Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-03-21
NORTHWESTERN STATES.

make the following declarauoh VI 'nS PN'P,
which this Commonwealth entered into the war In which
% country Is now involved and their views as ito its
prosecution and termination ,,
III known 70 the world that Virginia had contributed
largely to the establishment and maintenance oil the
Union which has been disrupted. Immense were 'se
sacrifices she made for it, and ANXIOUS were her people
IN nreserye IL They were blind TO the long series
of areressons which the North regardless OF the ob
gatious of their institutional compact had made upon
Virg MIA and her sister Southern States They saw that
the raterna spirit which had been eAhoited III DAYS
or yoren by the Northern people, giving place To
enyv ard hatred and that their relative numbers
were augmented by the rapid accession of foreign cunt
grafton aud their political power was proportionaDly IN
creased they were becoming holder IN Their lnraclo
of the constitutional compact, more aggressive III the
shirt and more determined to employ the powers oil me
Federal Government which had been created for the
common benefit for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF their own
section and the dsparagement oil the Southern States
and TO this end, they saw that systematic en0ts "ee
ene made in the Northern States 10 absorb all the po
It,aI mower of the Government by the organization OF
geographical party on principles Of bitter hostility 10
southern institutions though they were recognized ana
puaranteed by the compact OF the CONSTITUTION Ihey
saw the origin and progress, and, In the eeeuon Oh
Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin to the CHIEF ex
cntiye offices of the Government the mai cumlnSoh
~ denomination of this reasonable conspiracy
As might have been foreseen, and as, indeed, was
-d;cted nv statesmen North aud South the triumph 81
such sectional organz ton was the deatkhen vi 'no
U,;on South Carolina true to her previous declare
| ton, convened sovereign convention Vi he'
people and deliberately withdrew from the Ohoh.
os,sr States followed her example, nut no.
without AL effort to obtain such iurther 5uaranT I
from the North would relieve them from the necesS
10 or resortng TO disruption for their security but
Ie afTort WAS met by the imperious end uncompro-
msn shirt of the dominant party at the North, and u
yss Tuitess Virginia faithful TO her ancient psstge,
and true 10 her generous antecedens, still chung 10 tue
hone of saving the Union and uphoidng the VonsuVu
ton Overture after overture she made 10 the NoiSl
and 10 the powers at Washington. But it was IN Valh
All we're repe!Ied And finally, the vulgar Tyrant VINO
had peen elevated to the seat of Washington WITH
nothing to recommend him TO the high trust out t-e
evidence he had given OF bitter hostty 70 the oouth
,rd of a narrow sectional spiritf made known 10 lte
ord Inv PROCLAMATION that after rejecting every patTi'
o,ic overture for peaceful Adjustment he mad deOer
,ov chosen 10 solve the difficulties by the arbtrament
If the sword Thus was the issue presened-uncondi,
onal submission to Black Republican aggression thro
an timc-or successful resistance IN defence oil puoo
liberty at the point of the bayonet.
| Virginia was net long then in deciding as to her
CHOICE From every valley end mountantoP, from hlii
md ulan the voice OF her people reSGVndfd 10 arms
md the bonds which bound her to the Federal dove'n
neut and TO the Northern States, was broken asuhder-
and it was s4pdered forever =
But III taking up arms 1t was no part Oh virginia ;
DESIGN TO wege an aggressive war Her only purpose
was d,fsRes II her enemies had renamed upon lher
| avn soil there would have been no war ani hsIl
million Of souls, who dead, and whose olood clltS
~ Heaven for vengeance, might have been alive this
dav and thousands of millions OF property, Wnlch mas
| ,oep DESTROYED would have been preserved.
EnoEng that such war cannot be prosecuted VIII
ont immense loss OF precious human e-as at the hrs
Virginia deprecated its beginning, so now she deprecas
It's continuance But it must continue until the I'M
gbteous and murderoGs Invasion OF Southern soil is re-
- led 't then blood will fow for blood. For as long
a. desecrates with his tread the sacred soil OF
these Confederate States, will Virginia freely ge her
nropery and her sons to the last dollar and the last
nan Till he is repulsed And let our enemies continue
the war as long as it is their pleasure 10 do te Jay o.
r,trbuion will come-and with the continued favor oil
Divine Providence which has been heretofore so Sgnay
di.played aud YhiGh acknowledge with grateful
suotions with aboundiHg Gnds Increasing resources
IN strong arms and hearts she ieeis cssured that
bevond ali peradventure, national independence y
But In the continuance of the war, great must
he the further destruction of human lie.
II is therefore With unfeigGed satisfaction that ths
General Assembly has beard OF e disposition manifest
Cd nv the Legislatures OF Illinois and Indiana, and Of
r-c portions of the people OF the States bordering on
tbe Ohio aud Mississippi Rivers no longer to cooperate
in this unjust iniquitous aud iruitless war upon our
,eople. It's a war in which they never should have
been engaged They should rather have united with
the Confederate states with whom they were Identified
in interest in resisting the aggressions OF the tyranny az
Washington and in maintaining the principles oil the
revolution of our fathers and OF the Constitution, which
was the work of their hands and for hi n GRO freely
shedding our blood. But they have u0ited with Our
enemies az inst those whom they should have been
bound by every consideration oil interest and Kindred,
and by the inunhceuce of Virginia, from which they
have derived their existence separate sOVeregntes
aud which entitled her TO have expected different treat
men-and that they should not have raised their matr
cilsl hands against her They have invaded our soil
shed the blood Of citizens destroyed our property
and desolated our homes-and upon them has fallen,
with terrible recompense, the unalterae sentence that
cLo so SLediH mars blood, by nn shdH has blood be
SIZED.
1t has been alleged in justification of those States
which border tie Ohio and Mississippi rivers, that
they were deuded the belief by the HrthCe Of our
enemies that the Confederate Government would cut
them off from the mouth Of the Mississippi river and
that this war was for the maintenance of the Union
which indispensable to their enjoyment OF the free
navigation OF tie Mississippi. lt~is hoped that in
the progress of events this deception mas been exposed
and that as it is manifest this is prosecuted
by the aespot Washington, for very different pur
nose than that winch he hybocitcay protested To be
IL object 10 is inception their eyes will now be opened
to see aer true interests. They will see that the Con-
fcderate Government Deyer wa unwilling that they
should enjoy the free navigation of the Mississippi river
sud that they had not joined the Eastern and Middle
States in this wicked aud unnatural VAT upon their
Southern neghbOrs, they could have had the uniner-
ruped enjoyment OF that privilege and OF unrestricted
access to the markets OF the South and upon the open
Ing of the blockade free to the markets of the
world restricted only by the low tariff OF the Coniede
rate States aud they wilt that ia interest sympathy
and feeling, they should have been with the South
Instead OF cooperating with their enemies Of thS
Eastern and Middle States. }
Why should the people of the States which onca
part and parcel of Virginia and which Virgina's vaor
and trea sure wresed from the omahawk and from 70,
reign dOmiGion cOmLine With the Eastern and middle
States in making war upon her. As has been shown,
they haze been warning against their interests
What claims has the Yankee upon tie of Virginia
North Carolina, Tennessee and kentucky, WHO
have settled upon the property which they de,
rived from the munifcence of Virginia, that they
should unite with him in this unnatural war, for the
storation Of the Union? That is impossible And it is
manifest now that this is not the object Of the war.
And there is not confederate State scarcely oy-
al citizen in them, that would to
the Union.
LCt the States bordering the Mississippi and Ohio,
make known TO the Government at Washington, that
l-,. in 49,.