The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-29
THE STATE CONVENTION.
=. .
For other aCenreafina' ltotixs, zee 4h Page.
K~c TO The ~ REVVPPihcEn " The

Ec 9 Ho HH Il hESRn { Of IME
liticai party, have called Oh me IN person and
some have addressed me through The sesspaJpers.
sss 0s Is net to Se
declined, because il will be one involving great
THsp9ns;biiity and, In times like the present, no
bility which the people may choose to impose
upon him For the same reasons, i is to be as
made up nay mind to make hd public response to
the ,hsSs aspss!ioss sIthou Oh deeply grateful for
and to leave the matter wholly to the people to
dispose of as they pleased. But in the last four
upon the ground that It is re%nired by Just re,
spect to those " ho have evinced this confidence,
and therefore beg leave to say that If shall be
your pleasure to elect me to the Convention. Will
serve You With pleasure, far as am capable
In times past, when have sought yonr SURFACES,
lily which can never forget and you can never
call in vain upon me for any service which can
shall be no longer respectable.
South Carolina. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
from the Union it was, because Of the ills in
hicted, and the greater Ills threatened; by inc
Black Republicans Of tie North and the great r;l
be, . Shall Virginia adhere to the slaveholding
States of the South, or remain In "a Union, which,
although broken for all good ends yet binds hel
to the Black Republicans OF the North" Upon
this question, my opinions We're so fully and tree.
y expressed n the late Presidential canvass. that
! il can hardly be necessary to repeat them pow
| But still it may be proper to do so, as l now
on as @aS Snn be
opinion, then, Is, that Virginia should adhere to
the slave States of the South, aud that her decl-
sion should be Immediate As have said SIX states
have already seeded from all cOnnexion with the
| Black Republicans; and have no doubt that n
and Maryland will do likewise in short, that all
! the other slave States, except Delaware VIII dc
% r M or anV the three last d.
| what will be the condition Of Virginia =
| She must remain, in one case, the only slave
slave States, at the feet Of the Black Republicans,
! or she must unite herself with the nine slave
wonld be mad enough to keep her, f he could in
such a hopeless alliance with the Black Repubii-
cans for il she could protect herself from them
las experience has shown she could mott when
| all the Southern States We're cooperating WIN
| her She certainly cannot do so after she shat!
| have lost the aid of nine of them. OF necessity,
! therefore, well as from affection, hope--from
pride and honor, she must go with the great body
Of the slave States. The only question, then, Is,
when shall she go? say before the 4th of March,
for the following reasons, viz:
/ l. Because, If Virginia remains under the pres
ent Government until after Lincoln and seward
come into power she will be involved in civil
war, whether she submits to them or not II she
then refuses to submit, the war will be against
her, as well as the other seeding states ana II
| she submits, it will be against the seeding
! States and she will be compelled to take part In
! it, with the North or with the South. cannot
| conceive that she ever be so mad and infa-
nous as to fight With the North against the South
or refuse to fight with the South against the North
The Nirginian who would do so is indeed ira!
tor knaEe, fit only to I'LL coward grave :.
and so Virginia has in fact declared, through her
| representatives in the present General Assembly,
now sitting IN Richmond by their anti coercion od
resolution. 1t is the dictate, then. OF prudence,
policy, and wisdom, to take without delay the
position with the South which She intends to Ia ke
ultimately and thus in my opln.on she st WI.
. will go with her, and the Black Republicans will
never attack united South. ...-...-
| H. Because believe all the negotiations Will
do no good, until the Southern States have taken
their position outside Of tho Union, and organized
their government, when, under the law OF ma,
tons the flag of the Southern Union will protect
the people of that Union from the Srnalieys o
| the North and the wretched hemp-rite traitors o
the South. If, then, the just men of the NORTH
shall have the power. some strangely IN M
they have, and the Will to r ggite w rdnd .n'
and the South will be free To accept, if it choose
to do SO. All negotiations in the meanwhile WI
only have the effect to injuie the south by delay
the south, and viii be intended, il , snte re
iii Lincoln and seward and their party &c
Into power: aud then they will cry Treason
and let slip the dogs OF war qpGn at g gepo1
arrives, will then advise you to submit TO IN
Black Republican rule ne VINO will a 40 th, t"e
Let the motive for delay be what ii may, however
the effect will be the same As to the IDEA o.
| Central Republic. it is even more odious than tn
| idea OF remaining As now are. 1t is absurd :
1t involves, FIRST dsunion from the great No lt
the degrading subsection Of Virginia to the Blacl
Republicans, with the South arrayed and proper
ly array gainst her What will be her condlti9i
| with the Black Republicans pressing on her NORTH
! ern and II hostile South on her southern oordef
Let the shareholders of Virginia look well TO IN
answer to this qu .ston before they a low two-peh
politicianswhoa are thin king OF themsels e ahs
not the country, or those who are 9naol 10 100 90
the trouble in the facc--to mislead them D! thu
| dodge NV counsel to you, fellow citizens, u 4
look the danger full in the face waste no time II
deIusive negotiations with the guns OF the enem,
bearing upon you. all your forts in his POSSES
sion, and the halter around yonr necks. Take
first, independent attitude, place youfselve
! upon an equal footing with him, and then nego
tiate if you please. Then, and not till then, cal
you negotiate with honor. or any hope OF success
Then. honorable Reconstruction may come. IL
conclusion, allow me to say that individual hope
! and wishes are of small concern at such a momen
as the present. Principle is the great thing to b
locked TO in choosing representative. and thos
who concur with me in opinion Will not, hope
permit my name to be stumbling block in thel
path, but wholly disregard it, il il be necessary
90 So in the vindcation of principles and gu
country. With great respect,
Your humble serv't
JAMES LYONS.
Laburnum Jan 26th 1851. ia e9-lt