Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-10
VIRGINIA
REFORM COW ENTION
furnished to RosLRr b: GALLA1sn- PH1hsher 70 a"s
n,srvntion, by Wn G, BlsHor, Official R.p0rs'rl
THURSDAY, May s, 1881,
rcout;uued from Supplement No. 10.

Mr. JOHNSON. have very few retnarks 70 MAKE
'!. 80 now to detan the committee for single
anu have innovated upon arule that hao hxed fol
the S nsrmet;eav seass as
intended Of citizens that always appear best when
belong Los, But the denunciations OF this morning
they sas feelings which regret to say had
nave nuld not have been generated III TINS body But
Yesterday every heart seemed s.tpn Rnt
OF ase,' from 'Fauquier MIR. CHILroN) had
when 'i' nan,orls the rainbow OF peace seemed to
cioseo nav Tho horizon but what nave we witnessed
"a. Instead OF pouring Oh upon the troubled
a.ers we have heard the leader o. one OF inc grea'
;a - th;. contest gentleman distinguished tor his
P; - III; ;,dncnce and venerable for his age laugh
"o' L,;ug the ives: to cross swords, and decide
t!'l =, the point of the bayouetl And to whom
ls ;s banter aldessed' TO naked savages who roam,
w. rories OF the West, unacqua.nted with the prlncl
, of liberty and unacquaiuted with their civil and
p'ss y. n:h;, Was it even addressed to a minority
Pnn ors here supplcatins upon their knees for jus
:A, M Il was addressed to the majority of some
,I;r~ like hundred thousand Of the freemen of Viz
Inn; And had that threat come from any other than
eV;-p;pian YOU would have seen every cheek tnged
-, lin compressed We have heard this mat
a.. ',a a,nasd to again and again. aud as often as
:. ba. hseu adverted to l have felt panied and dis.
,ress,d One gentleman has figured to himself an
army Of one hundred thousand men, organizing on the
s.nh,ard armed to the teeth, marching with co'ors
u,.r.
piedmont district and there amidst that rural com
unity every mas was in moment to abandon his
nvocati,n-tho pillow to DC left IN the furrow
tina axe was to b, stuck in the stump, the scythe
w.s 70 be hung upon the bush, until two hundred
thousand men had sprung to arms ana were marching
- RI. base OF the Blue Ridge. And according to
another gentleman, at tho same time more for.
n,idabe army was to be organized upon the banks
nf the Ohio, who to turn their faces east
ward Both armies then were to ascend the Blue
Ridge. the one upon the eastern and the other upon
he western slope and when they arrived near the
summit, that beautiful and peaceful mountain WAS to
bs convulsed by an earthquake that to send forth
lava which would set in blazo both east and west
Why l confess the picture was alarming almost be-
came startled and | asked myself, can this come to
pass3 But got u perspective view. looked to the
cher side of the canvass and thought heard voice
from the shadows of Mount Vermont heard 1t re-
vertebrate through the glens and over the ridges aud
IN the gorges of the nlountalnand as approached
the summit, l the flag drop at halfmast. and
the reock trail in the left hand and instead of the sharp
crack Of the rifle Iheard when eye met eye the louder
crack of the striking Of hands, accompanied by the
cry, 1t is my father, my brother, my friend! aud
for the first time since fathers landed at James
town it may be said with truth, "Firgluians will not
f,ht" hope we shall forget those sectional arnlosi-
ties know that it must b. painful to every reflect;
in mini to witness them. rose not to discuss this
Question: but to make remarks which could not
suppress after the scene this morning.
Mr. SCOTT, of Fauquer. When | offer myself rs
leader and set out to enlist soldiers, it will be time
enough for my friend from Norfolk to turn his back
upon me when make application to him. offer my
self here as leader for claim superiority here
over no one, but claim equality, and IN the consdera
lion Of this aud all other Questions that may he pre-
sen,el to u.s. claim follow the dictates OF my own
Judgment, and I mean to follow 1t despite taunts
despite attempts at intimidation from any quarter.
We have been told repeatedly during the progress Of
this discussion, that preciplce was before us. Win
4 al of -uInty
ruli lav in the way Of march. boast OF no
Greater physical courage than other gentlemen possess
Iu if the precipce is here shall stand Its brink with
n.mass; il the gulf groans before US, unmoved VIII
contemplate its utmost depths
The Gentleman from Harrison rises this morning to
give - lecture pleased to hear him, because
on former occasion panied to hear declaration
admitted to this body BY him-a gentleman upon
who's. shoulders almost hangs the mantle OF Puolic
authority in this Commonwealth, and who, but lew
DAYS SINCE BY the concurrent vote OF the au
thorres OF this State wa. chosen to the responsible
position OF Chief Magstrate-with that honor fresh
upon his brow, with the insignia of authority almost
within the grasp of his hand-fouud 1t compatible
with his of propriety with his sense OF duty, ~
10 tell us here that if we did not yield our Judgments
ohs if wo did not bend our stubborn will to his be-
hest he ready to recede from tins body and break
up this Convention-a course OF proceeding tnat 1
have denounced and here denouncc facous and ia
c,bincal see in it nothing but threat to visit
upon the deliberations of this body that Jacoblncal
influence which in France controlled the deliberations
Of their constituted assemblies We have been threat
ened with precipice-we have been threatened win
burning lava from the bottom!ess Pit-"e nave oeen
threatened with factious secessonand forsooth gen
tlemen forgetfu of all these things find it consistent
With their sense of proprety and justice to get up mere
and charge upon US who guitless OF sn-yes, who
are guiltless Of sn-the very offences which they COM
NIT. =.
to make one remark very sorry to interrupt the
gentleman from Fauquer, Mr. ScorT) but want to set
myself right in this matter. The remark that made
was this: In presenting certain resolutions IRON tne
county of Ri chic said that my ana Hyselt
were instructed to submit certain propositions aud ss-
tain them in this Convention. If We alled-it all the
PROPOSITIONS that We night submit should fall We were
Instructed to return home In presenting those resou
tons remarked that thought was authorized to FAY
for INV colleagues and M, SELF that We recognized the
rht f the constituent to instruct and held to be
the duty of the to obey and that state Of
things might occur that would US to be governed
in this particular by the instructions which We had re-
ceiy.d That is the position which TOOK ana nope
the gentleman will not misunderstand me; a.,
MI. SCOTT. l understood the gentleman IN mat
w,v that he would find compatible with bis sense OF
duty the chief magistrate of this Wouo
find il compatble with his of duty IN ooeoence 70
popular cmor home, to resort to tins iactous pro-
cerdng. But will say no more upon that matter.
has affected me with half the establishment and surprise
as the extraordinary remarks of the gentleman from
Ksnawha Mr. SuMMERs) have this morning over
wnelned me- The gentleman said that l appear
ed upon the stage this morning in the character
tkexarlike Sempronius If did, all will agree that
met NV fellow in him. Yes, sir. Warlike as may
have been, averse as may have been to the spirit OF
peace, harmony and concession say that all Will agree
that met my fellow in my friend from hanawha. You
may Judge Of the surprise with which the remarks OF the
gentleman from Kanawha affected me, when tell YOU
upon nv conscience and sincerity, that came to my
seat this morning with my bosom full of hope and those
hopes elvened. Like the competitor OF the warlike
seinpronius my thoughts turned on peace ana
SO far from intending to nfuse acrmony into this discus
siou what said unfortunately rs may nave uttered
it was designed to elicit from the gentleman from ma
uswLa proposition of peace, to which lie knows
and others stood ready to respond.
Mr. SUMMERS. am wholly ignorant OF any ProPo.
ston that the gentleman had right to expect from my
hands DO understand him alluding to any PROPOSE
ton that he had right to expect me to oter' and 20
which he stood ready to responds ,-u-,.,
Mr. SCOTT. will answer the gentleman: "lluoed
70 the knowledge which he had of my Willingness; ana
the Willingness Of others who act with me- to meet na
% va, SpSn common ground upon which TINS CUES
"a eYad be settled without visiting defeat upon the
ne SIDE or cowpng the brow of the other with victory