Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-02
SpcccI, Of Hon. ID. C. De garnetie "1
yfrHIniG.

Sivc anti logical, IN defence ol lHc SHiHLlt"ti"'
and the rights OF the South, would fall np'n
ears deaf 10 all reason and all ScISe oil Justice
| feel it only incumbent upon inc TO define my
position, and declare the purposes p those
whom have the honor to represent. In 90
| ing this, shall not speak merely for the party
to which belong, but shall speak the senl-
ments and purposes Of a united people, who ihr
| first time in the history of our government
have discarded all party obligations nnd party
prciudiccS, and who now prcscn, TO the coun-
trY an undivided and All undctrrrcd front, tic.
tcrlnincd to assert their constitutional rights and
guarantees unrestricted. This is the position,
and these the purposes. OF those whom repre-
sent; aud III yindication Of the correctness OF
this assertion, have only To refer the House
TO the resolutions which were adopted unanl-
mouSiy by the Legislature Of Virginia, which
were submitted to the House 4 few days ago
; by my colleague, Mr.. GAKSErT, and which |
| will again send to the Clerk desk to he read.
will state that those resolutions were Offered
hy u leading member OF the Opposition purity,
! anr! were unanimously adopted by both nr'chc*
! III the Legislature Of my State.
| Tic Clerk read the resolutions, aa ta!ows:
| 'PeSulycd, That We wish 10 assure tic Rep
,csrmtativcS Of this State in Congress- in the
difficult circumstances in wic! they are placed,
of the warm sympathy Of this General .lSScin-
! bly, in the struggle in which they arc engaged,
and of our cordial support OF every proper
! measure they may adopt to protect The just
rights Of this State and of the South, the IN
! ,egritv of the Union and the authority ri the
! Constitution.
''Isrsolyrd, That we recommend, /" Slrw ol
the public danger, the union of al the clements
! OF opposition to Black Republicansln, and its
candidate for Speaker, On any terms cutlslsten:
with fairness and honor, whcnsocrcr, by such
uniou, its ,lcicat can be accomplished and the
organization of the House eiiectcd.
"RrSulycd That the Governor bc requested
| 10 (, rward to our Representatives IN Congress
IL copy Of these resolutions.
Mr DE JAENErrE: In that regard, will
! here remark that the Representatives from Iir-
ri.a upon this lioor anticipated TINT action oil
;lc Legislature They have voted, Sir, i'll good
Gaitu tor the ,mclnhrrS ut each Of the UrgaIiiza
lions which are here working "itii us to defeat
the election oi john Sherman IS Speaker Of
this liru-r.
~ s!.o;y. sir, tia, the Lvgi>iaturco of Virginia
bn reflected the public sentiment OF my State,
have here copy OF the Richmond "fnInl-
r@r." received Yesterday, containing the pro
cccCngS Of meetings, held Irrespective Of party.
in ever sixty cou!Iiics oI the Commonwealth ci
Virginia i Synoptlcal sketch Of each is given
! in this paper; but it contains. in detail, tAe
proceedings of only one county III my district
| the county Of Goochl,nd. | ask the Clerk to
rc;'! il.
The Clerk read. nS follows:
Tie committee then came III. aud Walter
! b. l.rake. Oh behalf uf the COMMITTEE, report
c,i Il preamble and resolutions, w!iir; were
rc:,i 10 the lrectng and unanimously adopt c.
;,.i are the following:
"WhcrcaS, we love the Cn!nn GI these States
aS il was designed TO bc by the Constitution;
We dcjlUye everything which tends TO threaten
lis stability, or TO destroy it, mutual blessings.
We still! love It's glorious memories, and would
bcnnlG is dissolution with ScrrOw and regret.
But we have an abiding conviction tl,a. il can
only be perpetuated 50 long as i; continues to
be Gniyu If eqUdIs. For the people Of the
non saycholding States 10 foster the prciudices,
, to inclllcatc the sentiments, and to circulate
the hooks against us and our institutions which
necessarily lead to such reasonable invasion
Of our soil as that which has just taken place
at lIarpcrS Ferry, and 10 The spilling q!
the blood of her children in their own
homes, is to proclaim that they are aliens and
enemies to our sympa;hicS, our interest. anl
wcl!-beng Large portions OF the people Of
the n0n.slavchOldiug States are aiIortilnS actual
sympathy and substantial support to the dis
turbcrs Of nur peace ard prosperity. The
organized power Of most Of the lircliug States
is in tic hands of those who have sided with
the leaders Of a political party who avow feel
r. q. Nd bntr orl in.
SriluionS CT domestic slavery. And whatever
Of conservative !aw-abing sentiment exists at
the Nnrih, seemS utterly insufficient to curb
the onward march of the ConStitution-hatinS,
Biblc.dcSpiSing Gnaticisrn. which has placed
itself in the way Of the future prosperity Of
free institutions in orr land Virginia has act
ci no narrow, selfish policy in this Confcdcla-
! cy. To build up the Union, she has sacrificed.
upon the altar Of the common good, the rich
csi and most splendid territory that any State,
in the worlds history, ever gave way. She
mas wagei no war against the rights Or inSti'u-
tioI'S OF her sister States; she has asked for n"
burden to be placed upon the citizens "l other
States for her benefit But to the northern
States she has given bounties for their fisheries
and premiums for their labor; lhrir manu-
faclnrics have proSpered by tarilis, and their
people grown rich by burdens VIC have borne
:nr them. Virginia has only asked in return
for all this TO be let alone. to have her conSt!-
lutonal rights respected and observed. bus
! the return has been dcnunciatinn u: her inStI-
lutions, inclllcati0n Of doctrines hostile I" her
existence, ayowcd determination tn overthrow
! them, encouragement TO wicked men to roo iis
of ollr property, and the closing the doors "l
the courts Of justice to all constitutional re-
dress and to give direction anu point TO tins
hatred Of our constitutional rights, under the
very Union they hypocritically pretend TO re-
we're, they cast the luwrSt clements OF abolition
and criminal fanaticiSm into the horrld work
| upon our own quiet and peaceful soil, Tor rob
! berry, assassination, murder and treason. Ana
now, linlnind!ul Of the scenes at lihrprrS Fer
ry, inrgctIuI Of John Brown as nc struggled
alone upon the gallowS 1T Charc>town, us some
little cXpiatiun for the crimes OF his cruel, re-
uUrSclcSS, murdcrons unCflristan lllr, though
they We're prompted by their teachings, they
threaten TO give efficiency to their hatred To Us
| by plarng in power one OF their party VINO
has proclaimed undying hostility to our domestic
institutions. If the South dared to try to Gle
vae 10 power u statesman whose arowed Oh
| ect il was to war upon the constitutional rights
of any section of the Union, II would hc an
outrage urrca To all the States. TnlS the
South has never donc--ncrcr wanted to do. It
is an outrage that this insult should be offered
this injury proposed to us, by The Seward,
Black Republican party. To submit to Tins,
would be to turn our backs uIi0n the Union
ur fathers made and handed down tn ms aS
priceless legacy. 1t therefore hehoOvcS llS, II
we would perpetuate the Union anu preserve
the blessings Of liberty, to rouse ourselves
from all appearance Of indifference and lethar-
~ to awake from our supposed political sccu-
rity, and adopt such measures ami take such
action as will break the spell Of Northern i;-
naticsm and terminate assaults upon our rights
i I,u! if the ear Of the North is still to be deal
al,l its eve blind to the boundlcSs glorles OF
the Urrll. then we must and will take care Of
ourselves s.. Therefore,
Il. Resolved, That looking TO an unchange-
| I,I 80 aS thp nl Our