Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-01-15
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 1867.

CaLoQ Dy KlnQ spirit. IL wears Cl0 aspect O1
dissatisfaction with your decision, and, in con-
nection with other portions OF the message, ia
dicates distrust of, and hostility on his part to-
wards this Commonwealth. The duty which
| owe to Virginia demands notice of 80 much
of this communication as relates to- our State,
and the action of her Legislature.
Why Virginia alone, of all the Southern
States, should have been singled out for COM
ment is to me unaccountable. The Resolu-
tions of the South Carolina Legislature, asking
the conferences were transmitted to all the
Southern States, and none of those States re-
sponded, except Mississippi and Alabama
Why no complaint of the other States who
declined to accede to the proposals After a
careful examination of your resolutions, since
the perusal of the Governors message, / see
nothing that could have entitled them to the
special notice that hay been so freely bestowed
upon them. They declare, s'That the General
Assembly Of Virginia, recognizing in our pres
.ent relations with the non-slaveholding States
an imperative necessity for decisive measures,
does not yet distrust the capacity of the South
ern States, by q wise and firm exercise of their
reserved powers, protect the,rights and liber-
ties of the people, and to preserve the federal
Union. For this purpose, we earnestly desire
Che concurrent action of the Southern States. u =
The authorities of Virginia acted with kind
ness and courtesy towards the State of South
Carolina and her estimable Commissioner, and
in declining to go into Southern conference
at that time, they intended no dsrepect to
that State.
| South Carolina having determined upon her
| future course, without consultation with any
! one of her slayeholding sister States, her late
Executive announces in his message, ''It is too
late to receive propositions for conference
and the State would be wanting in self-respect,
! after having deliberately decided on her course,
| to entertain any proposition looking to contin-
uance of the present Union. We can get no
4 safer Or better guarantee than the present Con-
stitution, and that has proved impotent to pro-
tect US against the fanatieism of the North
| 1t may be too late now to confer with her
sister States, but there was time when she
could have conferred with them with great pro-
priety, and perhaps with advantage to herself
and them. The Gonernor states that Col. Mem
minger was not sent to Virginia ''to plan dis
solution of the Union, but to save it, If posssi.
/ ble." Before she determined to precipitate a
/ dissolution, would it not have been wise to let Us
know what was her determination, and to have
made an effort to secure "the concurrent action
of the Southern States 81 As it is, her move
ment takes her Southern sisters by surprise.
The financial and commercial policy of the
Federal Government in past years has, | have
no doubt, in great degree determined her ac-
ton. The only specific allegation in regard to
the slavery question, so far as have observed
is the conduct of the Northern States in pass
ing personal liberty bills, designed to obstruct
the execution of the fugitive slave law. The
action of the Northern States, n regard to this
law, is, beyond all question, a just and proper
subject of complaint and even denunciation on
the part all slaveholding States, and especially
the border States.
| The faithful, prompt and just execution of al
the provisions of the present Constitution will
not prove satisfactory to to South Carolina
Believing she can get nothing more than the
Constitution accords to her, without even max
ing an effort through a convention of all the
States, her late Executive solemnly announces
s.lt is too late to receive propositions for con
ference;" that shaving deliberately decidedly
on her course, self-respect forbids her from en-
tertaining any propos1fcn looking to q continu
ance in the Uaaion.p
The late executive of South Carolina is no,
content to announce this determination, but
recommendations look to the embarrassment o
every slaveholdiDg State On the border which il
not disposed to follow her lead. Hence we fine
In bis message very open and undisguse(
proclamation OF war upon the interests of all the
border slaveholding States, unless they unite
with South Carolina:
s'The introduction of slaves from other States
which may not become members of the South
ern Oonfederacy, and particularly the border
States, should be prohibited by legislative enact
ment, and by this means they will be brought te
see that their safety depends upon Withdrawal
| from their enemies, and an union with theil
friends and natural allies If they should con-
tinue their union with the non-slaveholdine
| Iat 1oay
own borders, and the only alternative left then
will be emancipation by their own act, or the
action of their confederates. We cannot con-
sent to relieve them from their embarrassing sit.
uation, by permitting them to realize the money
value for their slaves, by selling them to U.S. and
thus prepare them, without any loss of property
to accommodate themselves to the Northern
free-soil idea. But should they unite their des-
tiny with US, and become stars in the Southern
galaxy-members of great Southern Oonfeder
ation-we will receive them with open arms and
enthusiastic greeting. Should, then, danger ap-
proach their borders, or an enemy, open or dis
guised, make war upon them, there is not q
doubt but living rampant of freemen, from the
Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, would line their
borders and beat back the INVADERS
Here we have the exhibition of determined
purpose to coerce Virginia and the other border
States to follow her example; and if they fail to
do SO, then they are to be placed in such posi-
tion as will drive them TO the emancipation of
their slaves This movement begun ostensibly
for the protection of slave property for the diff
fusion and the preservation of the institution of
slavery, is to be so managed and directed now,
as to force States holding slave property to free
themselves from it by emancipation. This is
the avowed policy of the late executive of a
State, interested in an institution sanctioned by
the teachings and precepts of Christianity, and
promotive of higher degree of civilization and
re6nement-an institution that ought to be diff
fused and extended, and the permanency and
prosperity of which ought to be insured Can
it be possible that such suggestions can exert an
influence upon the future action of either of the
border States-that they can be coerced into an
Union with those who thus manifest purpose to
rule or ruin thema They may rest satisfied that
such policy cannot control the action of Vir-
ginia. She has the independence and ability to
think for herself, and her action, whatever it
may be. will be the result of her convictions of
duty. She is equally as jealous of her honor as
South Carolina or any other State, and she will
guard and protect it, with a purpose as resolute
and~determined, and spirit as firm and un-
daunted, as unyielding and as exacting.
now propose to present, in contract with
these views Of the executive of South Carolina.
the sentiments announced by her commissioner
in this capital, on the 10Th of January, 1850 In
his address he declares, II can confidently affirm
that such an interchange of kindly feeling as
you have exhibited cannot fail to bind together
the hearts of Our DeODla in closar tias of ournno