Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-01-31

himself at the end of the underground rail-
road. [Cheers and laughter.
Sir, it was very conyenicnt1to me, tell you,
TO have a school Of instruction at Charles
town. TO prepare the military Of the State, and,
to their honor and glory be it said, that never
did any boys improve faster in any school, than
INV bows did in the school of military instruc-
ton at Charlcstown. say again, that on the
first step being taken, the first gun fired,
would lave marched across the line through
the Western Reserve of Ohio. | would have
swept away Black Republicanism on either side
of the road, and have assaulted the British Lion
himself in his den. Applause. And, gen.
tlemcn, | tell you this, that you may understand
what fighting in the Union is. Laughter.
| hope you understand it now. But
without going to Canada, the iiitecn or sixteen
hundred llen accomplished manly The purpose
which | had in view, as your purpose Will al
WAYS be accomplished when you have the law
and the right on your side. 1t deferred lnva-
sion-it held the enemy back--it gavet the con-
fdcncc of security to our peoplc--it gave pro-
ucr direction 10 Indignation 1t the South-it
nut the conservative element in the North in
motion. But we are told, that this cost 4 great
deal. The cost! All | can say, gentlemen, Is
that there were five ends that l had to attain
by that army, and all Of which gained; and
any one of which was worth ten times the
whole cost. Cost-cost! What right has Il
Commonwealth like this, grand, glorious, dig
nilicd rs she is, with the stake that she holds
in her hands, to talk about cost, when her mill
tary derenccS, for the last twenty years, have
cost her nothing-and when their neglect have
cost, in 4 night and day, some thirty lives, and
subjected us to the snccrS OF inctiable reproach
for weakness and want of the means OF defence?
4 VoIcE-The whole cost was only $4,000.
Mr.. WlsE-I say in the last 20 years the
whole cost Of your militia system has been no
thing, literally nothing. Have you, have any
right to complain Of the cost Of $4,000?
believe that $3.50, 600 will cover the whole cost,
including the cost Of arms still in our posses
sion. Have you, / say, any right to complain
of that, when you and | have left that border
UNPROTECTED for the last fifteen or twenty
wears and have incurred no cost FOR de-
fence? Cost! How could you blame me for
cost? Tn what situation was left Governor
of the State, oh yes, with q grand title, Com
mandcr in-Chier of the Army and Navy Of the
Commonwealth Of Virginia" daughter while
my friend the Adjutant-Genera has been work.
ing himself to death, his grey hairs whitencd
with aye and with the labor you have required
at his hands, working day and night with L
salary of-sl0Oa year! Tell that to the peo'
pie when you talk about cost. So then, what
fell upon me? Why, | went TO Cilarlestown,
and there had the pleasure to play Governor,
Adiutant General, QuartermaStcr General, Pay
master General, Commissary General, Major
General, Brigadicr General, Colonel and Cor
poral-llaughter and %clocrs.) No conmissary
department, no blankets, no coats, and having
TO 70 to the North even for ovrrcoats and for
arms. Aye, sir, and | had the pleasure oil
working one of their factories OF the Sab
bath day, right under the noses Of Abulitionist
puritauisln, to make revolving rifles and car,
bincs to whip these AbolitionistS with. Cost
to a State like this, that ought to give mil.
lions for defence and not one cent for tribute! =
On these reasons and OIL the result | stand,
and submit the motives and propriety OF my
action to the test of scrutiny and o! time
With great confidence | submit all to the
Judgment of the General Assembly of the Com'
monwcalth. | will willingly abide by the
Judgment Of this generation and OF postcrlty
for all time to come, on the whole course oil my
administration Of the affairs Of this glad and
glorious. old Commonwealth for the last term
of her Executive oilice:-looking to her public
works. her finances, her banks, her Agriculture,
her schools and colleges, her asylulns, her eX'
pcnditurcs, her defence in every sense, and tho
honor Of her arms. My task is over, and must
| speak as to its merits or dement's for itself.
But your task, gentlemen of the General AS
se,nbly, is not completed. You are still delib'
Grating upon what is best for you 10 do for the
honor ana interest Of 4 Commonwealth which
we all have so much reason to love and &c
serve with all our souls and all our strength.
acted upon mere effects. 1t is your part tc
act upon something much more Important. You
are called to act upon the very CAUSES ofttlcse ci
ects. The raid Of John Brown was 4 mere elect
Every act OF resistance 10 the execution of tho
fugitive slave law is only an effect. The eating
in of abuliliunisni, like 4 cancer, upon onr Dor
dcrs is an effect. These are all isolated indi
vidual effects Of 4 0mlIon cause. 1t Is thls
cause which You have to deal with. You arr
to act upon Il condition ~ things which has
supplied and still supplies the origin Of snct
occurrences.
What will you 10 towards the correction O
this condition Of things, out OF which sllcl
direful consequences have arisen? wish lha'
! could aid you. | never before so earnestly
aspircd 10 be Il member Of the General Assem-
bly,. No. Perhaps it lis best that | should re
main even as am.
Thank God! AIN now unirttcrcd. | am nc
longer All official pcrSonagc-no longer a Chic
Executive, co. ordinate with you, Of whom you
might he Jealous, and who might Seela to die
tate by saying Il word outside the Legitimate
scopc of Il formal message. am now one o
the people, a free, white Virginia citizen anc
one of the sovcreigns Of the land. | may nov
speak out like 4 plain, blunt man" without Of
| Tending official proprictics. have Il right tc
sneak out, though / may not he needed anC
if affection and gratitude and respect for YOU
entitlc me to speak right out to von vii
speak, and be needed too. for whatever may
say is worth.
Your session was opened by 4 message from
me. | have reviewed il, and take back nothing
| which it recommends. And from the steps 81
the Executive mansion, out OF doors, unofficial
w, but before my term Of office expired, al
dressed the medical Students who then return
| cd to Virginia to be instructed at nome. lht
report of that speech never met my eye unit
after it was printed but have reviewed thai
also, and with some verbal exceptions Of no
much consequence, avow every sentiment ant
expression of it and itcratc it here.
repeat these positions because have lately
been attacked from twG extremes which mec'
together at antipUdes to inc. On the one lailt
am assailcd, because I am too much OF u Cnior
| nan-so much so that ! am for ".fghtingi Tn
Cnion." believe | never used that expires
sion before; but I will adopt it now. And ask
who will not fight in the Union and out ol thu
| Union, both Unnecessary rather than bc deprived
Of his essential rights and be dishonored, de
graded and oppressed? The man, | say, who
will not first fight in the Union, will never
fight out Of it. | went 10 fight John Browr
and his aiders and abcttors IN the Union, ant
would have marched through the Union, tc
Canada, to overtake and subdue any lawless
men, invaders of the Constitution and tile Union
on any soil of the Union. TO the State rights
man Of the South Carolina school who com,
plains Of me about fighting i'll the Union,
j have TO say that ask him to remember Mr.
Caliloun's doctrine of notification, the very
essence Of which, | believe, was to fight in the
Union. [ never was, and am not now, what