Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-04

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any effort Of mine could achieve it, TO carry the mixed
basis by any ma orty that could be obtained for 1t.
was prepared to carry my principle precisely in the
same manner and By precisely the same majority that
our friends the other side were prepared 10 carry
their principle And here let say that with al prop
or re.pec for gentlemen on the other side, must in
canGor declare that did not and do not give credit 10
all the statements that have been made, Is to the course
they designed pursue in the mixed basis pr!cl-
ME were adopted. Entertaining the confidence Ola IN
those gentlemen individually and collectively IN their
LOYALTY to the State rs we'll the Union, in their law
loving and w-abiding spirit Judging them Us Judged
myself mud regulating their conduct by the same rule o.
which regulated my own; did belieTe and sui! be-
eyc that they would have pursued the proper course Of
-ubaittiur-as would have submittel-wit!l Whatever
Of rrnce 10 whs, was ascer;ained to be the will OF
the peop. - expressed by their lawfully constituted
authorities never entertained the slightest appree'-
sion of auy revolution or Dorrsn III this State, pro
Iuced through the iustrumentaty OF snch men as
saw around me herc-not the least. II nave uooe
gentlemen injustice il the spirit have thus |"
them should be most unhappy to believe 1t, and noth'
ing short OF demonstration would induce ME to be!ieVe
that in such men as around me- representing such
people they represent am to recognize those VINO
prepared for the extremes of revolution ana Dorr-
lam.
sir, entertain very different opinion upon this
question entertain the belief that if under the inh
of vioea: and cxasperated feeiinSs-tee!lAgs II
which | sTmpathlse, 70! ! am sensible al Tie
attachment which gentlemen entertain for irlHc!Pe
which they believe to be right and can appreciate the
pain they suffer at its Prostraton because nave en-
llred and DOW endure that pain myself say under
the momenarv impulse of strongly excited feelings:
gentlemen from the west any portion of them NAG
disposed resort to violent and extreme measures
her sober-second thoughts would have specify pr0mP
ed them to different Of act u Aud d,sppolt-
ed in that have too much confidence in the lawlovng
md law.abaing people of Virginia, whether cast or
vest of tho Blue Ridge to believe for one moment thai
hey would have sustained or sanctioned any revolution
.ry or disorganizng movement. Why then should any
nan bo withheld by apprehensions like these from Sin'
licutng principles aud rcdeelnng his pledges D?
voting thu one and standing up to the other For my
elf am free to Confess that can perceive nothing IL
considerations OF this kind to justify to excuse any a'
abandoning the principles he was seut here 20 main
tain
And now, sir, what is the condition in which we fin
,,r.elvcs md VIVA. are the circumstances under which
claim TO be permitted to exercise the poor privilege
leclipny to make choice between two propositions als
tfeusive to ME; between two such propositions III shdf
IS tie suffrage basis the one hand and this pret"nc Zee
compromise on the other: We are told III holy wrli
hat we know not what day may bring forth. but ths
Convention knows very well what week has brought
,rth The man who will his eye, back I" the Con
iiton of affair, in this body few days ago aid CONF a-e
with the present posture Of things may lie aoc pei
raps to realize the anlazeent with which III my NUN
,le Judgment the people Of eastern rSnla VIII heu
shat was our condition short time ago. u Wa. bu'
asst .rdav week that upon test vote III 'll house
proposition to strike out the mixed basis WIN ah ap
yortionment thereon was lost BY vote III % yea "
90 nays-a oriy against II ol iour Totcs otl Nhoi
ay proposition wa, made for the appointment "i &
.omn,ittce of compromise and the same day the
&C was appointed. That committee consisted 81
Gentlemen both from the east and the west blt every
me of them unqueStomblT selected 'o!ciy ps
Western votes. The committee thus selected n';i APP
.,iuted and in which lie ast was refused the prVilcs
selecting her own men, brought in scheme i"r wlri.
,ne of the committee themselves r0fei to vote anu
which when first brought forward received the vote OF
nit one single eastern man in addition to the three ea
ern members of the committee that reportedit les.
.erest it, this very compromise which Is now 10 De hu
n,rt of the con.t ion received but one eastern vote
esd the vu of the three eastern members u the com
itt. and was r. ectei bv vote of So to 5i the
.es ON both sides having paired Off 1t Is true that Oh
he same day, vote was taken on lhe mlAea s'S,H'
md it was stricken out hut how stricken OUT ~
n,iorify of one and that produced by the vote ot liz
.ntirman from Fauuuicr Mr.. CmItroS) who had mad
.nc,b in favor of the mixed basis of the gentleman
-on Williamsburg CTR. BowD&s,) who came her'
ed,ed n. it was understood TO the federal Ds "hc'
ir, the cast MA nr;v in the House OF Delegates ~
Eighteen instead Of l'rteen which IS AL %e'S oh''
he mixed bn.is my colleague from Henrco Air Bolts
who had declared not week before that he c!t hlnl
f instruct q, tn vote fs the mixed basis ~ contai'e'
/, this Identical proposition Al the gentleman from
i.vnchburg Or SMSnEEs) who 1t was understood '''
scheme of his to offer, and hnaliy oy the chahT
f his vote by the gentleman from Henry Mr. iAsrlS
rho had also made speech and according to my rec.
lection Of it most decided one in favor OF the niXed
ASH. and who voted in the fret instance against striking
nut 4 If these five gentlemen or any one o. men, MAJ
OF ed differently, proposition \ would not nave ocen
tr,ckeu ont What course these gentlemen will no"
,,rsue do not know and it is concern of mine
hey will take their course, but when referring I"
ne history Of this matter it is but proper that nj th
acts should be known.
Then after this proposition was rejected, lrop"-
;t;on WIS brought forward by the gentleman from Ac-
nmac and can say for one thatf had supposed or be-
loved after what occurred in reference to the proposition
# the committee and after the declarations made b:
Gentlemen themselves this floor that ii was their pur
r,sc to renew this rel eced and rePudiated -chec ana
hat we should be forced to choose between that PROPOSE
ion and tba, of the gentleman from Accomac which
roposed to give us the mixed basis in both houses until
$50 and then submit the question to the prophets
understood til should not have hesltated moment
n giving ms preference to the latter To the PROPOSE
ion reported by this socalled compromise committee
hould infinitely have preferred it. and why Because II
ccured for ten or eleven years the mixed basis i'll both
ouses instead of Welding the white basis in one hour
md organizing it upon that principle, and the Other
mouse Oh no principle at all
have heretofore said should consider the submits
ion Of the question oil basis n0 To- The people as equiv
Ient to voting for the white basis, and at this time
hould rs non 70 for the the other But it Is
.ery different question whether you submit it TO the
,eope now or whether you adopt the mixed basis until
SEQ and then submit the Question: to the people Of that
Law Nobody can predict what might be the view. nf the
people ut that time after the experiment had been tried
Il utter trying the mixed bass for years should have
ncen found 20 have worked well nobody can tell whce
he people would not then have been disposed in choo
lnr between it and and untried principle to bold
n 10 the principlc which they had tiled. But how i.
t with this scheme of compromised Why we are 10
nave no mixed basis ut all i'll either house. and The PEG
de are to be called in 1865 say whether they vii
.,;opt it as principle till then applied either
branch uf the General Assembly. Do not gentlemct
perceive that is nj direction that the s:T.ay
risis shall DC adopted ut that time for the choice thc
yill not be between The mixed bI-s prnc" which
,as been tried and the suffrage basis. but between the
.trage basis existn, in the House Of Delegates, ana
principle which has been applied in i;her house
ina, is the compromise which has been proposed rs
D: three of the eastern mvrbers OF this committee mp
oin ed b. western votes, aul it is for The
east than has becu area offered to by the west
There is no compromise in it, and my judgment the
PEOPLE of EASTERN Virginia will say if they express
4. trust in God they will their sentiments when the
acts come before thcm say that the scheme is infn
tely worse for Us than which the would have
been glad to have given Us, and if we compelled
.allow IT, let the people OF the and mark tha
il by the hands Of eastern rather than Of western
that the bitter chGce has been commended their
lips