Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-13
The Enquirer makes very lame defence of its

The Enquirer makes very lame defence of its
assertion that, by the proceedings of the meeting
on Saturday night last, "the people of Richmond
have endorsed the Nashville Convention" 1t
says we showed that we regarded the meeting as
expressing the sentiment of the city, when we
spoke of the unanimous vote against the Wilmot
Proviso and all kindred attempts TO violate the
constitution, as proving "Rchmond true to the
South" And, as there were only about twenty
votes for the adoption of Mr. Cranes substitute for
the motion to have second meeting, our neigh
bour contends that this ''almost unanimous vote''
is to be received as proving the sentiment of the
city to be in favour of the Nashville Convention,
which the substitute condemned. But snote the
diversity" The unanimous vote of four hundred
citizens promiscuously drawn together, may just
ly be received as indicative of the general sense
on any substantive proposition like that embraced
In the resolution against the Wilmot Provso;
whilst similar vote refusing to adopt substitute
for motion to defer the decision of pending ques-
ton to another time affords no test whatever of the
sentiment, either of the meeting itself Or of the
city at large, in regard to that pending question.
In this case, we knoao that a large proportion of
the citizens present. who were prepared to vote
against the appointment of delegates to Nashville,
fully concurred in the proprety of Mr.. Lyons mo-
ton to refer the subject to a second and fuller
meeting, and therefore voted against supplanting
that motion with Mr.. Cranes substitute. The En-
quirer, we sure, needs not to be told that the
vote a substitute is not a test on the question
of its final adoption, but simply on the question
lotl, IL. IL a.. Al
original motion. This is the rule of parliamenta-
ny practice, the rule of common practice, and of
common sense. But enough of a matter which
is really too plain for discussion. 1t will be seen,
this day week, whether the people of Richmond
have endorsed the Nashville Convention.
A word to more serious point. The Enquirer
says:
"lf, with the Times we believed that the Convention
is Failure, we should indeed regard this surrender
the face OF the aggressors, equivalent total sacri
flee of Southern rights, by the South itself"
Now here is the precise point on which we differ
with our contemporary If the failure of the
Nashville Convention is equivalent to the sacrifice
OF the South, then is the South already sacrificed
and Shareholders may hang their harps on the will
lows or sell their negroes, whichever they think
~ N, ASSo"'SO' Dul VIC utterly ueliy tndt tIie
South Is to be sacrificed if the Nashville Conyen-
ton falls through Was it ever heard before that
people prove themselves incapable of maintain
ing their rights, if they do not choose to enter into
particular preliminary consultation concerning
them? Does the Enquirer seriously propose to
abandon that grave process of self-defence, by
State Convention and Southern league, for which
our Legislature so carefully provided, in case oil
the preparation of actual outrage by Con
gress? Can it be possible that all our reso
lutions to resist aggression sat every hazart
and 10 the last extremity have been fritter
ed down to quaking reliance on high
sounding pronunciamento from Nashville We
protest against the fatal differences which the
North will naturally draw from the language o
the Enquirer. For what must be the conclusion
OF Northern statesman, who sees, on one hand
the declaration that the failure of the Nashville
Convention will be tantamount to Southern
surrender, and, the other, the pal pable undeni-
able TACT that the Convention has been repudated
by the people of the South? Must he not say to
himself, swell, if this be the true state of the case
Twill go on to support whatever anti-slavery mea-
sure my people demand" But the Enquirer will
have led him into deplorable error. Just so
surely as he carries through Congress the Wilnot