Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-29
To the PeoDIe Of virginia

| We deem it our duty as your Representatives al
Washington, to lay before you such information q;
we may possess in regard to the probable action o.
Congress in the present alarming condition of the
country.
At the beginning of this session. now more thar
! half over, committees appointed in both Hous
es of Congress, to consider the state of the Union
Neither committee have been able TO agree upon
| anv mode of settlement of the pending issues be
| tween the North and the South.
The Republican members in both committees re.
iected propositions acknowledging the right of prop
erty in slaves or recommending the division Of Ter
ritores between the saveholding and nen-slaVehold
! ing States by geographical line.
In the Senate the propositions commonly known
! as Mr.. Crttendens were voted against by ecGg ne
publican Senator and the House, on vote by ayes
and noes refused TO consider certain propositions
/ moved by Mr.. Etherdge winch were even less Ia
yorable to the South than Mr. CPitten1eRs.
Aresolution giving pledge to sustain the FTesi.
dent in the use of force against seeding otaes was
adopted in the House of Representatives BY large
majority and in the Senate, every Republican voted
to substitute for Mr. Crittendens propositions reso-
lutions offered by Mr.. Clark of New Hampshire
declaring that no new concessions, guarantees or
amendments 70 the Constitution were necessary,
that the demands of the South were unreasonable
and that the remedy for the present. danger was
simply to enforce the lawsin other words, coercion
and lrdr
In this state offacts our duty is TO warn you that
it is vain to hope for any measures of eoncIlSton
or adjustment from Congress. which you could ac-
cent We are also satisfied that the Republican par
ty designs by civil alone to cOerce the Southern
States under the pretext of enforcing the laws I'M
less It shall become speedily apparent that the Sc
cedinG States are numerous, determined and UNI
ted as to make SUCH Rr attempt hopeless
We are confirmed in these conclusions by our
general intercourse here by the speeches Of the lie
publican leaders here and elsewhere, by tie recent
ref1sals of the Legislatures of Vermont, OHIO apd
Pennsylvania, to repeal their obnoxious Personal
Liberty Laws, by the action of the illinois Legisa
ture on resolutions approving the Crttenden PrOpo-
siuOns and by the adoption of resolutions in the
New York and Massachusetts, Legislatures, doubt
less TO be followed by others) offering men and
money for the war of coercion.
We have thus placed before you the facts and
conclusion which have become manifest to US from
this post of observation where you have pISeed Us
There is nothing to be hoped from Congress- the
remedy is with you alone, when you assemble IN
sovereign Convention.
We conclude by expressing our solemn CONVICTION
that prompt and decided action by the people OF
VIRGINIA ia Convention will afford the surest means,
under the Providence Of Ged, of averting an I'm
pending civil war spd preserving the hope Of re-
constructing a Union Siready dissolved.
Signed byl j. H. Mason,
R. NJ T. HcsFEB,
D. C. DEJARNErrE,
NJ +. II. GABNETT,
SHELTON +. LEAKE
T. S. MARTIN,
q =. EDyUNDsoN,
SOCCER A. PRYoE,
FHos. S. BQcocE,
| A G. JENKINS.
! WASHINGTON Cry, 22nd January, iSbiS
we are requested to say that Gov. Smith, was Dol
10 washington, beidg detained at home in Virgins
by illness apd that the paper was not presented for
MS signature, Bh2ch II Is presumed he would nave
gwen If lie had hGa TIE opportunity.