
moment entertained of directly assling indirectly
undermn ng social relation fully sustained, and partly
| established, by the Constitution itself.
ANY just demands OF the NORTH IL she has any,
would as readily provide for for those may justly
advance. lair arrangement Of the Territorial que
ton equally protects them Slavery being el'-
men, Of political poser they have, undoubtedly, just
claim TO be heard the question Of re-opening the AZ
rcan slave trade II should arise and for one, should
~ no hesitation sssentng TO q constitutional nhb
ton OF il II they desired it. however visionary ght
deem their appreheDsons.
see no reason Why every man who approves the
Union made by fathers might no. unite in such
adluStnfnt as Is lDOlcalGu III uO uOb
il founded thIougs out fairly and exactly the prn
cples on which they originally agreed to live together
under common government And the qu stion for ell
TO determine IS whether we shall ags agree on their
principles applied TO our neu necessities, or break up
our partnership Could these questions be firly pre-
sented to the country aud time allowed for Liberation
to take the place Of passion, ! would not be wholly
without hope of again seeing our whole countri once
more rallied unedy, under An unmutlited banner.
vet ope that even Massachusetts, aud her New England
sisters will see timely the dsOyay and wrong tosards
w. into which they ave been betrayed by false guides
will not their bidding, to fasten dishOnor
their fathers who stood proudly aud SntcOnately b!
ftheFs-though osners OF saves-bJth in field
aud in council They gill pull down. rather. these un
worthy Of national and 80 al hate and dscord
and again set the high places where they naturally be-
long-the Eyeretts and Winthrops and Curlises,
would not l. IS sedulousy guard their honor their in
terCs by preserving their peace and maintaining their
good faith. Anl South Carolina, betrayed already,
fear into premature and Unwse act OF imm date D'
uuion, would, doubtless, discardng what seems as It.
erected dictatorship in her midst lind under wiser and
not less faithful counses than these which ave so far
controlled her, in cures that the North may be wiling
to give and other Souhrru S.aes, not less Jealous OF
their honor or their rights than hers, might be willing
to accept sufficient uducement TO return again into ouf
long glorious sstelhood Of States.
Her right secede, mere poliIi al right OF Sove
reignty DO not deny-bu do deny that her seeding
nop il right-snd measure for the redress OF her
grievances think Secession should only De rGsOrted 10
when all other proper for rtdressng them,
sfhn the Union, shall have failed Entering, sovereign
INTO the compact Of UnOn she never merged, or lost
her sovereignty, aud has unsena'ed Aud unmutili-
ted the Soyer ign right to abrogate the compact
(which seeding is)-'oih cause or ritho3 cause
the political right in either case, both the NOR
a! and political right in the former CASE but in both
cases the co-cqual right OF TIC Other paries
10 the compact acquescs in her act, seek dress
against it, AS they, in the exercise Of heir sovereign an
hority think proper Bat think her proposed im
mediate exercise Of this right that dssoves her
On With al the States alike both wrongful and ladvsed
Ca the concession that there Is "a clsimed, sufficient
cause against tie States that hare been fdihie's 10
The e0mpgc 20 declare it broken TO them, aud TO pur
sue any mode OF redress mi ht think p Oper, do
not think IT, 10y any means oos that she has any just
light to break il Stas that hase been dihf.t 10
ry-,,y,rvr ugrJtyf MON he hdS no ground Of
complaint whatever; aud ii the lcLes OF finding ade
qnate redress against the Offending states be impossible
to be surmounted except by secession then sag that
Az ertrens necessity only could justify step that n
volved the breach Of treaty With unCleudrg parties
aud that necessity can hardly be admit TO be eI
trcmc which fourteen other ates having similar grev
ances with herself show they do no; conser TO be so,
BY their not adopting the Of preopitale
ton as herself Go not urge other ojections to her
course they have bera often presented None IN
deed fear answer any purpose as to her, aud
wori no; have presented this but that have not OBJ
served that has been heretofore Discussed aud wish
ed seen and weighed II there any force in it, by tie
States that are still undetermined 10 their course.
But having touched this question of aecesson, will
add the expression OF my npnion that What Fghto com
piin redress s0ever, the secession OF any Safe, or
breach Of treaty her give 20 the other parties TO the
compact /. belongs them pIrtie' aad soUereign'
and because parties and soveregns, and that the ULed
States Government which is neither party sovereign,
has no right whatsoever to employ force against her. IL
would in my judgment be usurpllion OF power oil the
most formidable magnitude for which there is neither
warrant in the Constitution in the nature Of the Fed
eral Government and would call for ngant and unqual-
lied resistance by every State that valued that Ia
tent Sovereignty and Independence which alone disn-
guishes it from Dependency Province, and makes
t. n every contingency, the final aud uncontrolled bi
ter Of its own fortunes and desnies No the step of
secession taken revoutionzes all our Governments
State and Federal and finally persisted in, leaves ouy
before the work Of reconstruction Andit is because
it does involve these Tremendous consequences that
do hold grevous wrong except in that OF absO-
lutte and extreme necsssi " which do tluk has vt
arisen for less than half million of people to plunge
more than thirty millions ino the vortex OF revOlution,
and into all the cutes and dangers that must at
tend the reconstruction Of Governments.
But IT, unhtppiiy conscientious scruples the plrtoi
some or new visions OF power aud prosperity under
aud untrcd schemes Of government on the pTt OF 9th
era shall forbid the continuance Of all the principles
which first united u.s. yet hope the great body of the
States aud people South and North will be iolnd wiling
TO re-arm and to harmoniz3 ag n upon them, aud en-
career oil prO-p srltY, teN, happlnes, duu
honor The great Central States of the North aud Ws
do not yet believe either in point Of feeling in int
of interest prpired or would be willing TO divorce
themselves from the South by reu al Of any ls gaurds
that may be demanded by their peculiar social condition
Hop these questions be brought before the country
for decision remains be considered. throw ino the
common stock the crude suggestions that have occurred
10 me as to what may possibly be best be done thoug
| events may any day. demand other lines OF policy
IL is If Congress shall not earlier have acted TO the
same end that the Legislature Of this State shall, on
assembling take TO obtain tn, cooperation Of
tie Legislatures Of the requisite number OF the States in
an application TO Congress to call Convention 70 pro-
pose amendments the Constitution, aud shall ,ts;
of all the States the early converting o! their Leg
sllues to consider that question. Tha the slvehOld
ing States shall proceed a. once TO call State Conventions
That each Convention shall iGdicae such amendments 10
The Constitution az they mly deem necessary 10 be pro-
posed afterwards to Convention OF all the aes, aud
endeayor to fix tims in wi the other COnvon-
tons (which may he done through committee oil cor
respOnd.nce for the assembling Of National Conven-
toa That the delegates TO the National Convention
from the Saveholiing States should be empowered by
their respective constituencies coat the plans OF their
respective States and present either some neS one AS
plan of settlement which they believed would be accep.
table their cOn.ti;usnsbut not derogatns from the
powers Of the deg pursue any other they
might deem 10 be called for the nteresSo their repee
tive States refusal by Congress 10 call ytntion,
and the Ike refusal OF number Of States su ient 10 de-
feat IT, mget be fairly construed iuo refusal grant tie
required ampndm'ns aud Woald make other steps then
necessary Whether such STEPS should be indicated in
advance or wait upon the necessity that should require
them iG would be- for the State Conventions to decide
II disappointed In all Efforts to the whole Union
and if no all vet the sub stance 0i the Unon have nc
fear Virginia vii prove unequl to her des my IL thrown
back her separate and complete sovereign
y aud orsed provide new guards for her future seeu
rty she will dou ltes take care, whether alole or in
luinn her interesta domestic