Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-25
The Federal Commissioners.

The Federal Commissioner.
The appointment by the Legislature, Of q
Board Of Commissioners charged with the duty
of the inception Of Il new adjustment of federal
relations, on the "hasis" OF the "Crittenden
Resolutions" affords a rare instance Of monde
script legislation.
After issuing call for a State Convention
to deliberate Oh the subject Of federal adjust
mcnt, our General Assembly, in its wisdom,
has seen tit to forestal the deliberations Of the
Convention, not only by laying down 'ba-
sis" of adjustment, but by providing the
ways and means Of It's ultimate adoption.
After doing their utmost to tic the hands of
the Convention, 10y requiring that their action
shall, in certain contingencies, bc limited
merely to the citice Of recommending measures
for popular adoption or rejection, the Legisla.
ture makes bold not only to express the opin
ion that the people Of Virginia are prepared to
submit to anti.Slavery oppression, but to take
important action and to recommend similar ac-
ton on the part of other States. in pursuance
Of this opinion.
While the United States Senate is occupied
in passing resolutions OF coercion, and while
Northern States are eagerly tc;idering men and
money to the Federal Government to be EN-.
ployed in the subsection of Southern States
while the whole North, with the Federal Gov
crnment to aid them, is advancing as fast as
possible in active aggrcsSion-thc General As
sembly deputies commissioner charged to
urge upon the Southern States the expediency
of abstainng from acts Of open resistance to
system Of coercion We hardly imagine n
task more rcpugnant to public officers known
views and disposition, than that which has
been assigned to Judge John Robertson. We
venture to predict that the officer will be fosnd
altogether unwilling to perform the task allot-
ted to him, and that this conference with the
authorities Of South Carolina and Florida will
result in something very different from the
programme Of temporzng submission intend
icd by the action Of the General Assembly.
Again: The Commissioners, while furnished
with scheme of djustment, on ''basis" ofSub-
mission 10 bc rendered to the Northern States,
are to offer il on several conditions, to wit
lst Its adoption by the State Convention. I'd.
Its adoption by the Southern States generally,
since, in the event that "all effort to reconcile
the unhappy differences existing between the
TWO sections shall prove abortive, then every
consideration Of honor and interest demands
that Virginia shall unite her destinies with the
slavcholding States"
See, then, the long list Of conditions, each Of
which is necessary to an adjustment on the
proposed "basis.'
spond to the call for the grand committee of
conference proposed by the General Assembly
Of Virginia.
81. The commissioners to be appointed by
the Southern States must consent to stand on
the proposed ''bass" Of submission to North
ern aggression.
Sd The commissioners to bc appointed by
the Northern States must agree to recommend
the passage Of the South under the yoke, on
the terms proposed.
4th. 4 Black Republican Congress must
agree to submit the terms Of submission to be
ratified or rejected by the several States.
5th. In the mean time, Virginia, Florida,
MARYLAND and South Carolina must submit TO
the coercion applied by Federal garrisons sta
toned in their midst.
9Th. The Convention Of Virginia must ratify
the proposed terms Of yirginia's submission.
7th. Every other Southern State must, in
Convention assembled, agree to submit to
Northern aggression, on the same terms.
Why, this is worse than the "housc that
Jack built" If it were possible to overcome
all these obstacles at aI-which we may ven.
ture to say, with confidence, it is not-Mr.
Stewards three years Of Statu quo would be
more than consumed by their consunmation.
What then? Shall We not only make up our
minds to submit, but also wait in the cold, like
poor King Harry at the Pope's out gate, and for
three long years, until it shall graciously please
our Northern masters to accept the terms OF our
submission Nay! With Gods help We will
not wait. Or, if we shall wait, it will only
be until the 4th of March, when coercion will
certainly be applied, with strlngency which,
will altogether preclude waiting, and obllge us
to take more than one step, backwards or Tor
wards, and that in double quick time Inc
double quick" backwards, must be very
difficult step, by the bye, and is altogether nr-
known in military tactics. Why, then, does
our General Assembly urge Southern States 10
wait at all? Waiting ouly gives the enemy
timc-tilnc to prepare and apply all tho means
of coercion and if South Carolina and florl-
da, aye, and Elrginiu, too, intend to rid 'l'er',
selves of Federal garIisons at all, they hao
better take the STEP while yet it may oe ac-
complishcl without the shedding OF blood
ningnanimous Ohio.