New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-17
VIRGINIA..
pairing for


Considering the resolution of the Virginia Con.
vention adopted some time since, and announced
as her ulfindtun, in which she assumed it to be
" an indispensable condition" to her remaining
In the Union that the Federal Government should
not do precisely what, within week, it has
been doing, and that it should have undone pre-
cisely TINT which it is about TO do-considering
this announcement, made in tone aud style Of
which Virginia, Of all the StGtes of the earth,
with the possible exception Of South Carolina. is
alone capable she is certainly great while In car
rying out her intentions. 1t will be remembered
that she offers certain amendments to the Con-
stitution, the adoption of which by oil the other
States is the price of her consent to continue
10 rule over us; but preliminary to and pending
the consideration of these by the country, the
Government is peremptorily called upon to fulfill
the indispensable condition " of pacific poll
cy--of abstauing from any reinforcement OF
forte, or any recapturing Of forts, arsenals, or
other property, or Of exacting payments of i'm
posts, or of any other act likely :" to procoke
hostlites or collision and it is also called upon
TO eyacuate any forts, arscnals, magazines, or
other places within the seeded States; and fall
ing TO do these things, or not failing to do them,
she-the said sovereign State Of Vrginia-would
certainly secede from the said Federal Union,
and leave it to its disastrous and melancholy
fate. But still she will not leave us; still she
will not refrain from following after US. We,
therefore, beg leave to remind her of her ultima
tum, or her fundum, whichever she may be
pleased to call it, and TO urge her. if she be
going, TO stay not upon the order of her going.
but 90 at once.
The country is like ship getting ready for
action she wants to get oil the lumber overheard;
or it is like merchant winding up his old affairs
to commence q new business, he wants to get
rid Of oil the old debts, and entangements, aud
affairs, that he may give bis undivided attention
to his new relations. The country is about to
enter upon war; an earnest and serious war,
in which it is TO gain the end it aims at at any
cost or its name is to perish of the face of the
earth. Such is the spirit Of the country, and it
demands to know where are its friends as well
as where are its enemies. VIII Virginia answer
which side she chooses ?
For her own sake we hope she will choose
wisely, for on that choice depends much more
than her mere temporary wefare--her very
existence. On the table Of that Convention
which is to decide the fate of Virginia is reso-
luton, offered weeks ago, by Western member,
and laid by his motion upon the table, to remain
there, a quiet, harmless thing, forever, unless
the magic word of Secession should start it into
life 1t acknowledges the right of the secession
of o State for an insupportabe grievance, and
with an inyincible logic deduces therefrom the
right of a part Of State to secede from the
whole on the same ground. This is the terrible
sword that hangs by single hair over the heads
Of that Convention. When Virginia secedes
from the Union, Western Virginia secedes from
the State-if not to-day then tomorrow, if not
this year then next; but certainly at no far
distant period And it may happen to-day.
The Union men of the South know now that
there is Federal Government on which they
may lean with an answering faith, so soon as
they have the courage to ask for its support.
When Western Virginia throws herself for pro-
lection upon the Government at Washington,
she Is as safe from Southern reprisal as though
the "Pan.Handle" had been moved into the
valley of the Connecticut. Virginia is bread,
rich and noble State, but not broad, nor
noble, nor rich enough, for two Virgnias. And
she knows il.
Still let her decide. and decide for herself, but
do it quickly. The war now upon US must be,
in great measure, border war, for it will DO
upon tho border that these impetuous rebels viii