The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-02-06
Letter from !. VI. PendIct0n, Esq,
10 the voters OF OhiO County, Vir-
Rtnfsn

l. Lesfer from 7. VI. PendIctOn, Esq.
10 the voters Of Ohio County, vtr
gtuia.
have received recently from various source,
communications requesting me to ALLOW tn
use OF my name as a candidate for n seat in tn
Virginia Convention and also to declare what i
my judgment is the policy Of Virginia under th
present circumstances" The recent public an
nouncement OF my name as q candidate render
it proper that IshOnld respond promptly TO thes'
calls. Under ordinary circumstances, should
looking merely to my own interests, respectfully
decline to couply with the calls thus made upoI
me. There are circumstances, however. in
which mere personal consideration, are over
balanced by the pre-eminent importance of the
questions at issue, and, while the citizen may
well distrust his own capacity and shrink from
the responsibility before him, be should yet de
fer to the Judgment oil his peers and surrender
his own indentity upon the altar OF the public
requirement
We are in the midst of revolution. Five
States have declared their severance from this
Union, civil war 10 imminent and the people o
Virginia have been called together In council
These are the facts that meet US on the thresh.
old
For mo to attempt review Of the causes
which have led to our present troubles would
involve too much of detail and would be at best
but the rehearsal OF thrice told tale" / shall
ccntent myself therefore with the statement
that the slavery agitation by the Black Repub-
lican party; their sectional conduct; their Sec
tional success; their repudiation oil the decision
of the Supreme Court; the platform Of that par
ty, denying to the South equality in the public
domain; their "irrepressible conflict" the avow-
al Of their leaders that they will 'hedgp in
slavery with wall of fire and ultimately secure
its extinction;" their refusal to acknowledge
rights of property in slaves, thus excluding
Gn the language Of another) four thousand mil
lions of property from the protection OF the Gen
eral Government" their notification OF the
Fugitive Slave Law, both by statutes and pri-
vate action;their murders OF Southern men seek
ing to recover their slaves; and refusal abolition
Governors TO deliver the John Brown mur-
dererS when demanded by Virginia, the persist.
ent refusal Of their leaders to make any conces
sion (of mere theory even) to the just demands
Of the South; their refusal to permit the people
to vote on Mr.. Crttenden's proposition; these,
all these have brought our oncs happy Union.
to the very verge OF dissolution, perhaps Of ruin,
aud the State OF Virginia has called Conyen-
tion to consider her interests, her rights and
her duties under these most imposing and threat
ening circumstances.
What should that Convention do is the praeti-
cal question you PROFOUND to me? / need not
say that for me or any representative to decide
ABSOLUTELY in advance what should be done in
the future would be in the highest degree alb
surd and improper. 1t would take from the
the power to adapt his conduct
to surrounding circumstances, to act upon the
emergencies as they arise and thus IN effect
eventuate in 'palsyiDg the will of the consttu.
ent." | can only give you my present views
and their motives and pledge myself to take
that action in convention, Should he elected)
which those motives and principles would in
di;ate as failing within the line OF my duty.
1t the first place: am decidedly OF the opn-
ion that, looking to the slavery agitation for the
past forty years; commencing in 1919; when on
motion of Mr.. Tallmadge OF Ne,o York, the
House oi Representatives on the question of al
lowing Missouri to form q constii utlon by 81
ayes rs nays Zone southern vote only in the
affirmative) Resolved, "Ihat the further iatroduc-
oa of slavery, or Involuntary servitude be prolib
tied, except for tie punishment Of crimes, sehereg
he party shall be duly coaav'cted aad that all child
rem of SLAVES born within TIE said State, after the
admission thereof into the Union, shall be free, but
but may be held to service until the age Of tcenty
fue gears" and eliminating in the election OF
Abraham Lincoln upon the same principles, in
ensi6ed by continuous agitation. resulting in q
state of intersectional feeling and hatred worse
sven than disunion; that F0g is the time for the
'uU final and permanent settlement ofall these
questions at issue between the North and South.
No patchwork will answer. The cancer is
fol AT tad hv fnll
probing to the core and the application of rem
dies which will prevent its recurrence }oreUer.
We want Union of equality and q Union oi
,eace--a Union of hearts Of hands. John Bell
If Tennessee not unwisely said, "And when
Tou present that issue to me, say give me
lisunion; give me anything in preference to
Jnion sustained onlv by power, by Constitu.
onal and legalties, without reciprocal trust
md confidence. II our future career is to be
me Of eternal discord of angry elimination and
give me rather separation with
Ill its cosequenees." Noao and ytvreuer than
lsould these questions be settled
Can they be settled? Is the question. ]
hink hey can be. There is deep and abd
ng Union feeling all over the South, and eSpe
tally in Virginia. We acknowledge the good
less and the greatness of the authors OF our
Federal constitution. We all acknowledge its
uficiehcy for the purposes ot our Union,were
is provisions lived up to in honesty and good
aith. We recognize it as protecting all the
lights claimed by the South in the present cr-
is, but unfortunately for MS, Northern major
ty ignors and denies these provisions and pro
ections and, in the face of the decision OF the
supreme Conrt ofthe United States, deliberate. |
v declares our in!eriority and announces It's
'urpose to enter upon the 'irrepressibe conflict
he destruction of ourselves and property. In |
nv judgment Constitutional amendments alone |
an preserve the Union. But am asked "why |
10 YOU amend the Constitution, entertaining as
ou do the opinion that it contains all you want"
answer, simply because l want its terms made |
o plain that they cannot be misunderstood, |
hat then he, who tramples on our rights, must
no,D and admit that he is violating The Constit-
ion and then we can meet the issue at once
dany Of the Northern voters believe they are
light, taking the words and interpretations OF
emagogues who deliberately mislead them.--
.et tie Constitution be made plain and the |
onest hearts Of the masses will respond to its |
eachings as in the good olden time"
1t is hardly proper that | should suggest |
SO numerous are they already
,ut the amendments proposed by the Hon.
chm j. Crittenden, determining now and here
tter the whole Territorial question on the sub
oct of Slavery, North and South OF 36 deg,
O min, conceding much more TO the North
han is Its right, seem to me to commend them
elves to all true lovers Of the Union. They
re conceived in an enlarged and liberal patrot-
I'M. and while they may not harmonize with
he individual views of many, yet think they
lrnish basis upon which the extremes can
lset. Should Virginia adopt them or some,
hing similar as her ultimatum of compromise
nd PROFOUND them TO all the States ii would
hen be seen who in fact are the Union men oil
"a ronntrv ,phaihar fhnea suhh darsnand AhAiE