Staunton Spectator

Conventions have been called in one or two of the Congressional Districts of Virginia to appoint delegates to the Philadelphia Convention. We regret this course and much prefer that the whole matter should be left in the hands of the State Central Committees of 1860. These Committees might judiciously appoint a few gentlemen to be present in Philadelphia during the session of the Convention, to confer with the members, as suggested by several of our leading newspapers; but we can conceive of no good to result to us or the country generally from the appointment of delegates. The presence of delegates from the South at Philadelphia would only embarrass the proceedings. It is probable that at the outset an attempt would be made to exclude at least a portion of our delegates, on account of their alleged disloyalty, and there would be a fracas right away. If admitted into the Convention without opposition, every act, word and look of Southern delegates would closely watched by hostile outsiders, and some evidence of disloyalty discovered, and heralded to the country, as a reason why the Radicals in Congress should impose new pains and penalties upon us. No fears of this sort should restrain us from sending delegates, if they could effect any good; but we see no use in being represented in a popular Convention while we have no voice in the National councils. The object of such Conventions is to combine popular sentiment with a view to political action. The South having no power to act politically, no combination of the sort is needed here -- it would be idle for us to go through the forms when no result could possibly follow. Will the presence and co-operation of Southern men in the Philadelphia Convention help to give a right direction to popular sentiment at the North, where the power of action lies? That is the question. As we have said, it seems to us that only embarrassment and new troubles would result.--But let us, in every proper way, testify our interest in the proceedings at Philadelphia, and our respect for the gentlemen who have called the Convention. It is eminently proper that they should meet as proposed, and we heartily wish them success in their effort to restore "national unity, fraternity, and harmony."