Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-04
D. THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL A, 1861.


ton Recent and better experience bad brought home
to them the indispensable necessity of putting an end
once and forever antsavery agation-as itself the
sole and dangerous parent Of "rTepressble conflict
between tSo social systems which could otherwise live,
not only in peace and harmony, uRder the paterna shield
of the Constitution but with mutual aud signal benefit
to each other Ii their wish and intention in what
they did to bury under perpetual constitutional inter
dict every question with which the political agitation OF
slavery had been hitherto connected which could
hereafter contrive TO fastep aud to bury them deep
that neither the hand Of fanacsm nor of intrigue nor
of ambition could ever reach them MORE
This feeling auimlted and directed the whole line Of
border free States, coterminous with the slave States
stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the banks
OF the Mississippi New jersey, with her large, national
heart formed amid the historic battle Ids OF the Revc
iuton-Pennsyyania with her firm aud massive corstar-
cy TO the Union and the ConsutiOn-he youthful giant
States of the Northwest Ohio Illinois and Indiana, with
loyalty not forgeul of their mother Commonwealth,
and mindful Of the great and growing influence they
must ever exercise in the Councils OF undivided
fedcrecy, ood every important question, for the
rights of tie South. They felt that upon them and the
border slave States must f the bruut OF those inter
minable conflicts which, both history and show,
would inevitably spring from separation; and 10 their
duct and p Their language they faithfully exemphed the
operation 6 tat great Law Of common interest aud SYM
pahy which makes Of the central States both sides
of the line the special guardians and natural conservl
tors Of the Uncn.
|
not forget add g,lant and chiyslrous Rhode Island
who with the united voicc Of her pitriotc and dis,in
gushld delegation, at side She it that
led the "0r'oTn hope" OF the Constitution in New Eng
land By setting the example OF the repeal OF the Perso-
| NJ Heriv law; and in the Peace Conference, at Wa.h
ing.o he was still the AJiel Of her sister States "ear
less though alone; mistaken, unseduced, ulerhed."
Al honor ever to the State, which among the last, in
tho natural pride of independence, to relnqash any
portion of her sovereignty TO the Union is now among
the fss and oremos, to acknowledge and respect the
| reserved, inyiOlate rights OF others.
Unfortunately, the spirit Of fraternity and wise
Cancellation was not exhibited by all the other States
presented IN the Convention; and this produced cur dill
fcutes. But, am happy to be able TO say, that even
the spirit OF Massachusetts modified before the close
of the session; so much So that distinguished member
of her delegation, who delivered q i,rgent abolition
speech in the first days Of the Convention rose in cne
of tn later debates, to dslyow doctrine 1roached by
one of his colleagues, too ultra FOR him. 0p
casion and ufon question OF considerable Interest TO
the South New York. too actually recorded her vote In
our flyoIs the minority OF her delegation who stood
firmly and uobly with US, boldly proclaimed on the floor
t the Convention that, when the question should be car
ried before the people Ct that great Sate popular ma
ory of a hundred and fifty thousand would declare it.
self in favor Of such adjustment as the Convention
| finally recommended.
have an uusbaaen confidence that the people, almost
every where will declare Themselves in favor Of this ad
usment The great de-idcratgn now j. take the QGes
is their VOCATION 10 keep alive and fomen agitation and
DIVISION as the element in which and by which they live
aud have their being l. is the interest Of the people, Oh
the other hand put end to discoTd and 10 promote
the return of good feeling aud 0; muGl kindness aud
confidence the indispensable conditions Of the general
prosperity and happiness.
| received, leow-cLens, just az the moment Of CON-
ing here to meet you letter from leading and noble
hearted member of the Convention az Washington
from the STATE OF Peunsyvau who bears the and
I.t tfn vir Ol
whom We were all ac uytom TO respect and 20 Iever
ence in his day-thc late Jldge White oil Tennessee
Though the letter is entirely OF private character can
not deny myself the qualification Of reading TO you brie
| cxtrac from IT, ju,ti!yng aud confirming ihe colf
dence have expressed in the temper Of the popular
mind even where there have been recently large party
maiores apparently though Lot really, adverse TO tie
Just claims Of the South.
81 learnt he says hat tie intelligence Of GUT agree
ment greeted 10 the Senate chamber At Hrr. burg
with three cheers and found, from coayerzag wih the
members that had given general satisfaction. Wherever
Stopped, found the same ieel0g 70 prevail Ia this
county, which is an old Wlig county, and which gave
Mr.. Lincoln q majority of about two thOusAud six hun-
drod certain that the vote wcad be more than two
TO in livor OF oorc!!aion Ia short from all that
can learn the measures adopted would be carried by
al immense majority in Pennsylvania"
Shall we then, fellosci'i4els Just IN sight
of the promised lnd turn back to wander aud lose
selves hopeessy iu Ae dreary gai PerPexed wilderness
| n
pect of ultiWs.eiy winning back 10 the bosom OF the
Union her dsafected sisters bolt out herself and thus
render The breach complete and ireparatc TIE sine is
gone by for the reckless game OF Precipitation. II is
no longer in the power Of y3aciaye of Senators at
Washington by teegra 20 get up revolutions to order
saying to .h,. sovereign but obednt States - o, and
they 20. Even here, ii mistake .Si, the same thing
practised, when tho commissioners Of a Southern
State elcgrlnhca to their constituent" the Ingsa-
ure Of Virginia have passed resolutions against coercion
E-gO OGt grOEptLy.'
Fellow citizens tho .in4 has come for reason for de-
liberation, Cor sober and wise discretion. At whase bid.
ding Virginia TO 60 out? A. .haI OF South Carolina,
whose occupation for ouths past has been TO taunt 10
reve to G5preca.e her: At that OF the other Cotton
States Who rashly followed the example OF South Caro-
lima in rennVnens the ties which bound her to her sister
SGt9. and without the slightest regard to the well koWn
opinions of Virginia, plunged the country mao revon-
lion and anarchy, OF which the annihhtion OF thou
sand million Of the national wealth and capital and
the universal arrangement and distress which have at.
tended IT, grave as these evils are are not to be counted
as the most serious copsequec oesr
II tn seeded States had not deserted Virginia and
the OtkeF border slave States in manly constitutional
struggle for the security and yndcaton of their COM
mon rights if they had remained, with unds3Ayed
frmness at their pests in the national oyucis; ELM
forced by that noble and -,.aut oody OF men in the
north who have cyst STOOD the South IN I iemlnd
of cGas. stu .onal equality and justice they would have
had the absolute control Of tie Government through the
Legislative CeIEt.Slt-shANo every
ment Il saph had been attempted and rendered the
pertinent of sectional administration Tar too barren an
thorny ever to be thought OF again. And ell hs wou
have been accomplished by peaceful CONSTITUTIONAL ageu-
ees without any serSls in the regular machinery Of
the Coysrnn. nj, aud without compromising the 4teady
and onward march OF toe national prosperity and great
ness.
NOW that Virginia has been cruey, not to say wan
tonly abandoned by the Cotton States IN this great
constitutional struggle in common cause, her hrst duty
is to look with calm and collected composure, to 1t own
true position as il prescribed her ~ eonsdera-
ton of her own interest and hcn.s. Let It be under
stood once for ALL that sho is mistress of her own tes
nies and that cha IS neither to be dragged into dspnion
nv precittiop nor a%ed into submsIoa by coercion.
There are questions OF grave iGpoTt to be maturey
weighed and resolved before she makes up her mind 10
dissolve y1on whch her greatest and "ises men were
the ohieEagens in struggling, aud embark' her for
tunes with new oonfederacy against which their most
solemn coansell have warned her.
When the Union shall DC dissolved, is proposed, 10y
the line which separates the save-holdng froG ts nYn-
saye,hoing States, and Virginia fpG3 A:lsef in hnme
diae contact with in cOSo proximity to States that
would then t3 oceisn Ses TO her. without eiIhoF the
Obligation or tbe disposition to surrender fugitive slaves
what pros could she haye af retaining that descrp
ton OF her Isnrsrty and aborY Would not snch state
of thin - be virtually proclamation of freedom, which
by successive advances aud encroachments VIVID de-
prve her wholly of hsr slaves?
How could she and her ssr border slave States sus
tain the colisiorc aud that would follow, soag
fropse, O. several thousand miles, whoat crushing
weight of ni taiy establishments and oil that would
be alike fatal to thsr liberties, ruRoUs 10 iheir resources
and dastFucve 10 al the arts of cv.zio and peace
Were possible clearly is not to surnount these
dangers she still enquire how her diversified inter
es. exposed to the competition Of the rest OF the wor
l 4 Il tha lIrw al