Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-02

4
what must be her influence and presence ON
Mercury and Venus which, with the ball we
Inhaoitl may be called her home dominions
whlie Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Herschel and ma
ny Others, probably not vet discovered. AL
though equally belonging to the system (her
foreign, or colonial dominionsl NAV be locked
m eternal ice, and doomed to perpetual ste
r'nty, unless that Being "who ternpers the
wind TO the shOrn lamb has created h,inrs
and vegetables adapted to those climates
just SO, those counties nearest the seat of go
,ernment, the hot bed ofenjoyment, where even
oeduty assumes net0 charms wealth new at
''ec''ons, ana pleasure increased appetite, re-
oe"e IL NOT the direct, at least, the less dyerg-
lug rays oil wealth and civilization. bask in tho
sun neams OF public prosperty-the dull mo-
u ,o, vi NE DenS ban shed or unknown;
lively on the frontiers of society. are ,loan,ed
10 solitude and cherries winter NIGHTS tole-
raoie ohly from the hope, that justice has not
yet LETT the earth, and will in due time. rin1;-
cate her rights.
agreeably to this view of the subject, ought
we IN defiance of our bill of rights, the first
principles and acknowledged provisions of our
consultations, the almost universal examnle or
other states, the kind admonitions of uperrine-
nature, unequvocally expressed in her works.
continue the seat OF government, appointed
ior the convention ofthe legislature the trans
actions OF state affairs. the residence of the
executive and heads of department, the demo
St oil the GrchtueS, and records of state. the H.
yes OF our lands, the ordnance, arms and ma
g"Snes with the treasury and banks, on the
margin of the state, and that too most exnos
en 10 aggression and exclusively to foreign
INVASION, and from the habits of our fellow CT
''zehs, hut particularly from the nature of
our population least capable of defence LET
,ne ntstoiy OF the revolution. the shameful a.
abandonment of this city, the destruction of our
arsenal arms and magazines, the pillare of
our ci'i"cns, the burning of our records and
':"'erinS mem To the winds, without she'd
u,"s drop OF blood, the sight of an enemy
vi "'inS gun, answer that question. Yes, sir
ask the then executive and legislature for
many OF them yet lye,) who fled without
oAing behind them. like timid deer be- fore
ne hun'slnan, from the very ground on which
| I'M capiio! now stands to Charlottesville. and
ron tncnre, Notwithstanding the defensiaili-
| y OF inc place. some Without the shadow of
rests anre, took shelter in Carriers Mountain,
ONE crossing the BiIe Ridge, STONED TO
brea h. in Stalnion, while Others no; there
ie' sought further security in n .Gfs cape IN
| the waters of Middle river in the county of
augusta, not even there daring To trust them
| serves To the light, or abandon the society of
moics and hats until well assured, that tie
Passage OF the Blue Ridge at Rockfsh Gap,
was occupied BY strong columns, of what was
/ then called the longkn,ie now snftened down
I'd Tue more polite, and less offensive, less war
IKE phrase---monntdin miiitia Indeed. sir.
sich has been the progress of information in
ms country, IT has since been discovered that
IA man may reside in the {" HI counlrY' with
ou beng perfect s0uage. Ask those men.
nT such oil them as survive the fight where
| the SGjety and honor of the state would then
have required the seat of government ufYir
| IfJ of Il
! Speaker, 10 come little nearer home. for
the recollection of some men here. has become
f'iS'O'Y and all men do not read, let us come
to period recclIected by the Youngest mem
her on the floor. In the year when news
came to Richmond that the enemy was ON
tne coaSt, The legislature then in session, who
tlat is now, and was then here, has Forgotten
.lie uisorde!' confusion and dismay which then
! TOOK place III this house twas so moriify-
ing that man no,o here obSerced, that if the
brltish were al Rockets, there onght to he
less oid'1n, that were they in solid column in
the BTtcf Rotc and the legislature were even,
q silinte of any defence, they ought neverihc-
less, 10 be found ut their posts, as were the
Roman senators teach doubtless wearing his
| spectacles,) when Their capitol was surround
ed by the hordes of the north ; at that mo-
mcnt, sir, at that moment of trepidati0n and
alarm, where would You, where would any
Trend OF his country have located the seat of
government .9ny 'Chere but at Richmond
IL may be asked by any body, not an inha-
hitant OF this place, tciidt were yoir Eeqrs?
why we tren5lcd for Our ,cires and d4,iobters.
our affairs aud our household gods, and pro-
baby the human mind hy prophetic nflu-
ence, might have anticipated the horrors of
the scenes. said 10 have been realized at Hmm
ton, in the course of the late war. We trcm-
bic for our public property, our capitol, our ar
senhl, our magazines, urpcnitentary (strangc
fear y Yes sir,we tremblcd for our convicts. our
| slaves, least they should he armed against us.
and permitted, nay encouraged and obtiged. TO
revenge on us their supposed wrongs and de-
prlvations.
And, Mr.. Speaker, were those fears ground
less think not | then thought and still
think, that 1000 men, landed at the highest
point to which transports could safely come.
by forced marches might have reached this
city, laid it, the capitol, the arsenal, all our
pubic buildings IN ruins, and re-embarked
without bloodshed or slaughter. ExempIify
this by the fate of Washington, the capital Of
| the Union. Had that city been in the centre
oi the Union, or any where else TO the west
could Ross with handful ofmen worn down
by long confinement on shipboard and sea-
sickness, actually staggering through weak
ness, have approached the city, laid it in ruins,
and retreated with impunity to his ships ? /
say with impuniiy, because be actually reach
ed his ships, and escaped Had Moscow been
situated at wilma, would 1t have cost Bonaoarte
/ half a million of men To burn it ? No, sir! he
would have wintered there, and his next win
ter-qUarters would have been in St. Peters
burg, and that empire which, under the direc-
ton of the most enlightened, magnanimous
| urIDCp. which ever eaf IN tho fLrur. e tI,e