Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-07
VgsgNEsaA E.gifsgsE.sTEiEss2.
DEFERRED DEE.7TE.-ICoxrrScrp.l
Saturday, Dcccmher 10.
Ept'rH IN NIP i,IT hrR-s pECDI

!
| Mr.. DOrMAS said, that having moved the nhn''rn-
nrnt on former day. il might perhaps be Supposed that
hc intended 10 take part i'll this drbatc-and lie Vcuid
now take the opportunity Of stating very brciH' his
views of this question 10 the House. If he ha con-
suited his feelings alone upon this occasion. 'dno
nlshcd as he by insnos!tion that his efforts must
| De- feeble lndced-he should not say word liut
there ether motives which impcled him to tic per-
! ormancc Of what he considered duty. lie IN
duccd 10 address the House. because the people that
part of the State from which he came felt dep and
lively Interest in the subject under discussic1. If
il is to b. understood that there party diflre4Hs
on this qnestion-llal the lines of party have been
drawn in this House and that councils upor are
hrncrtorh to he divided he wished it 10 be understood
nt there were no geographical divisions in The StUs
tins ampnrart sut]cct-or il there that the people
nom he represented did parlakc OF them lie
:ssrd that lie felt surprise and modification the r-
position which this resolution had met wlih-an oppos-
oa which he had not been prepared to expect after the
! sentiments expressed by the people of this Common
wealth in th" primary assemblies during the last twelve
months lie had anticipated that this question, there
woIld have been perfect unanimty there would
have Eccn struggle who should tie foremost in main
timing the gifts and interests of Virginia subject
Of such mnrentnus import the Stale. Previous to
lea, ing home. Ill" question frequently propoundrd 10
him. " What would Virginia do upon the subject of Abo.
on' HIS Uniform reply was, that lie could ou say
that he would do all III his power to check the zeal Of
Eastern brethren, and, if possible, to prevent them from
going too far. He did not antic pate that resolution
like this would have been opposed lie supposed thcio
would have been fiery zeal for action and that ii wuuIt
have become the duty Of those who wished the Lcgisa
lure wisely and whose situations being less expos
ed I" danger. rendered them less iHlc 10 cxcltcmcnltt
restrain Tie Imr:un>i'y Ct lr zrarus hGrhrcn.-
Bat il appears that resolution. ni tho most peaceful
CuCt, and respectful character, which merely proposed
for obtaining information. is upon the lrrsIi
hG!a and opposed with the utuisL v;ucicc Although
hr had been surprised Il! tic opposition with which tLl
melton was met on the fist day. 'r had hoped that
world not be continued lie had ,rGlY trusted that al
ter the holy Influence %! SLEEP and In ught had calnct
the minds g." It's rprncn,s, ,h"! opp <jton 10 lis adop
ton w0ad have ceased lie had hoped. that alle
TIM many political tr;upIis which they had achieved
during the present session, they would have give.
holiday TO those feelings which Caicu!ird 10 If
feet njnrouSIy thcncrcsts of Virginia, and would have
yielded 10 this subject that calm and deliberate conSdcra
! ton which much 10 be desired. My venerable
friend from Henry, said Mr.. d.. gave indications
on Thursday of cldcavor 10 harmrnizc The discu-dam
elements which have been set i'll motion | au.urci
av"raty from that gcniIrnans peaceful Invocation
! all parties; but we have lndCannS stree.
which could M: be mistaken, that We hare thing
| hope for from llia! quarter.
! Mr. d. begged to be informed what il was in this re.
souTI0n that gcH,$men could l. * upon as dangerous
10 the ghts or interests of Wig VII they tell us
what il is they FEAR lie could not better explain
ecS than by reading the resolution itself. [A!r D. then
! read Mr.. Gmers rrsolution) What it, he asked
that this resolution proposed: Simply that the Exccu
tive Of Virginia should open correspondence with the
Executives OF those States in which ucrnd!ary assccia
tons were known 10 rXiSi-and for what pur pose To
ascertain oG, those 'nconarrs. rs far possible: he
dispositions the Legislatures o! those Sn!ra TO p
this subject, and HE probability of their maxim, nay
Legislative for the purpose Of surprising
those ana,icnl associations. Here them simple mat
ter of inquiry proposed lie made through tn proper
and constitutions! organ, for The purpose of obtaining
! such information wCuid cnas; tbs Legislature 10
efficiently upon the subject OF Abolition DOGS it ar
ray against ll!"sc States: Does il. rs is suppos
! ed hy the gentleman from Campbell, involve the pro-
| liability If a collision with item, Of giving them
inif. lNf,tc al
result from respectful! inquiry TO the cG,rsc which
the Legislatures Of those States, nigh; lie expected to
pursue. The gentleman from Campbell supposed that
we should call the Governor vi the State 81 New
York He was one Of those, who would necessarily he
called Gp0n-and was oh rciionn Of the gentleman
from Campbell This resolution, that Governor Marcy
would he applied to- Were there any sccrr Influences
connected with the Executive CT New York, hc made
this resolution objectionable The gentleman from
Campbell or 10 other members Of His House Was il
matter of difficulty at this day. 10 ascertain in which
States these Associations existed: Certainly not. 1t
matter of such general nolorcty. that our Govern
or could not err in applying to the States in which those
associations existed. Would there he any difficulty in
obtaining from the Governors OF those States tie inor
nation ask: 1t had been suggested that 1t would not
be in the power OF the Governors TO answer SATISFACTORY
| "; but Mr.. Dcrman thong t Otherwise Would the
Governor of Virginia, if applied 10 by tic Execu-
tive of another Stale for information To the feelings
| of Virginia upon this subject, find any difficulty
| in returning a answer: No. sir, he would be per
fccty able to reply; and it is far 10 presume that
the Governors oil other States are rs we'll informed
upon the dispositions of their Legislatures and people.
We ask our Governor TO obtain for us information,
which, if the Northern people manifested that DISPOSE
ton which he DIR d. hoped and in part believed, that
they in reality entertained might render action on the
part Of Virginia and the South unnecessary. 1t might
prove that snch the disposition OF the intelligent
portion Of The North to oppose The designs Of the Abo
Iiliuiss that there would be necessity for acLun
our part and was for this reason that Mr. d.
earnestly DESTROYS that this resolution should be adopted
| - 4 th,o
Buckingham a, the North intend t" do all that lie
desirable to Virginia and the South, what have We to
fear from this enquiry: The result would be- That we
should obtain the very information when "e WISH, and
the matter would end lis we desire. II, the other
hand it should prove that there is intention OH the
part of the North 10 suppress those asSocaons was there
in the State who would not peril all in the dc.
fence Of our lives, our property and CIR institutions
II all important that the resolution should be
adopted md equally important that it should be adopted
at an early period 1t had been innacd that this in
formation could not be obtained i'll time 10 be acted upon
Mr. D. denied this. During the ron; Of January, an
sycrs could be received from nil the S.acs giving TO
the General Assembly the whole month of February; to
!esislatc upon it after il was received.
1t was difficult 10 ascertain the exact grounds upon
which gentlemen placed their oppos ton to this rcaou
lion or what they proposed 10 10, which wUud better
serve tho public interest. The gentleman from Buck
nghan. he is opposed to it, Lrcausc he is in favor Of
action but what species Of action lie is fer s las not
told US while lie is opposing the only kind OF action
which can be made efficient. We not 10 be dcluGcd
BY these seeming !aTs from heaven" when the delay
which he recommends may surround lis with " blasts
from hell" 1t WIS efficient action which Mr.. Dorman
dcsircd-sach should fully grappc with The evil, and
such us Only could DC had when Tie extent Of that evil
was knnwn.
The gentleman from Buckingham has, for the purpose
Of sustaining his views, intmated that there was an in
disposition somewhere 10 act upon this SUBJECT nc has
spoken of the select committee and charged it with apa-
thv and sugCshness in the performance of its duties
Mr. d. thought that the committee not deserving OF
this Tcbukc, and that came with very bad grace from
the gentleman from Buckingham. If there had been
iic cnIrmiiice III Nlat had il hCcn sluMn: