Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-26
VIRGINIA LEaaENRAEUEsha.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.-Hcd Dcc 70
MIR. GILMER'S RESOLUTION.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES.-Hcdnrsda Dcc' rs
MIR. GILMER'S RESoLUTluN.
Mr.. DANIELS notwithstanding -
presume said Mr. Daniel, that The irst branch ol tue
cnoniry was not dictated by idle curiosity presume that
they will be satisfied, fthey obtain answers OF certain
character TO the letters which II Is proposed 'as tue
Governor should write to the Northern states iney
certainly would not institute enquiries with prede'
te,m;nni;on that their feelings opinions and conduct
towards the Northern States would remain uhahecteo
by the answers thereto of whatever character those
answers might be. They certainly will have no need oF
correspondence with the Southern Staes provided the
answers obtained BIZ that with the Northern prove sltiS'
factory The aid concert and cooperation on The Parl
of the South of which gentlemen hare spoken eau ohy
become necessary, in The event OF an Indication OH '
part of our Northern brehrcn that they are not uSposeo
to do us Justice ugh not then, at least 10 defer
this portion of the correspondence till we hau hrad
from the Governors Of the Northern States: ana "oula
we not bn showing great disust OF the gooo c'i@S q
the North towards us. in commencing no" ths c"'es
pondencc with the South, which cou'u only &c hecesS
rv in the event that tie answers from the North were
unsatisfactory. Even supposlng however, lhat the IN
dcatons from the North were most unavorable, !, In
common with the gentleman from Buckingham (MT.
AUSTIN cannot perceive now any concert OK VIC a' u
the Southern States could facilitate. in anywse affect
our legislation ON the subject If South Carolina and
Georgia have passed. about to pass laws, Tor the
purpose Of suppressng and punshnS the crculatloa oil
ncendiafy pamphlets and papers, cannot sec now that
circumstance could aid in the passage OF similar laws
or if they have passed no laws and mean to pass none,
for the purpose cannot how this would or ought 10
prevent from making such enacnens as the ctlzens
of this State may deem necessary for their Prolccuon
The passage OF laws by the Southern Sates, or their
omission TO pass them can, the gentleman trou Buck
nyham has obser neither add to detract from our
jurisdiction the subject. But we are told by the
gentleman from Richmond, that We have a common
cause we must cooperate. Let ask, how is this
cooperation to be brought about cannot how the
passage of laws by the several States TO act only within
their own limits, could properly be called concert or
operation In what way, then, the concert to he Ell
fectcd? In what the oil corporation between
the Southern States to DC agreed upon and expressed
Some treaty league, compact or concderacy, be-
tween the several States, the only means that pre-
sent themselves 10 bring about this concert and co.oc
ration, and define and settle its character and extent
If the grounds have taken then, be correct the
luton does, in certain contingencies look to the tora
ton of treaty. league contcdeIacy, between the slave
holding States Have things arrived at Crisis so alarm
ing, as to Justify US in commencing correspondence
with that view? Are there such strong evidences Of
united efforts the part Of the Northern States to abo
ish slavery, to make it eXpedent and proper Tor us 10
negotiations for Southern confederacy: II
gentlemen really believe that the evil has arrived u this
height il is time that were looking to something
than the passage Of mere resolutions OF enquiry
1t is time that the people fully apprised of the dan
ger that armies were In course of training Tor the
field and that actively engaged i'll the prepara
ton of all those things useful or necessary i'll No
resolution. sir receive my support, which dues, IN
any manner however indirect hold out the idea that
Virginia now desires the formation Of compact with
any OF her sister States, differing from that which holds
them together as members Of this Union.
The members Of this House we'll aware, that there
has for many years existed derprooed feeling OF jca
lousy between certain portions Of the North and South
Its necessary for to tell them, that there in
Of the Southern States men, whose affections have
of late years been much csranged from their Northern
brethren, by the Of the Federal Governmentin
to the justice and injustice of which course. it is not
cessary to enquire; that they have brooded the
nT he or thnr, n
minds have become deeply engaged in calculating the
lue Of this Union Aenated in great dcg1ce they are,
from the Union, it is not improbable that they would if
they thought they could find second in Virginia. be dis
posed to form Southern Contedcracy. If they could
be convinced that the sold Dominion" who had con-
trbuted the farcs portion Of her wide domain her
brightest talents her nobcst blood to the erection main
tenance and support of this UnOn-that she had in any
manner, however indirect, ntnated that a Southern
Confcderacy necessary TO the protection of her pro-
pcry the preservation Of her peace and repusedo
you think they would hug the idea to their bosoms,
and unite with aacry in the formation of South
Government in which they could obtain that justice,
reap those honors, which their gloomy fances have
induced them to believe they cannot obtain, they
cannot enjoy in our present Union: Let Inc
gentlemen, then, they value the integrity Of this
Union to be cautious how they, the representatives
OF Virginia. intimate, in the most distant manner,
such disposition on the part Of this Commonwealth;
how they hold out to the persons alluded TO- the hope
however faint, tina! Virginia is disposed, from dSrust
Of her Northern brethren, to commence the ground
work, 10 lay the foundation, of such league.
Gentlemen iaa.:c led down. in the course of the de-
bate, certain rules parliamentary, winch 4" not
think will be found TO obtain in deberative assemblies
constituted and governed this body is. do pro-
TESS to be acquainted with Parliamentary laws and
ges, but ignorant as am respecting them, feel dispos
ed to hazard remark in reply 10 the proposition adj
vanced by the gentleman from Albcmare, that, in vot-
ing reference of that portion Of the Governors Mes
sage relating to this subject to committee, this House
has already gone farther than they asked go
in the resolution proposed by him. cannot think that
this proposition is true-l cannot believe that the
reference Of the message of Executive officer to
ntec any pledge that the report will be favorable TO
its views is any indication the part of the House,
that they mean TO lrsisate in accordance with those
views | mention the subject now, because the gentle
man from Albemae seemed to rely the reference Of
the Governors message, showing the Inconsistency of
members Of the House, in voting week for q partcu
lar of action and the next week reversing their
vote; and their injustice in receiving with favor a pro-
position coming from member of party and resist
ing what he thinks similar proposition, coming from
member of another party Unless have greatly mis-
taken the rules in relation 10 this matter the House CALI
not thus be convicted either oncousstencr or Injustice
Political questions have been mingled with this debate
and the House. will do the justice to recocc that in
the few remarks made in the early part of the debate
made allusion whatever to party dvSons-and that
did not throw out the slightest intmation of belief
that party feelings had originated this resolution or
would be permitted to govern our votes or sway our de-
lberations respecting it.. spoke OF the intrinsic merits
of the resolution without the slightest reference TO poll
tics Certain it is however, that party topics have been
brought into the discussion, and made the subject of
extended debate. certain individual, holding high
stand in The administration of the Government and in
the affections of the people, has been made the subject
of the berest invectvc, the part of gentlemen sus
tanning the resolution; and it has been charged that the
Administration party in this House and elsewhere arc
in their this subject prompted by desire to
secure his promotion. | regret exceedingly that the
baefu influence Of party should have been BROUGHT TO
bear in any consideration of this s1bec,
1t is one Of peculiar caractero absorbing interest to
us ALL MS the representatives of slavehoders-as Viz
pinans-and one on which it was TO have been hoped
Virginia would present unbroken front. But The
charge Of party design and party concert on the part of