Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-02-05
The Address of the Secession Members OF
Congress from Virginia.

COuSteSS from virginia.
We noticed last week the palpable purpose of
these members in issuing their address to the
people of this State at the time they did. The
National Intelligencer" refutes the position ia
ken in that address, that it is necessary for Vir-
ginia to secede to prevent civil war, and sue
cessfully maintains that precisely the opposite
course on the part of Virginia will be the surest
guarantee of peace" The "Intelligencer" says ::
"Who supposes for a moment that the Repub-
lcan party, even if its designs are correctly
interpreted by the authors of this paper, would
or could proceed to invade or ''coerce'' the Gulf
States while Virginia and the Border Slavehold-
ing States preserved their present relations in
the Unions The whole thing in that case would
be not only morally but physically impossible.
The Intervention of the Border Slaveholding
States, provided they remain in the Union,
would present barrier, both moral and phys-
cal, between the two sections-a barrier which
no hostile foot could cross; and this fact is SO
plain that such al arrangement was part of the
defensive strategy announced by Mr.. Yancey,
IN beh0J Of the Cotton States and their safety,
only two years ago. On the other hand, who
does not SEE that division by the line of parti-
ton between the Slaveholding and non Slave
holding States would bring the two sections
face to face, and thus present at once points of
contact and collisionl The argument of the pa
per seems to Us equally at fault as respects the
best method for preserving the hope of recon
strIcting Union already dissolved" Nothing
we should think, could more efectually extin-
guish that hope than the accession of Virginia to
the seeding States followed in that STEP as in
all likelihood she would be at an early day, by
all or nearly all her sister States lying on the
ar TO- I, oh II o,< &c IL
two sections, by arraying them, as already init
mated, front to front, would sooner or later be
the precursor of civil war, growing out of bor-
der feuds the fruitful source of dissensions in all
lands and in all ages, who does not see that the
chasm becomes more incurable aud intractable
the wider it grows; and what basis of media
ton is left when the two "sOcal systems" and
the two civilizations" of the North and of the
South are represented by two distinct govern
mental organizations, formed under the ex-
elements and resentments which have led to
a separation
1t only remains for Us to say that the people
of Virginia may 10 their wisdom determine to
sever their relations under the Constitution of
the United States, but we are very sure it will
never be for the reasons recited in that Address,
When they make that decision it will be in vir-
tue of considerations far more cogent, and, we
must take leave to say, far more logical"
POSITION OF SOUTH CARoLINA.-The South Car
Olina Legislature, on Monday, the 28th of Janu-
airy, unanimously rejected the mediation of Vir-
GINA, as profered through her Commissioner,
Judge Robertson, declaring that the State does
not desire any new Constitutional guarantees,
that the separation from the Federal Union is
final, and that the only negotiations she can hold
with the Federal Government are as to their mu-
tual relations as foreign States! The Legisla-
ture further declared its want Of confidence in
the Federal Government, &c. She therefore,
with high considerations of respect for Virginia,
declines entering into the negotiation proposed.
South Carolina has also determined to make a
final demand for the surrender of Fort Sumter.
This it appears was her ultimatum, transmitted
by her Commissioner, General Hayne, but with
held by him in Difference to the counselS of
Southern congressman. Cav. Pickens has now
Gen. Hayne to make the demand
He is to wait at Washington reasonable time
for an answer to this final demand, and then Fort
Sumter must be taken The Legislature has APP
proved the Governors action.