Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-10

7 DeTSlSlSilCN iIIu NOilslNlII'N
such n course. Was it not here. sir. in this
very theatre, and on this very issue. that the
distinguished gentleman from Prince George,
tMr. Rives,) who is now before me. met and
endorsed Mr.. Summers in 80: And why
Not because he was more able or more di>tin-
rui,hed than Mr.. Summers WAS, able and dis
tinruishcd Ms he is, but because there WAS a
moral force, and a moral aptitude, and = moral
effect in such n position, which there was no
resisting; because the Governor Of Virginia.
upon this point. ought to he like Caesars wife.
not only pure, but above all suspicion OF impu-
rity. go.
Mr.. President, | hope the Convention will III
dulcc me for Il moment, whilst read Il single
paragraph or two from the Ruifncr pamphlet.
IA voice" Read the whole of it No, sir,
| have 40 time to read the whole. Il wish
had, but | will read you y part of it. and You
NAV Judge Of the balance by what | shall read.
Er uno disco omnss:
And then. fellow citizens. when you have suffered your
country to he filed with negro slaves instead OF white free
men when H. population shall be As motley a J"'erh'
coat Of many colors-as rngstreaked and specsled rs iAth'
er Jacobs Hook Was in ladan Aram; what will The white
basi. OF representation avail you. II you obtain IL wheth-
or you obtain IL OF not, East Virginia. %willhaye iriunpi.e'l'
or rather sInrsry will have triumphed. and hll Virginia
will have becom. j land Of darkness ani .; the shade" ct
death.
'Then By i iorbearance which has no merit, and a sup!n-'
ness which has 10 excuse, you will have given 10 your chill
Jren for ,h-ir inheritance, this lovely land ~blackened with a
negro popula,ion-the onscourings III Eastern 'ircinia-tie
fg end II slavery-;he loa,hcsomr drrg' Of That rng 81
abonination, which has already sickcned 10 death the East
crn half Of our Commonwealth.
DELAY NOT then, We b-scech you. to raise a barrier against
Iii. Styrian i.undation-,o stand at the llnc Ridge. and
with sovereign energy, say TO hi, Black Sea OF misery.
Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther.
40 show ,ha, the extinction n slavery among II, is Irar-
,icablr withou; injustice or Injury to any man, We present
you the following.
Here follow ''Ihe outlines Of a scheme Cor
the removal of slavery from Virginia, inclul-
ing the literary education er' tie "egro, winch
is Il part Of the great plan of emancipation.
Such was the scheme, and such were the Scnti-
mcnts Of DR. Ruiincr in lSi7-and Mr.. Lctchcr
endorsed them, all. sir. If he did not draw
the bill. he endorsed it. He not only cndor-
sed the arguments and approved the views of
DR.. Rufincr, but he pronounced them To he
able and unanSwerablc; to be not only torcihlr,
but conclusive; and TO have been presented
in Il shape which could not give just caISc of
offence to even those who are most iaStidiOuS
and excitable Oh all subjects having any con-
ncxion with the subject Of slavery" And Yet
the gentleman from Richmond. Mr.. Pryor.
saws, that Mr.. l.ctchcr'S record is without SPIT
and mithom blcnish. and he not only cilal-
lcngcd, but dciicd Investigation on this subject.
Would it not have been nearer the fact To have
said that it was II pretty fair record, all save
the Rutincr% pamphlet, in Il. and Mr.. l.ctrh-
cr's unconquerablc rcpugnancc, in 81. To the
''Ncgro-ocracy Of Eastern virginia." For my
own part. if Mr.. Letchcr We're Is sound Is Il
dollar at this time, upon the subject of slavery.
| should he unwilling 10 trust him after this.
I should hc afraid. sir, of the moral. If not the
political influence of such Il candidate. BE ne
as chaStc rs ice Or rs pure rs SNOW he could
not escape calunny. He would no; escape,
will not say from calumny. but from just re-
proach. | say it in all respect. sir. but no
man, in INV opinion. whoever entertained az
uttered. or endorsed such sentiments ~
these, is tit To be the Governor Of Virginia.
/ whilst there * such Il thing as slavery or
4 slave left in it,. \ voicc-"llaS not
Mr.. I.clcher rccantcl:" care not if he
has. The effect at least is unrccantablc. No
possible rccantation can wipe out the stain
from such a record. For these reasons, Mr.
! President. a. one Of the delegates 10 this Con-
~vcntion, and in the name of the Democracy OF
the State, $50 far as am nj liberty To invoke
the genius and to appeal to the consistency OF
Democracy ! beg leave to enter my serious.
sober, solemn, earnest. deliberate. anti, las !
bclieyc,) well founded protest against the no
mination Of Mr.. Letchcr.
Mr.. RivcS, Of Prince George, was next called
to the stand, which he occupied for two hours,
until the close Of the morning session. We
have been able to procure no report, whatever.
of Mr.. RivcS' speech. 1t was q very powerful
etFort-thc great speech, indeed, Of the Con
%vention. Armed at every point with facts, and
very Skilful in the employment of humorous
figures, Mr.. Rivcs exposed, denounced and r.
diculcd aIr. Lctcher's position before the people
Of yirginia-ncvcr failing to secure the eager
attention Of every listener, and frequently III
t%crruptcd hy the prolonged applause of his a'l-
audience.
AFTERNOON SEssroS.-Mr. RivcS continued
his sweeping philippe against I.etcher. and
closed in an hour. If the natural diSadvar-
tagcs of reporting this speaker were inSur-
mountablc. the facilities for the devotccS OF
this valuable art were now such rs to preclude
the possibility of reporting anybody at all.
The accommodations for the press were com.
plctcly usurped by the dense crowd thai pressed
in on every side.
Mr.. R. 4. Pryor. Of Richmond. replied 10
Mr.. Rivcs' remarks. iOf this speech, also, We
have no report. II was undoubtedly the ab'e>t
and most effective defence of Mr.. Letchcr pro-
nounced before the Convention, and won thun-
dcrs of applause from the audience. After
having spoken for two hours, Mr.. Pryor be-
came exhausted and was compelled 10 retire,
when the Convention adjourned until :, O'Clock.
p. VI.
During the speech of Mr.. Pryor, Col. Jesse
IIargravc, Of Sussex, who was seated III the
body Of the hall. tainted from the excessive
warmth occasioncd by the crowded state OF the
Convention. Mr.. Pryor suspended his remarks
for several minutes. and the gentleman was
carried ont in the arms Of several friends. lie
soon revived. but we learn, required the aid of
n physician, and was taken to his hotel
NiGur SrssIox.-Thc Chairman announced
that Col. Hargravc had entirely recovered from
his recent Illness. which was received with zen
cral satisfaction; also, that Mr.. Pryor was to"
unwcll to continue his reply To Mr.. Rivcs.
4 motion was then made to 90 into the cleo
ton of the nominees; objected to. IL was
then proposed that the hour of debate be
limited to ten o'clock. Mr.. Stovall, of Hall
fax. opposed any limitation, and here the sub
jcct was dropped, without action.
Mr.. Trcdway. of Pittsylvania, in dcplorinc
the violent contest for and against Mr.. Lctcher.
during the DAYS discussion, Is exceedingly
improper where all were Democrats. suggested
that some one of the other, already in coi>idc-
ration be selected; one whose record was with
out rcproach, and could defy imputa'i"n. He
utterly disclairncd all connection with any party
or particular nominee, but knew that. in his
section. there were many VII" would not vote
for Mr.. Lctchcr.
Mr.. Mahit, Of Rockingham. was astoni>ilcd
at the gcntlcrnan'S last remark. Although his
constituency had invested him with no authors
tv of preference, he would say that whoever
the Convention nominated. Rockingham would
give 5000 Democratic votes, and the Tenth
Legion would send up her II 1000. Mr. Maifitt
also announced that the friends of Mr.. l.ctchcr
were prepared to support the nominee of the
Convention, whoever he might he. QUESTION
Is that the sentiment Of the farri>onhurS
Register" the organ Of the party in Rocking