The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-25
Address to the People of Virginia from their
RepresPutAtiyes.


The following address to the people Of Vir-
ginia has been adopted by ten of fifteen of
their Representatives in Congress. The pa
per was not presented to Hon. VIM. Smith, he
being deta ned IN Virginia by illness
To THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA
We deem il duty your representa- l.
tves at Washington, 10 lay before you such
information as we may possess in regard 10 the
probable action Of Congress in the present
alarming condition of the country.
AT the beginning Of this session, now more
than half over committees were appointed i'll
both Houses of Congress 10 consider the state
of the Union. Neither committee has been
able to agree upon any mode of settlement of
the pending issues between the North and the
South.
The Republican members in both commit
tees rejected propositions acknowledging the
right OF property in slaves. or recommending
the division of the Territories between the
S]ayeholding and non la yehOding States by
a geogra phical line.
In the Senate, the propositions commonly
known as Mr.. Crittenden's were voted against
by erery Republican Senat0r; and the House,
on vote by yeas and nays refused to con-
slider certain propositions moved by FIR. Eth
eridge, which We're even less favorable 10 the
South than Mr.. Crittenden's.
resolution, giving pledge 10 sus tain the
President in the use of force against seeding
States, was adopted in the House of Repre-
sentatives by large ma jority and i'll the Sen
dtt; every hFpaDltcdn NOtttt 10 SUBSTITUTE lpT
Mr.. Crittenden's propositions, resolutions Of
iered by Mr.. CLARK, Of New Hampshire de-
ciarinS that no new concessions, guarantees,
or amendments to the Constitution, were ne
eessary; that the demand of the South We're
unreasonable, and that the remedy for the
present danger was simply TO enforce the
laws-n other words. coercion a'sd tcar
In this state of facts, our duty is to warn
that il is vain to hope for any nlc;is ureS of
conciliation or adjustment from Congress,
which You could accept. We are also salts
fed that the Republican party designs by
civil war alone, to coerce the Southern States
under the preteXt of enforcing the laws, I'M
less it shall become speedily apparent that the
seeding States are numerous, determined,
and united as to make snch an attempt hope
less.
| our general Intercourse here, by the speeches
| of the Republican leaders here and elsewhere.
| by the recent retuSalS of the LegiS la lures OF
! Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to repeal
! their obnoxious Personal Liberty Laws, by
| the action OF the Illinois Legislature on reso-
| lutions approving the Crittenden propositions
! and by the adoption OF resolutions in the New
| York and Massachusetts Legislatures, doubt
! less to be followed by ohers,1 Offering men
and money for the war of coercion.
| We have thus placed before you the facts
and conclusions which have become manifest
| to us from this post OF observation where you
| have placed us. There is nothing to be hoped
| from Congress the remedy is with yon alone
| when you assemble i'll sovereign Convention.
We conclude by expressing our solemn con-
| Viction that prompt and decided action by the
people of Virginia in Convention will afford
| the surest means, under the providence OF
| God. of averting impending civil war. and
preserving the hope OF reconstructinG nion
already dissolved. {Signed,l
j. VI. MASON, l.. =. MARTIN,
r. VI. I. HUNTER, II. A. EDMUNpsoS,
ID. G. DEJARSETTE, RoGER a. PRYoR,
NJ. r. IL. GARNET, THos. ). BoCoCx,
SHELTON +. LEAKE A. q. JENKINS.
Washington City, 22d January, 1861.