Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-22

am reported as abiding tua correspondence
which is said to have taken place IN 49,, oe.
tween the President OF the United otatcs II tiiu'
time and the then Governor Of South Carolina
| am not aware Of any correspondence tll'lt ~, DC
CURED between these iunctonarles Inc
correspondence TO which ! alluded Was the
CORRESPONDENCE that took place between MI
Fillmore and the Governor Of South Carolina,
during the wears S. or 1852 AIN not pre-
parcd to saw ut what particular time the cor
resemblance was held The Convention OF
s,utb Carolina assembled in 1852, though
the election was, believe, held in leoo.-
It was to the correspondence winch LOOK
place ut that period that referred, ana
not to any correspondence that may have Ia
ken ulacc in 1892 ! make this explanation 10
put myself right and not with view 10 make
any complaint Of the reporters. tonnd t!'nl
the substance oil i lew other remarks ihaue
is correctly reported.
Mr. Woop-I offer the following resolutions,
and move their reference to thc Committee on
/ Federal Relations. After they shall have been
repurted | desire to say few words by way
of explanation:
J. Resolved, That the allegiance which the cit
liens Of Virginia owe To the Federal Govern
nlcnt OF the United States Of America IS SUBJ
ordinate 10 that due TO Virginia, and may,
therefore, he lawfully withdrawn by her When
ever she may deem it her duty TO DO so.
. That in case the State of Virginia should
exercise this authority, her citizens would De
in duty bound to render allegiance and obedl-
ence 10 her alone.
g. That Virginia recognizes no authority IN
any government, State Or Federal, to coerce her
or anvtof her citizens, to render allegiance TO
the government OF the United States, after she
NAV, in the exercise Of her sovereign power,
have Withdrawn from il; and that she will
regard any attempt at coercion rs equivalent to
Il declaration of war against her, to be resisted
ut ever hazard and 10 the last extremity.
l. That the States Of South Carolina, Genr-
gia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Texas, having scvcrally and formally with
drawn the allegiance Of their respective people
from the United StateS al America, 4 faithful,
earnest desire To avert civil war, and the sound
conservative sentiment Of the country, alike
indicate to the Government Of the United States
the necessity and 1oiicuoi acknowledging their
independence.
Mr. WOODS Representing, as do, sir, the
conservative sentiment Of the county OF BAR
bour, To the sulliuecs sof whose voters ! am
Indebted for The honor Of Il seat upon this toor,
! have snngh, this opportunity Of presenting
to this Convention tie views embodied III these
resolutions, which have been fully canvasScd,
carefully conSiGered,,and which believe TO cx-
press the sentiments Of my people
have not deemed it necessary, in Offering
these resolutions, To accompany them with any
declaration IN the part "i my people, ut Tie
devotion of the people Of Virginia 10 tltc Union
of the United States of America. | do not
conceive that it is necessary thai such drcla-
ration should be made by Inc, i'll order that the
real views Of Virginia in regard to the Conicd-
eracv Of the United States should he under
stood. The whole history Of Virginia, from
her colonial condition to this day, has been
history OF struggle, Of Sacri!ice first to secure
the independence Of the l.. States, and since to
establish and secure, upon constitutional basis,
the Union Of the United States. She has given
the most substantial evidence Of the value that
she placed upon the Union oi these States,
in :hc sacrifices she made for it. First,
in the struggle for independence foremost in
her readiness to make the sacrifice necessary to
obtain il, first in the councils If the nation i'll
preparing lis orgauic law, she holds to.
lav The position that she held then. When
the first lntlrmur of discomfort came up from
tho small and weaker States, that Virginia,
| !,
with an active entcrprisng and industrious
population, might exert an undue influence in
Inc councils Of the common country, she,
with munifccnce such rs was never man
ifcsted before Invested herself Of an empire and
to-day sho realizes how sharper than ser
pent's tooth it is to have 4 thanklesS child"
But, not content with that, lest her ample
boundaries might still nave been considered too
| ,,I i,,l, tr,r Tl no
to the Union the great State of Kentucky; and,
sprung from her bosom, that great State the
eldest daughter nf the Union, sat down 1T the
material board the equal of her mother.
For these reasons. | do not deem it necessary
to say anything To prove the fidelity Of the
people Of Virginia to the Unian Of these States
but have Seen proper, Mr.. President, 10 pre-
sent in 4 specific form, in the resolutions which
I have had the honor 10 present 10 this Con.
vention, the views, such as they may be, that
] entertain in relation 10 the allegiance OF the
citizens of Virginia to their State remember
that there WIS 4 Virginia before the existence
nr I government Of the United States
| remember that the citizens Of Fir-
ginia owed allegiance TO the State Of Viz
ginia before there was government OF
the United States; and remember that when
the State Of Virginia acccdcd To the compact
formed by the Constitution Of the United States,
that she conceded to me, and all her citizens,
the privilege ol yielding Obedience and allcgi-
ancc TO the government ul the United States, for
the purpose indicated i'll the Constitution Of the
United States Remembering these things. !
feel that it becomes her to Indicate her posi-.
ton clearly. II Il conflict Of allegiance Should
arise, | believe tue duty nI every citizen OF
Virginia is just as clear as the light Of day, to
yield obedience IN the State of Virginia and
her ony As u consequences Of this, my third
resolution announces the doctrine that Virginia
cannot therefore recognise any authority in
any Government, State or Federal, 10 GEORGE
Virginia, Or any citizen Of Virginia, to render
allegiance and Obedience 10 the Government oil
the United States, when she may, i'll the exercise
Of her sovereign capacity, have withdrawn that
allegiance.
Without at present, undertaking ~ discuss The
proprictv or improperly Of the act off several
States that have seeded from the Conledcracy
Of the United StatcS---for desire, ut the proper
time, AMI under proper circumstances, to lndl'
cate my views fully and clearly upon this qneS-
tion-Iinding that these States have rcs9rtcd to
this extreme measure; finding that they are occu-
uying de- Jacto, tho position Of sovereign and
independents nations, aud desiring, above all
things, thai the evils Of civil war may be
avcrtcd; and, believing that this is the desire,
not only of this Convention but Of the sound,
conservative sentiment 0( the whole country
Of the United States, | have no hcStancy in
declaring it as my opinion that the Govern
ment of the United States should ut the very
earliest period consistent with the honor Of the
United States acknowledge the independence
OF those States, and by one act remove every pos
sible contingency upon which the conflict may
unhappiIy result between the two sections of
the country.
It is for these reasons, Mr.. President, that |
have deemed it proper, in my opinion, to sub.
nit the resolutions to The Convention.
Mr.. WIsE.-Trn years ago, stood at this
Capital, claiming for Western men the right of
equal representation; and during an eighteen
months siege for equal taxation, equal repre-