Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-16

cnt charlnc.s, and you do US al iiUui!
no subsequent legislation repeating TINS III"
can repair. You will also by SO doing olSsoi'c
the intimate relations now shlslSt!ng w. -
the glorious and chiralrous ..O!d North otatc
and VIRGINIA, which pccuniary compensation
never could atone for. Trade between cot:'inu-
mites homogeneous in sentiment anu 'ccllhs
binds them in bonds Of %irascrnal regard ahd
affection which rarely are torn asunder.
Tn these critical times. when We see the
North arrayed in deadly hostility against the
South and her institutions, let it never be saul
that Virginia was first in taking steps to ulicn.
ale our sister Southern States and estrange
them in their intercourse with her.
Leaving out of view all the benefits of alargc
mercantile interest in our midst. giving vigur
and activity to all the departments Of human
industry-lrive away your merchants, CIs they
themselves say it will do) and with them their
%cari,al, and YOU take from the revenues al the
Treasury S5UJ. 900, the amount Of license tux
npw I,ail in, as shown 10y your Auditor. low
stands the case, then, with the agricultural
and capitalist? This deficient revenue rinsl
br Imposed upon them, and keti!y WI! taely
feel the burden and the oppression o' TINS fau-
ical change in the license laws. And, SIR, IN
this connection, | beg it to be remembered Thai
the merchants now pay into The treasury one
sixth of the cn,ite revenues OF this State.
ISse Auditors Report, p. 4l6.l
Nuw let lis look 10 the wealth OF this State,
and see what proportion licensed capital. Or, III
other words, the capital of merchants, bears to
the total aggregate wealth Of the State. We
find, on reference to the Report referred to
above, p. 3H2:
Thetotal wealth Of Virginia. $7,0i3. H@5, H2S.%6
Total licensed c~alilal, 80. l2',+il,I2o.OO
Drive oil by legislation this capital, and you
take lrom The State over onc-ten;h oi its nggrr-
gate wealth. Can Virginia atEJrd 10 hnzard, by
its legislation, 50 vast u sacrifice al It's wealth :
They who own this capital, the merchants
themselves, say it will have the effect to drive
them and their capital 10 those marts where
freedom Of trade is tolerated.
All wise laws are designed to advance The
morality and uphold the integrity III the people.
Wherever and whenever stringent measures Of
c~ocrcion are resortcd to, they produce a CORES
pondins feeling of resistance, especially in the
| .Anslo-Saxun brcaso. This bill, IN its features.
is cocrcIvc np0n merchants, and the feeling of
resistance WILL ultimately give way to Il dispo-
sitivn TO ccadc. The temptations and induce.
mcnlS held out 10 the selfish and sordId wlil
cailsc them 10 embark in merchandise, ana they
will ultimately monupoliZc The trade nos in
the hands uC the InSt honorable men. Tilt
the honest will be superseded by the Il ShoncSi.
Your lice, &c laws cvndc,l, and The treasury dc.
(rau,lel Of its just dues. But ! may DC asked,
! wherein and huw may this occur? by way CT
answer, it is only necessary 10 refer IT, the no.
torinuS ~cvaSiUnS Of the revenue laws OF the
United States, by smuggling, and otcr devices
rcSoricd 20.
This law, odious in itself, will require means
10 enforce il. and ere long Virginia, under the
| operation Of this law, sill he studded with GUS
tom houses, aud overrun with custom house
| officers To enforce the revenue lass Of the
Safe. In cUrroJoration OF this view | sill
make reference TO 4 speech Of MIR. Calhoun in
the Congress of 1911. wherein he showed how
the whole mercantile community mus: become
clrrup, by the temptations and facilities for
smuggling, and how the public opinion Of the
commercial community, (upon Viii h tho re-
~Strictive SYSTEM must depend for It's enforce
mrtnr.) Lecumcs opposed to it and gives sane
ton to itS vi ,ia;ion.
liut just here 7 cannot forhcar reading All cX-
tract from this same speech which so Iurcihly
expresses my objections 10 the restrictive syS.
ten either N State or Federal affair:
"Thc restrictive system as 4 mode Of resist.
ance, or as 4 means of obtaining redress, has
never been 4 ~EavGrite one with me. wish not
to censurc the motives that dictated il. or al
tribute weakness to those who first rc$ortcd to
it fr Il restoration o( orT rights. But, sir, |
object to the restrictive system because It does
not suit The genius Of the people, or that Of orr
government, or the geographical character Of
orr Country. We aru 4 people essentially SC.
| tive; | may say that We are rre-cmlncnIly SO.
No passive system can suit snch a people: in
action superior to Ill others, in patient cndu-
rance inferior to none. Nur docs it silt The
genius Of our government Our government
Is founded on freedom and hates coercion. To
make a restrictive 'ysic!n efficient requires tic
most arbitrary laws. England with the Sc.
vcrcSt penal statutes, has not been able 10 en-
cludc prohibited articles; and Napoleon, with
all his power and vigilance. was obliged 10 re-
sort to the most barbareus laws 10 enforce his
continental SYSTEM"
Thus. il will be perceived that the viexs
reehly expressed by me in opposition 10 the
restrictive features embodied in the bill under
consideration. receive the sanction and cndor.
Sa,ion nf one of the must eminent men the
South has ever recognized as one Of her sons.
Another Objection ! ~lroFnse to urge, IL
prompted by II sincere regard and earnest at
tachrnent to the Union; and that objection is,
that bv the legislation proposed, YOU loose tic
only tie that strongly binds the free States Of
the North to the Slave States Of the Sualh.-
lf,h,s Union is to I've dissolved, | wish it dane
by direct. positive and uncrIivocal actina,
! alter every FIR: has been made to preserve it.
and not indirectly and cquivocal!y by any
! s,stc:n Of rrtaliatorv legislation, producing
alienation and i,rcc"ncilable eStrHngenen,.-
| Adopt the policy proposed 10y this bill, and
Won surrender the strongest hold the South
has ON the affections OF Il large mi nifty Of the
| Northern citizens. That majority desires the
Union Of these States because their interest
prompts tile desiro to preserve that tninn.-
The Union To the North is the means Of self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and Self enrichment. If tho
South desires the perpctuation OF this Union.
il bchosvcS her so to act rs to Soothc and rot
stimulate the prsjudiccS of the North. 10 give
to the conservative citizens nf the North, It
| there b" such, IN opportunity 10 appeal to the
| enlightened judgement Of rejecting men, TO
| respect. the Constitutional rights OF the South:
, it becomes the South to demand with manly
| li~rinress all her rights and be cnntcnt with
nothing less. But let ms not adopt the course
| pursued by the North. The cause Of COLE
plu.nt We urge, is. the hostile, pcrniciouS and
! unjust legislation OF Their Legislatures, inter.
! f.ring with orr rights; and let us take heed
that We arc no! guilty of the identical sin we
lay ut their door. Let the South be not only
Just aud hlamclcSs. but, like Cnsar'S wife,
| above suspicion. And il while VIC shall have
| thus discharged our Constitutional duty, the
| North, yielding 10 n reckless lanaticisrn, shall
persist in an utter disregard Of Or rights. if
| orr remonstranccS and demands shall pass un-
needed ny their unwilling cars, then, ! say, let
diSuuion come, rather than diShonor by sab
mission. In my humble judgement, no path
can be more distinctly traced TO dislnion than
! that marked out by this bill. n bill intended by
it's patron TO maintain the Union, but destined.
10 my apprehension, 10 become tic nnques,ioned
engine OF its obstruction.
1t is argued by the gentleman from Culpc-
! pc, (Mr. BAEHorR.) that tho Objection 20 i"rci-
ply urged against this measure, that cur trade