, 1861-01-05

I ss~ - ~"n4u 4oata0tly AuH defiance at the Fed
e'n government, and with the grossest tnius
1'ce to Ill her sister Btatcs, dissolve her con
aeet1on With them, and disrupt the Union
Indeed, rs has been abty nsgued in the Senate
'ne right OF secession Involves also the rieh1
VI expulsion. a majority Of the States, taking
unoragc at some Legislative enactment Of. say
your oS~n st"tc, which may be obnoxious ia
1nena' might '(this doctrine being conceded, J
"pi1c IN simultaneous secession, aud then re-
~ euns19uct eontederlcJ, refusing to nanit
Virginia Into the new slstcrhood of States.
ehat q commentary upon the boosted perua-
nence OF our fFee institutions would tho ad-
Hassaon OF such doctrine furnish to the dcs-
pots Of the Garth:
No such thtngas secession yas coutep,platcd
bsthc Trainers Of the Constitution. The Faih-
CTS oi The Republic, embracing VirsinIa's most
Musinous statesmen, uniformly denied tho
existence Of any snch right. 1t is Idle, there
'ore' to discuss the question further. Secs
s'of Is Tes1satsot- It has ever been 90 regard
ca h5 the ahlest eSpounde1s Of the Constitu-
'lon, aud is SO pronounced by the unanimous
Feroiot Of thcgzeat Powers ofthe Garth. To DENY
II ID prcposteronar and only reflects upon the
eaaoor' Wisdom and bravery of those rho resort
70 socn extreme measures for the redress Of
aAeged injuries. South Carolina, claiming this
i'gat o. secession, and with q reckless tlisre-
cara of your counsel, an Insulting scot1ne at
lac remonstrance Of many sister States fbefter
aple than herseu to estimate the erils Of Which
sae compiains}, has plunged precipitate1Y into
feFolnt1on and open war. Appfehcnsfve. If
slms werc allowed for the conservative nnion
F1F &fyr p1AA
tac councils Of the nation, that its bitter Sec
nonM controversy might be a1nicably adjusted,
Iaas pcrtistenf}y. qucrulous little Slate essays
~ oe the champion Of the South. Utterly un-
prepared Tor SO momcntons change in her
Eontacal affairs, she declares herself M ipde.
cndent nation, and Haunting her tlag Of trca-
son before the country, she stands cut before
The world as the very cmnodlncnt Of temeTity,
a1Iogonee aud folly.
ylrginlans, will you permit South Carolina
10 drag your noble Commonwealth into the
vortex otrcyo1ution ? Do not, Iimplo, you. be
s'eceiyed by the fatal delneion that tsaceaa1e
secession is possible, or that the Uuion can now
oe dissolved and then be reconstructed upon
nasts more favorable to the institutions OF the
south. Such allu5iDG intimat{ons of Soutlt
carolin1 and her confcdcratcs in rebellion,
are the speclous Establishments Of your worst
enemy. Secesston. I 7s7tat. is rs1olu.ion, and
'riosutioR is ear- The question thenurises are
you prepared for warp Has your political and
social statua become SO intolerahlc as to iustl.
y the severance Of Jour ties with this glorious
Confectionery NoD1y ayowinga Bill1ngnessto
Ignore the past, Is your future In Tie Onion so
pregnant with ineFitable evil as to deuaaud
In advance rebellion, dlsunion and wary
What would be your Justification in the eycs
q the world for following In the wake Of that
little piratical tug, which having lowered onr
glorious pational banner, hoiets in its pluce
The Paltnett0 flag, and commands you to fight
under 1t. Fight What? To fight your sister
states, aye TO assa;i this noblcst member ofthc
great family Of nations.
The constitutional election Of q President.
even were he, as charged, to entertain views
inimic1l to slavery, would furnish ron no ius-
'iGcatlon- But Lincoln, however resolute in
adhcring to bis platform, will prove equally
drm in the execution Of the laws Of the coun-
nation Of extremists in both sections by Lis
undertaking and conservative patriotism, An.
other alleged ground for secession is . SUP
POSED hostility to tic people Of the South now
deemed almost universal Mt the North This
is another Of those wilfu1 perycrsions Of the
tue passions OF the people, to the prejudice OF
the best interests OF the whole country. Ten
ycars residence in the North enables me to de.
clare with most emphatic carncstacss, the
utter falsity Of this impression, now SO preya-
lent at the South. There is, on the contrary,
= sel3 EeuItdi !EatGEHal leteuIu entertained by
the people Of the North toward their brethrcI,
Of the South. Tic apprehension that the aho-
'ltion Of slavery in tho South is contemplated
by the North, must ere this have been Quicted
- the propositions Of Seward and the leading
Republicans, 60 to amend the Constitution IS
to render his Impossible The people here
sympathizc with the people oft1c South, though
the seeding States forfeit NIL claim to the co-
tidcnce and affection Of the North, the sever
ancc being violent and without Just cause, dis !
astrous to both sections, bnt particularly 50 to
the rebels themselves.
!, 70 enoitter the people Of the North against. |
tltose Of the Snusl,, Eccc+sion ie the 14.res.
method On the otlseE hand, were 1t psactica- |
bic, could suggest no more certain remedy
It,r the terrible strife NOW cOnyulsing the ma |
tion than the appointment by each district Of ]
every Southern State Of their lest men, {not
to eiat tic Aor1h- I would guar |
;intee them nat only q most cordial reception |
and hospitable entertainment, but such gen
ulnc manifestations Of kin1 feeling, and 50
frank an Interchange Of political sentiments, |
rs would completely dlsarm politicians Of their |
'.pholy Influence over the masses, and restore
he country to its wontcd peace
Alas, that designing acmasoyues-extrem- !
lists North and dSouth-should be able 50 to cx- |
ritr the Erejpticcs Of the one section against |
he other, rs to crush the coneerratlsm Of the
country, and eradicate from the hearts Of tue |
people tho love Of the Union! VirtsiniauE, arc |
you reauy 10 iuflilcr LAesc tralt0Tous m2tGlua-
iions for the overthrow OF the Governments J
Havo you countcd tho cost, realized the uni ,
ycrsal distress, brought ho1uc to you the hor- |
7ors Of civil waz: Tui1lk of it, not in the dis |
lance, but us Imminent, aye rs already COM
!nencel, and tue spread Of which nothing but !
the goodness Of Got} can avert from u.s.,
Reflect upon the thousands and tens Of thou |
sands Of widows aud orphans which such = !
war would cast upon The cold charity OF tho |
world, the fearful carnage, the uurelentiu.
icrrors of lnternccinc strife the fota1 prostra-
fion Of the commerce and all TIC material in- !
lcrests Of the country, which would inevitably |
follow, aa1 above all the arrest iu her prout, ]
z1rccr Of this most glorious nation on Gods |
cartht |
Pause, my conntrymcn, remember him ]
whose ashes in Mount Vernon's hallowed soil |
make Virginia tho most sacred of the States, |
md for 3<is sake, for his memory, let her lc the
ast to forsake that iiag which lie uphe1dto tn. |
,azc OF au aimiring world, the last TO tear |
lown that great Temple If Liberty, of which I
le WIS the chi # architcct-the last 10 disreyari
,ts sacred iniunctions for tho integrity, the
! ,lory, aud tho perpetuity Of the Kepnb]ic.
Tuos. BARBOUR BRrAN. |
CAiea1o, Jan. 4, 1851.