Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-30
Address to the People of Virginia
from Their Representatives

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The following Is the address to The epeo-s
pie Of Virginia, adopted by the two Sen
ators and eight of the thirteen of the
representatives in Congress. The paper
was not presented to Hon William Smith,.
he being detained in Virginia by Illness:
10 the People Of Virginia: We deem it
our duty as your representa- tives 1t Wash
ington to lay before you such information
as we may possess in regard to the pro-
bable action of Congress in the present
alarming condition of the country.
At the beginning of this session. now
| more than half over, committees were
appointed IN both houses of Congress to
consider the state Of the union. Neither
| committee has been able to agree upon
any mode of settlement of the pending
issues between the North and the South.
The Republican members in both COM
| m1ttees rejected propositions acknowl-
edging the right of property in slaves. or
recommending the division Of the terri
tories between the slave-holding States
slave-holding States by a geographical
line.
| monty known as Mr. Crtterden's, were
voted against by every Republican SEN
ator; and the House, on a vote of yeas
and nays refused to consider certain
propositions moved by Mr.. Etheridge,
| which were even less favorable to the
South than Mr.. Cr1ttenden S.
A resolution giving pledge to sustain
the President in the use of force against
seeding States was adopted in the House
Of Representatives by a large majority;
and ir the Senate every Republican voted
to substitute for Mr. Crittendens propo-
sitions resolutions offered by Mr.. Clark
Of New Hampshire declaring that no new
concessions guarantees, Or amendments
to the Constitution was necessary that
+ 10 Of ha
able and that the remedy for the pres
ent danger was simply to enforce the
laws-in ether ords, coercion and war.
In this state of facts our duty is to
warn you that it is vain to hope for any
Il, asures of Cancellation or adjustment
from Congress which you could accept.
We are also satisfied that the Republi-
can party designs by civil war alone to
coerce the southern States, under the pre-
text Of enforcing the laws unless it shall
become speedily apparent that the Sc
cedtng States are SO numerous, deter
mined, and united as to make such an
attempt hopeless.
We are confirmed in these conclusions
by our general intercourse here, by the
speeches of the Republican leaders here
and elsewhere, by the recent refuSa'S OF
the legislatures Of Vermont, Ohio, and
PENNSYLVANIA to repeal their obnoxious
personal liberty laws, by the action Of the
illinois Legislature on resolutions APP
proving the Crittenden propositions, and
by the adoption of resolutions in the New
York and Massachusetts, legislatures
doubtless TO be followed by others) Of
fering men and money for the war of CO.
ercon.
We have thus placed before you the
facts and conclusions which have become
manifest to US from this post of obser-
walton where you have placed US. There
;. to no frpT
the remedy is with you alone, when you
assemble in sovereign convention.
We conclude by expressing our solemn
conviction that prompt and decided ac-
ton by the people Of Virginia in conven-
ton will afford the surest means, under
the providence of God. Of averting an
impending civil war. and preserving the
hope of demonstrating a Union already
dissolved.
J. N. Mason, e. S. Martin.
r. M. T. Hunter, II. A. Edmundson,
D. C. Dejarnette, Roger a. Pryor.
NJ R. II Garnett, Thomas S Bocock,
Shelton F. Leake. A: G. Jenkins
Washington city, 22d January. 1861.
| Among others, Hon. John Tyler, ex-
President of the United States. appeared
before the Virginia Convention in re-
Spouse to the above address:
r. He seemed, when speaking, like an old
hero, with one foot upon the grave, the
other still lingering upon the halioWed
turf of beloved country, his face ami
mated with the last rays OF that patriotic
fire, which would so down with him to
the tomb, and his voice, in tremulous
tones urging upon his conference.-the
people Of Virginia-to take up again their
sovereignty and defend their rights.
All Of the parties to the above address
have answered to the rol-call and crossed
over the river except Roger \. Pryor. the
distinguished judge, now Of New York.
r. H. LIVELY,
Aberdeen, State Of Washington Novem-
Der IA, 1902.