The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-01
sesides fhc mass 81 consc ientiona and honor


Besides the mass OK conscientious and honor
able secessionists, there wns, he said, in this
State, as In all others, u class who desired
revolution because they might be benefited
and could not be injured by change-that class
so wen described by the historian Saiust as
| sfudiosf aoedfum Recommendations Of change
--because, in the general upheaviBg of society,
they might come TO thenearfaee. and be bet
tered In their condition. This class long for
collision and blood, because they Know well
| thai the first clash between the State and Fed
rral muslsets--the first drop of blood that col
lision spills-wiil eDkindle a flame that will
lisht them on to the accom- plishinent OF their
foul, hellish purposes OF blood and carnage. -
This class would, in a mere spirit of ad e
venture, fire the very temples of Liberty, and
dash into fragments that proudest and no.
blest monument of human wisdom-the
Union of these States--the handiwork of
Washington, and Franklin, and Madison, and
Gerry, and Morris, and comrade conscript
fathers-under which we have been the
proudGst, freest, happiest, greatest nation on
the face of the earth. This class does exist in
Virginia. Ii exists all over the civilized
earth, and it is detraction from Virginia to
say that ii exists within her domain she
would be an exception TO all human society
il she did not hold in her bosom such a class
Now all this class will be stimulated by the
passage of these reyolu tionary, and force
inviting, and lawless resolutions to deeds OF
lawlessness, violence, and blood. Let this
Legislature beware how it holds out the
dnotiye bait 1t may encamp ms ON mine
which spark may explode, and the ex plosion
Of which may IDEAL damnation round the
land" and involve the fathers and mothers
and husbands and wives, and sons aud daugh-
ters, and brothers and sisters, and innocent
children OF Virginia, in miser!es and woes I'M
numbered, and the end whereof none of the
present generation will live to see. MIR. 5.
then went IN TO an eiabora tie argument to show
that there was nothing in the past political
action of Virginia to Justify the eXtraordina-
ry and revolutionary action which the seces-
sionists proposed, and which was Swallowed
forth in the Senate resolu tons. In 1898 she
fixed her political rule that the Federal Gov
eminent should not be resisted until it had
committed some deliberate, palpable, and
dangerous infraction of the Constitution
Whit infraction OF this sort has been COM
mitted by the Federal Government What is
1t, where is it, when was it committed Has
the present Administration perpe trated any
such aggression And if the seeding States
had remained in the Union, could Con-
gress, with twenty one ma jority in one House,
and eight in the other, have commit ted any
outrage upon the rights OF Virginia, or the
South Virginia, then, on her own estab
lished principles of political action, ought not
now to present the spectacle she does, of
treme excitement, and ought not, and cannot,
consistently, rush upon the violent and un-
constitutional measures involved in these
Senate resolutions. She ought--it becomes
her dignity and her past renown-to iool, calm
~, even piacidly, around her, and, from the
stand point of that dignity and renown, sur
and demonstrate ana iorbear, until every paCi-
fic and constitutional expedient for compost
ton and safety shall have been exhausted -
These radical measures OF Selling the
United States arms, and seeding from
the Union, are totally unwarranted
by the more recent political action of Vir-
ginia. In 1850, when the subject OF the VIII
mot Proviso was up for considera ton in her
Legislature, Virginia took 4 new position
She declared that if any one of these things
should be done by the Federal Government,
she would 'resist at all hazards and to the
last extremity - first, the applica ton of the
Wilmot Proviso to the common Territories
secondly, the abolition of slavery in the Dis
trct OF Columbia: and, thirdly, interference
with the slave trade between the States
Has any one OF these things been done? Has the
Wilmot Proviso been applied to the Terrific
ries NO. On the contrary, at the late SEES
sion of Congress, though it had, by the Sc
cession OF the Gull States, 4 clear majority, |
that body, Black Republican as it is, passed |
three Territorial bills, from all of which the |
Wilmot ProNlso was excluded and more than |
this, provision was engrafted in each of |
them that all rights of property should be de- |
termined by the principles and proceedings of |
the common law-proyisions that open uD the |
Territories to every citizen of the Union that !
snail choose TO carry his slaves thither. The |
Black Republicans, as his friend from StaiiuId
so delights, with peculiar emphasis, TO call |
them, have themselves surrendered, given I'D |
the Wiimot Proyiso. And had the Cotton |
States remained in the Union, could this |
y
twenty one i'll one house and eight in the |
other, have ever applied the Wilmot Proyiso |
TO the Territories that belong to US all,
g share and share alike" No law, then, has |
been passed applying the Wimot Proviso -
Has any been enacted abolishing slavery in
the District of Columbian No. Even Mr.
Lincoln assures us that he VIII approve no
such law, except with the consent of the
slly eholders of the District, and then not
without compensation TO the owners Has
any law been passed interfering with the |
slave trade between the States Not ut All; |
uch doc trine is not even in the Chiciyo |
and at the late session Of Congress |
IL which, by the secession CT tie Cult States |
as already said, the Republicans have the
ma jority, Tesolu ton was adopted BY the ne
,essdry constitutional majority, recommend |
ng an amendment TO the Constitution, where
~ hereafter in reference with slavery in the |
states by the Federal Government is TO be to-
ally and forever forbidden. Not one, then
u The three things has been done for which |
irsinia said she would break uu the Union. |
Why, then, all this hot excitement and this !
lot haste 10 go out of the Union, and make its
'isrlptlon complete, by dashns it into ire
-ocibie fragments : Can Virginia on her |
Wn principles, $50 far as the question |
Il slavery is concerned,) proceed hastily
o extreme measures of resistance or to |
ne adoption CT the seizure and approprii-
ION proposed by the resolutions before lis .
BESIDES this, l wish 10 be Informed said aIr |
- what wrong has been done me or any citi- !
"a CT the South, or the South at large by
RAT Federal Government Which some regard .
: acGursed, ana which they so haste to break !
p? L know of no wrong il has done MS If
here he any law on the Federal statute book J
npai:ing the rights of one Southern man or
npeaching Inequality OF the Southern States
'lin the Northern, let IL be pointed ont The
reduction Of il is detied. No man has ever
lown IL, and no man ever can, because it is
OF on the statute books. If it he there, it is
'sy to show IT. And not only is no such stat
te there, but the Federal Government has been
} the South the most parental of Govern |
ents. 1t has given the South all ii has ever I
'ked or demanded. In 1898, the South '
anted iugitiye slave law, and, as it was
lttled, received 1T. 1t demanded, after wards, 1
better and more stringent fugitive slave law | I
ld 1t was not only granted, bat the drafting OF /
the law was left To Virginia Senator of the {
nited States, Mr.. Mason In 1920, We made q
iLh the Federal Government a certain COM |
act, the celebrated Missouri Compromise c
18th which we were then SO we'll pleased that I
very Southern Senator but one voted tor il, q
ld large majority OF Southern representa- I
yes. But in the course of time, when the i
ave of politics set high, and politics became S
ade, we became dissatisfied with the COM |
romise Of 1920, and We appealed TO the a
ederai Government to break up the Old a
i'd make Il new contract. The Federai a
overnment-this accursed Federal Govern I
ent that we are so anxious to annibi |
te-took Us at our word, broke up the 0
ID and gave us a new bargain, whereby | I
lie Missouri Compromise was repealed /
Id the Kansas Nebrasha pro-slayery act {
Instituted. The Federal Government then I
as not been unikind or unjust TO the South' /
has been even especially kind ami ma L
irentai TO our section and more than this I
le South, by Northern accord has had the Z
ederai Administra ton in its hands during @
Early the whole period of our national exis C
nee. why should we of the South desire to
'eak NJ such Il Government? And why should $
e mako such haste to rid ourselves of il | J.
hen We know, by official returns, that We Y
ld at tisc Il oith at the last election 500 0o0 0
ienos standing last and faithfully by usY- g
ome wrongs and some ills we are su feringat E
!e hands of some of the Northern STATES v
the slavery agitation and the non -tradi,ion Y
fugitive slaves /; but whatever vronrs and