CONGRESS, U. S. 



179 



that other patriotic States have appointed, 

 and are appointing, commissioners to meet 

 those of Virginia in council. When assem- 

 bled, they will constitute a body entitled, in 

 an eminent degree, to the confidence of the 

 country. 



" The General Assembly of Virginia have also 

 resolved ' that ex-President John Tyler is here- 

 by appointed, by the concurrent vote of each 

 branch of the General Assembly, a commis- 

 sioner to the President of the United States ; 

 and Judge John Robertson is hereby appointed, 

 by a like vote, a commissioner to the State of 

 South Carolina and the other States that have 

 seceded or shall secede, with instructions re- 

 spectfully to request the President of the United 

 States and the authorities of such States to agree 

 to abstain, pending the proceedings contem- 

 plated by the action of this General Assembly, 

 from any and all acts calculated to produce a 

 collision of arms between the States and the 

 Government of the United States,' 



"However strong may be my desire to enter 

 into such an agreement, I am convinced that I 

 do not possess the power. Congress, and Con- 

 gress alone, under the war-making 'power, can 

 exercise the discretion of agreeing to abstain 

 ' from any and all acts calculated to produce a 

 collision of arms ' between this and any other 

 Government. It would, therefore, be a usur- 

 pation for the Executive to attempt to restrain 

 their hands by an agreement in regard to mat- 

 ters over which he has no constitutional con- 

 trol. If he were thus to act, they might pass 

 laws which he should be bound to obey, though 

 in conflict with his agreement. 



" Under existing circumstances, my presetit 

 actual power is confined within narrow limits. 

 t is my duty at all times to defend and protect 

 public property within the seceding States 

 far as this may be practicable, and especially 

 employ all constitutional means to protect 

 e property of the United States, and to pre- 

 rve the public peace at this the seat of the 

 Federal Government. If the seceding States 

 abstain ^from any and all acts calculated to 

 produce a collision of arms,' then the danger 

 so much to be deprecated will no longer 

 exist. Defence, and not aggression, has been 

 the policy of the Administration from the be- 

 ginning. 



" But whilst I can enter into no engagement 

 such as that proposed, I cordially commend 

 to Congress, with much confidence that it will 

 meet their approbation, to abstain from passing 

 any law calculated to produce a collision of 

 arms pending the proceedings contemplated by 

 the action of the General Assembly of Virginia. 

 I am one of those who will never despair of the 

 Republic. I yet cherish the belief that the 

 American people will perpetuate the Union of 

 the States on some terms just and honorable 

 for all sections of the country. I trust that 

 the mediation of Virginia may be the destined 

 means, under Providence, of accomplishing 

 this inestimable benefit. Glorious as are the 



memories of her past history, such an achieve- 

 ment, both in relation to her own fame and 

 the welfare of the whole country, would sur- 

 pass them all." 



After the message had been read in the Sen- 

 ate, Mr. Mason of Virginia said, it was a great 

 and honorable office which his honored and 

 venerated State had undertaken. Should it un- 

 fortunately occur, however, either from impa- 

 tience in the States that have separated, or from 

 any undue and over-zeal in any department of 

 the Federal Government, that the two sections 

 should be brought into collision, there is an end 

 of all negotiation. Men never negotiate in war. 

 There must be a peace first. If there was any 

 honorable Senator on the floor, or any citizen 

 of any one of the States, who, under existing 

 events, yet indulged the belief that an attempt 

 to enforce the Federal laws in the States that 

 have declared themselves beyond the Federal 

 jurisdiction was not an act which would lead 

 to war, and to war alone, never was such a Sen- 

 ator or such a citizen more deluded. He had 

 occasion to say so heretofore. " I speak it now, 

 sir, certainly not in anger ; but I should speak 

 it in sorrow, if I could be brought to contem- 

 plate such an event," 



He thought that there were evidences daily 

 evidences from that section of the country 

 which had separated itself from this Union, 

 that, while the authorities there have thought 

 it necessary, as measures of precaution, to pos- 

 sess themselves, in the several States, of the 

 forts, arsenals, navy-yards, and military mate- 

 rials found within their limits, acknowledging 

 them to be a portion of the public property all 

 the time, they have done so with no intent on 

 their part to make war ; they have done so, as 

 they conceived, only as measures of necessary, 

 prudent precaution, in the event that any war 

 should unhappily be waged on them. And he 

 thought honorable Senators on the other side 

 would respond to the declaration, when he said 

 that there was not one of those States, when 

 they shall be restored to the Union, if they 

 shall be restored, or when the Government 

 shall be reconstructed, if it shall be recon- 

 structed, or when peace shall be concluded, 

 if war shall now follow, who will not account 

 for every dollar of the public property that 

 they have taken. 



A great number of petitions and memorials 

 had been presented in both Houses of Congress 

 relative to the crisis of the country, and for 

 the most part praying Congress to adopt such 

 measures as would result in peace and perma- 

 nent union. Resolutions also were from time 

 to time adopted by the Legislatures of many of 

 the States and laid before Congress. 



Among the memorials thus presented was 

 one from the city of New York, which was for- 

 warded through a committee of twenty-five 

 citizens, and which prayed " for the exercise 

 of the best wisdom of Congress in finding some 

 plan for the adjustment of the troubles which 

 disturb the peace and happiness and endanger 



