Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-01-25
Position of virginia.

We honor the Virginia Legislature for
the noble and conservative stand it has ia
Ken as indicated il the proceedings pub
lished IN to-day's paper We see a CLEAN
Of hope breaking through the dark clouds
winch have SO long hung over us-a bow
OF promise spanning our political arch. The
observant reader cannos fail to perceive ia
the developments of the last week that the
conservative and constitutions loving clement
OF the country is rising above the clashlng
and conflict Of faraticism that reason is
taking the place of passion, and the com
mon sense of the people snatching the al
most ruined heritage bequeathed by our
fathers, from the traitorous hands and con-
troll of demagogues and placemen.
The appointment Of such men as Ex-
President Tyler, VIM. G. Rives, Judge
Brockenbrough, Jas. A. Seddon, and Geo.
w. Summers as a commission on the part
ct the State to represent her desire for a
settlement Of the present difficulties, and ar
range the basis of that adjustment, subject
to the ratification of her Convention, is an
emlnently wise and proper step. 1t evin-
ces a disposition On the part of the Old Do
minlon to exhaust every means to bring the
North to a proper understanding Of our po-
sitlon-a disposition that cannot be misun-
derstood by the country. # it is disregard
ed by the offending communities Of the non
Blaveholdlng States-ifth this last overture of
the peaceful emblem of the olive branch
from Virginia. whose sense Of right and
justice is of historic record, and written up
on every page of the annals of the country,
both civil ami military, is rejected, then. in
the sight of God and the civilized world,
if internecine war does come, she can truly
say, s'shake not thy CORY locks at me, I did
it not"
We think we can discern, however, in
the gradual upheavals Of popular sentiment
at the North, a returning sense of justice.
The repeal in the Senate Of Rhode Island.
by so decided a majority, Of the personal
liberty bill Of that State; the action Of the
Republicans in the Legislature of pennsyl.
vania, which, We are confident, will result
in a similar repeal law; tn position assum-
ed by Mr.. Cameron in the r.. S. Senate,
and MIR. Corwin, in the House; the feed Of
petitions that are rolling up daily from
Northern Republicans to Con gress for the
adoption of the Crittenden Compromise; the
action of the working men and the masses
North, against coercing the seeding States;
all combine to encourage the hope that the
popular mind is settling down upon some
reasonable idea Of ad justment.
70 facilitate and strengthen this manifes-
%tatIon, let the people Of Virginia elect to the
State Convention men who will take a firm
and decided stand upon the Constitutional
rights Of the Statc-askipg nothing more,
and submitting to nothing less-thus crea-
ting a rallying point for the conservative ell
ements Of the country, and we believe our
difficulties will be settled, or some tangible
assurance given Of their settlement, in less
than sixty days. Smiling peace will once
more spread her wings over our distracted
country, and the foundation of our govern
ment be the more firmly fixed from the
shocks and jostling it has received through
the Vaccinations and iutrig OF unprinci-
Piled politicians.