New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-18
4 "sETTLESIRNTv ALREADY
WADE,

The plan Of compromise now before the Leg
i.a.ure Of Virginia, aud to be urged also, It is
said, in the legislature of Missouri, North Car
dina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, has one alto
ctthcr supererogatory proposition which, If con
sidcred in its proper light, would save good
deal OF utterly useless debate, and prevent much
serious disappointment. The resolution we refer
TO il the first If the series, announcing " that
- there must be some definite and conclusive
settlement of the Slavery question between the
" Two sections Of the country, or separation Will
d" be inevitable" Any discussion on that point,
We hold, ID utterly useless. That " settlement v
is made already. For years past it has been
under debate throughout the whole country, IN
the newspapers, in pamphlets, III Congress, IN
State legislature on the stump, in Presidents
ard Governors Message, in party platforms, and
was settled finally and forever 10y the People Mt the
ballot box by the largest most intelligent, ani most
ENTHUSIASTIC popular vote ever given in any nation,
n the 9th of November, 1850. IL was settled that
under the Constitution of tho United States
Slaycry should never be extended over another
foot of tho public domain, while it was left in
the States, and as regards those "hcd to service
" and labor under the laws thereof" precisely as
It always has been, uRacr the Constitution, from
the inception Of the Government. The verdict OF
the people was calm, determined, intelligent, aud
irreycrsibl, II is the very blindness Of faulty to
reopen the discussion. 1t Is the very mndness OF
anaGcism TO expect any other decision. Legis-
lalurc4 missy resol'e; Congresses may rc-resOlve,
may compromise, aud may coHccde; gentlemen
whose stocks are at low figure, whose mcr-
chandise is a drug may hold secret sessions,
may send Committees to Washington, may pub
lish the longest and the ablest documents; but
nevertheless the people, the great-heartcd people,
who think with their brains and who work with
their hands, and who love Liberty for Themselves
and their postcrity Will only decide again and
again, as often as the question Is put to them,
that the system Of Human Bondage shall
never DO extended over a single acre Of the VIZ
gin soil of these United States. This is as fixed
as law Of nature; as certain as the procession
Of the equinoSes; as inevitable us the daily glory
of the rising sun-settlcd forever and ever. We
10 not mean to be wanting in respect for the
House of Delegates of Virginia, for the Legisla-
lures of the other States who propose to reopen
this question for the tao Houses Of tho Federal
Congress, nor even for the committees of gentle
men who hurry with their little propositions to
Washington. But We tell them that this " settle
ment" is the peoples business, and they have
attended 10 and finished il. If the existence Of the
Union il dependent upon reversal Of their
judgment, then the separation Of the States may
as well come to-day as tomorrow, Us well this
mOpth or this year. as next month or next year;
for the judgment, please Almighty God, will
never be reversed.
There are four other resolutions in this plan
before the Virginia House of Delegates, the Sec
ond and third depending upon the first, and we
therefore pass them by. The fourth is strong
appeal to the Federal Government to stay its
h" hand pending the mediation of Virginia" Thus
far tho Federal Government has not held its
hand in any attitude that it needs 30 be prayed
TO stay it. An msrmed stcanrpacket with $50
United States troops on board crept stealtbily
out Of New-York one dark night, with the pur-
pose of reinforcing sorely beset garrison in
United States fort, and, before the week was
over, crept back again with the troops stu on
board. This is the extent OF oil that Government
has done directly to assert its rights and dignity.
The strong appeal" therefore, We fear, will
not DO dsregarded. Better would 1t be, better
In accordance with The traditions of Virginia