rivilege, the unquestionable right, of acquiring new territory in an
honorable way.

I have tried to look upon these propositions of the majority of the
committee as true measures of pacification. I have listened patiently
to all that has been said in their favor. But I am still unconvinced,
or, rather, I am convinced that they will do nothing for the Union.
They will prove totally inadequate; may perhaps be positively
mischievous. The North, the free States, will not adopt them,--will
not consent to these new endorsements of an institution which they do
not like, which the believe to the injurious to the interests of the
republic; and if they did adopt them, as they could only do by a
sacrifice of principles which you should not expect, the South would
not be satisfied: the slave States would not fail to find pretexts
for a course of action upon which I think they have already determined.
I see in these propositions anything but true measures of pacification.

But the North will never consent to the separation of the States. If
the South persist in the course on which she has entered, we shall
march our armies to the Gulf of Mexico, or you will march yours to the
Great Lakes. There can be no peaceful separation. There is one way
by which war may be avoided, and the Union preserved. It is a plain
and a constitutional way. If the slave States will abandon the design
which we must infer from the remarks of the gentleman from Virginia
they have already formed, will faithfully abide by their constitutional
obligations, and remain in the union until their rights are in _fact_
invaded, all will be well. But, if they take the responsibility of
involving the country in a civil war, of breaking up the government
which our fathers founded and our people love, but one course remains
to those who are true to that government. They must and will defend it
at every sacrifice--if necessary, to the sacrifice of their lives.

At the close of the session, and upon the request of my associates upon
the commission, I wrote a report to Governor Andrew, which was signed
by all the members of the delegation. Governor Andrew submitted the
report, with his approval, to the Legislature the 25th day of March.

The character of the convention, and something of the condition of the
country may be gathered from the following extracts from the report:

"The resolutions of the State of Virginia were passed on the 19th of
January; and