140 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [May 13,

The war now actually pending, and the calamities of which
may be percipitatcd upon the country at any moment, is be-
tween the United States and the Southern Confederacy. The
States of Virginia and Pennsylvania are only parties to the
war, in so far as they are members of their respective confed-
erations. They can form no treatise, nor can they enter into
any arrangements, touching the cessation of hostilities, ex-
cept through their respective general governments. Al-
though, therefore, they are our immediate neighbors, geo-
graphically, it is not perceived that they occupy a political
position which renders it more proper that we should com-
municate directly with them, in regard to a suspension of the
war, than with any other of the States belonging to the two
sections of the dissevered Republic. Independently of this
objection, applying equally to the missions proposed to Vir-
ginia and Pennsylvania there are especial reasons against
opening any diplomatic or legislative intercourse with the
latter State, which address themselves with peculiar force to
the minds of the committee. In no State of the Union, not
even in Massachusetts, has the feeling of animosity to the
whole South, and especially to Maryland, been displayed
with more intensity of rancor than in the State of Pennsyl-
vania. The long established relations of friendship and good
neighborhood, which, it was supposed, would have modified
the resentments of any conflict, in which the two States
might unhappily be arrayed against each other, seem rather
to have added bitterness to the hostility of the people of Penn-
sylvania against us. The course of their legislation, the tone
of their press, and the current of their popular sentiment and
action, have all been governed by the most inflamed vindic-
tiveness towards our State and her citizens. The conserva-
tive and kindly feeling which undoubtedly exists in many
quarters of Pennsylvania, to a large extent, in our behalf,
has been completely stunned and overpowered by the ram-
pant passion of the dominant party, and a law of treason and
sedition, cunningly and despotically fashioned, has put an
end to all free expression of sympathy or opinion. Judging
from the popular demonstrations and abuses of the law which
have already put in peril the lives and liberty of so many of
our citizens, when found upon the other side of the border,
the committee have no reason to feel assured that the obser-
vances of civilized nations would be respected, in favor of
any representatives whom we might send to Harrisburg.
But even if it were otherwise, they do not think it would be
compatable with the dignity of the State, or result in any
practical good, for which a point of dignity might be waived
to inaugurate any new relations with Pennsylvania, at pre-
sent.