Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-04


either Of the United States West Virginia This being
q clear deduction how or BY what aI,hory could the
Federal aud Confederate Governments, in any heaty Of
peace undertake 10 recognize the sovereignty OF West
Virginia, and thus rob Virginia of part of her state soil
government and people! Suppose such an act consum
mated aud Virginia resist The strange slactac
would presented OF coercion by two Governments over
state. TO compel partition Of her original territory
power and government Could this be dOnel Ii So then
coercion is Ightfa remedy and State sovereignty mere
shadow.
II correct in these views how is peace to come
without State nteposition State action aud State author
iiyl II these are necessary by whom, under what a-
lhOry, at what instant they 10 he called into action
Shall the creator aws the call OF the creature, on que.
lion OF primary existence IL not shall the creature in
iibt vital action, for representation by the creator
kre stumbling in the dark viii wise men undertake.
- accomplish what the wisdom Of the past render. inn
possible except upon the suppostion Of forcbe coercion
l. matter of right No free government resting OH
compact exist under coercion Coercion l. Of 10
practical efficacy, when the party constrained is able 10
remove BY resistant force the coercing power Are tie
Federal and Confederate governments liberty 10 coerce
a continuance this long the ambition or ca
price, enyenOmed feeAgs Of rival rulers may see ht Il,
themselves with great battles ATe sovereign States
to be- tie dice with which experienced political gamblers
TO win Or lose empires Is Virginia a stake IN any
such game II not where rests her remedy, when She
apprehends dernent 10 her aOveTeg hty surely n her
own will, constaionaly exposed If she constitu-
tionay express her Will may she not cOnsttutionsy en-
force II when wrOngfuly resisted Ii she do this
how any argUeba her enede for nal admins
tration administration complete II COM
pete, who shall call them into active efficiency but her
II has been recommended in the Presidents Mpssap,
IN II all military exemptions be revoked and every man
I'd boy q hope his Lcelenry has too much gsantry TO
include Il ladies' ALSO shall be detailed Here In one ea
is seriously proposed render every nudge ana
State officer directly dependent Executive VIZ Is not
this open proposition 10 sub-dize Pre-4tha ludi
cary the Executive, and all State officers What Virgo
Judge woaid stop low as 10 hold his comms1,
the will of tie Presdent-to he coDse,iptei whenever
hs n,sggty cOnsaiaed him 10 dicharge soldier under
R.t OF habeas coipusor 10 enioR Illegal aud uniu.t
at Of mpresmentOr to pH.sh officer Tor contempt
OF process And yet sSch Is the plain, legal Significance
OF this proposition.
Nor this s 1t is grayely recommended :. the safne
papeg ttat soldiers, ia certain contingencies shall Va
manufactured out of the -layes .I3r eeomtnend,
on made in the regular TepOg. a. tie Secretary III War
And yet either or both OF the high funconaries would
-lAVe ioImed INTO the ~ submated ddatics Lad such
PoPooh e. or 80 made IN the old Union. Indeed they
90 o ne record on tins subject Who la, forgotten
."e'' t,Json on this question Temporal mutantor et
times to hold up to the greatest uminaries in high pace
undertake 10 predict that when Congress far for.
gets it, constitutional restrictions and the inherent rights
States 10 egsa;e on this subject the death nel
of the Confeleracy will have been sounded in
l fearful as they will he commanding
1t necessary grasp this subject with clear perceT-
ton and steady hand Slavery il the peculiar instut.0n
of the states above State leg saton, and only
be handled by State Convention, The President tic
Secretaryat-War and Congress have nothing do
with it-tban their rvas-in tie United States EOpe
the Legislature will not forget the past cloud tic
future, By assuming to exeTce uonai powers
so delicate aud vital question. Cardinal principles aid
fundamental instt tons dangerous sub for asi
sumo powers in any cO-odinate par! of government
When the motive mower OF the institutional structure or
governments destroyed-the frame work is not worth
preserving except materials for new organizations in
| new hands.
good or bad II is--in VTgnia-subect only TO tie
pirage of her sovereign wI-arriye and announced
by Convention called fof that purpose No other Con-
sutionai mode of reaching exists And Tor oBpress to
touch it, much less to conscrbe it, would be hgh.teason
congress has been in secret accommodating and if re-
he Oi Of
Habe Corpus for greater p.r Of the PIE emf session
and a e .t.ll-at VI OH in tie dark, on IT,
fsc hesitation in saying have that repeal or sus
D nsion OF Il at writ, under existing circumstances VIII be/
An out are ppn public nti nen gTievOUs injury TO
bile liberty an death blow to individual liberty But
have said al need Say this suIstL in ny later to-
w c. Ryes Esq. | can only add, that nc legislature
should in nv opinion and hope't will, pass the most
ueramntoly and restrictive laws this subject II has
been tempered with long enough Public feeling has been
cOquctted WITTY much too long on this grave quesl OIL
There is Serious danger in IT, Public sentiments are
some lines dangerous elements OF popular power
Conservatism moderation frnness, wise disccrnneut and
cautious sagacity with prudent enacty ofpnpo-e are
mach better calculated to ensure puDnc confidence ana
public eneges-tan obdnracy OF purpose otsti-
late self Will or ministerial aud executive haIsEnoss.
F0ce pres is very apt 10 break the lcrcusng
wsT thloT II b. the sudden londly eitsIcIy
OF the OBJECT assailcd
The Legislature is the foil of Virginia in this evclu
ton. II only through this coorite pai oi heT gov
snmeut she can make known her sill er people end
institutions have other means OF making thelnelves
felt and recognized And TO initiate the only power
yOuchsatpd
~ belong to the higher class OF legislation which al
lowable only in a convention. II an alteration IN lt5
status il deemed prudent call Convention But utter
" lepudiae aud denOunce all executive and esatye IN
tnteitnce with it by the Confeient<Huthotss. When
Virginia speaks this subject IN my relation touching
s existence ultimate status let her SOY egn voice 10
uttered through a Convention, daily called and consttI
tonaly authorized IL Is not 10 be tolerated TINT either
the President and Congress Of the Confederate St,es or
the Governor and Legislature OF Virginia shall touch the
existence or control the status OF slavery Virginia as
in solemn Convention convened. must dispose OF
this question. On this point there should u no WNern9
| President Davis and President Lincoln are high iunc-
tonaIIes enloW ed with great powers, but bey lmi
ted nthe period of their Official existence as are Their re-
specte governments dependent on the VIII OF the SOW
ptaes, which they are allowed ~ tie Siales TO
exercise their limited and accurately defined powers n
gnias sovereignty mist he perpetual OF her people are
mere yassals Better perish both the Federal aud tonied-
Governments ia common f.in than mat ell eT OF
bo should exist PIE ruins OF the state Governments
Two oTpOs ng consolidated Governments ale as ad as
State Sovereignty IL CONCERNED one - lar
too mut for Virginia to assent 20. New compaois IN
| free governments admissible No comp ct eX-
lists under consolidation To be Teaanel Is 10 Dee fore
armed Let Virginia look 10 her laue!s-coerccd eman-
cpatiOn is recognized snbiugation Confederate emanc-
patton is worse than Federal emancipation Emancipa
ton by Virginia based new conpacts opens up iu-
tune alliances and may draw cumulative strength nom
/ States in compact with Virginia Hele is la.
cement Of cumulative power al the sole disposal oil
Virginia, 80 far as the slave population Is involved
la thi view, their moral power af exceeds any physcal
power be derived from making soldiers OF them III
Virginia could elnqush the territory OF tie Northwest
States the United States, trust Tor common Dene-
it, he NAV now we'll deliberate tile proprety OF areUo-
rating the recognized status OF slavery, az means OF new
compact with those states for their mutual beneht based
SIaie sovereignty. She do this anu IN no way IN
pnee on the existing relations with the Confederate Stae'
Bat will not enlarge this topc II invites profound
consideration and wise NanShp-wbch doubt not
il viii receive from the Legislature An appeal 10 tie
past action OF Virginia will not be detrimental TO Ter PIE
sent action on H.
In reviewing the actions and policy of the Confederate
Government have of,en asked myself l. II possible that
mt al Seer tlry War, have remembered to
foget the Resolutions OF - and the report oil W III
a question of some ilte,et In former times, il my Menu
o does not fail me- 10Th OF these eminent siaeinen we're
in the habit in and OF Congress OF deGodIcng ali
men and parties who did not recognize those STATE
papers as orthodox, a. Black Republicans, Emancipa-
| toniss Enemies the Sovereignty OF tie states
Are those and that report less GEAR ana 'aua.