Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-02-07
Speech OF James l.. KcnIper,
DELEGATE FToM MADISON,

Delivered In the House OF Delegates January osh ls
on the bill provide for the manufacture and purchase
| OF arms and munitions Of war.
Mr SrgsEEH:-l regret gentlemen urging the post;
poneuent OF this BILL upon the ground that the House Is
prepared unerstandingy upon Its provision
Its objects selfeyent and sefsuggrsve. The exist;
iur emergency points TO the eSgeut and Irresistible
cessy Of the measure which provides for arming the cS
ARMED and hefenccess Commonwealth OF Virginia.
Sir, your Committee Military Affairs In whose behalf
have the honor speak today have not framed the pro-
visions Of this bill precp!taely or uuadvsedly. Tnry
have performed their whole duty In the premises with liso
rous fidelity They have explored the entire subject of
State defence in all its rmcatlOns, with laborious zeal
Not take the results of their own nvestiea'!un:
they have exercised the authority vested in thcm by hi,
House, and have Summoned TO ihcr counses from Gicr
ent portions OF the country Of the very first military,
scientific artistic and mechanical experience, reputation
and skill These eminent men have laid bare to US the re-
su:s their lifelong professional experience aud have
expe,ded their best abilities in perircting tile details
OF this bill present it 10 You AS the enhot
mcn Of the best military and scientific experience OF the
country. present il to you rs the embodiment o coun
sells far higher than any that could be drawn fronl the
House OF Delegates from any other aSsembage OF civil
ians No indgn,y simpled to this House. when tell yua
that you In taking the details Of this blu ab
Solurly upon trust, IN the confidence that the authors
whose haniwork it il, 10 be relied on far more than
the results Of any Investigations you may make for your
selves now, any time, or in all time TO come Do you
want prccedents and facts 10 guide you Lnok to the sis
nicant origin Of your amory In i9S under the ausI
OF revolutionary sasss and heroes OF Jefferson M
son. Monroe John Taylor OF Caroline and host OF cthcTs
under the excitement OF alien aud sedon Law usurpaon
In view OF danger Of armed collision with federal power
which pacs into nsgnihcancc beside the crisis which no"
impcnds, our fathers determined that Virginia. III her =v
ercsn character should resist with the sword the i,i it,
frngement Of the liberties Of her people They Resolved to
the STATE and characteristic VI the bold men 0 I'M
mortal stamp who then overrulrd councils il
resolved than done II Was done with ii$'aiaul IN
difference 10 all cnnsie aons Of expense. Although tic
entire gross OF the State from tsxati2n upon pro-
Ierty, only $25 0U per annun, they required tc e
EXECUTIVE TO establish a-HOry or construction, without
any restriction upon IT. cost, without any ln;Un of the
| appropriations for that object.
the State ultimately expended upon ihc nTiloy Ab"nl
fuJuo more than onc.iih Of he ea:rr rerehres u is's
state annually expended upon tie aroy unti ai
ter the lapse Of years. the caScr Of long rncc destroyed
its vitality, and about s.e 1t, operations were su.pene.
IN the poverty of the feeble beginnings ot the Common.
wealth. under The demands Of nrcrs,;y, far less nprr-
alive than that which nvokcs ac;Jn ancestors
vcnrrc I" c"sr"e, the most extensive government arm
Org the continent We, in yicw of cX.ct!mS
emergency to hiSSlc can We aier over al appropriation
TO revive the operation "f a; aruoiy which their r;ncry
mIiiccEcc beqreathed u.s. The expenditures OF nlioh-
for defence did shake The u the hnaica!
leaders Ol 9S9 when their hut quarter
million per annum; are We 50 degenerate be appalled,
Eow by I'm appropriation Of half million to The same "a
cred PURPOSES when Virginia HAS becomr magnificent en'
pire with annual resources of four millions oil dollars
There stands your Stat. Armory-a monument Of 'lr.
SiEas devotion TO the rights U; the states and Other srr'
less Jealousy of Federal cncroacheni an enduring me
mortal Of her hereditary purpose TO resist aggression upon
her rights perpetual pledge that .at cN Hyh; whatever
foe shall assa her sovereignty or ho"r Every brick dEl
timber i'll It's massive walls wa. aIe sacred by The iab"5
Of the purrst and the brst ut that uUbr breed Of boos
who Illustrated and in,nortaze! the era III which thej
! lived.
Iconess have heard will; something aka to indignation,
the statements circulated outside the General Assembly,
based They doubtless in srfn;ercs orinayrrtacr
aicgn: that the c'ice iscif Is UNFIT for aIlorv Of CON
srur.un aud cunic,s was surprised 10 hear the n,eli
gent gentleman from p cS.U Mr CUwAS) suggest a: its
walls la p!date and its location il,
jecis. Sir whence did thu. gentleman get hi, information
and who i. his authority: beg leave TO form him that
the Superintendent aud Master ATmnrer o the liarers
Ferry inoy. acaS under the direction pf your committee,
have made thorough Inspection Of the premises, and they
found the buin.- only in cXc-irH preservation, bat,
their surprise, admirably arranged and located fo the
fabrication Of Those buildings sound from pin
nscle 10 foundation stnnr and their na.v" walls Ct honest
workmanship and durable material put shame the ilng:e-
structures U! the present day. supplied with SrD cu!c
inches Of water power, with fall Of 80 feet ~ the river,
with spacious grounds healthy location and superior build!
ng i, is proven, y the most accomplished! judges, 20 hr
better armory today than either v those belonging The
! Federal Government.
hut Mr.. Speaker confess my inability to see the force
OF III. objections urged vrheneny against the princi
pal feature Gf the hill by the gentleman from BOlrourt,
LAlr. ASpERsoS) In the commentaries propose 10 make
upon the consistency OF that grirman dsrlaim any in.
pu:aon' upon his a9tives-;he purity Vt which freely
knowledge. lie has made Strenuous opposition here the
fabrication OF ARMS by the State aud c Insists the
adupiiou Of tie system for supplying IA. CprIn
wealth with and placing her IN attitude O defence.
Knowing did the antecedents Of that gentleman during
the present session, little expected that he would this
critical omeni propose TO delay action upon the BILL still
less that he would propose an amendment which, ~ con-
ccve enascuatcs the measure anu commits virginia tu the
mercy u Interested, and II may be- nercenary SPECTATORS
and contractors. That gentleman had manifested much
Indignation under Northern nggrcsson he had all along
enthusiastically Insisted upon arming the State cdp pie
like my Lord Hamlet, he had "hmulerrd u the index
umnouy that felt assured hi. strntpriu voice would b.
heard above the din Of ffncuna.ar>G.le III, hosts
tiOn. But, sir he has Jagged by the way.sidr lie talks
about the advantages Of the contract system Does he
know that there Is nothing In wlc! fraud may be
ce5,Iuy practisrd n in the manufacture of firearms: That
the may lo inferior work employ unsuitable
era and turn out arm full Of defects and yet those
defects Eay be concealed y furnishing and polishing or
brunzins, that they will DEFY discovery under the Sc
yrrc>t inspection Of practise! officer: No trial or
scrutiny Of the finished IS guaranty against
such mpositions. At The llarpcrs Ferry Arncry,
forty per cent Of all the irrarm. turned out,
, rejected by the government. on account OF defects
which only discovered by Constant scrutiny the
whole process Of manufacturer and yet, Il is proven that
those rejected such will finish and
iurh.h AMI palm or npoa pracccd judges faullless wea
pon.: Il MAS In proof before your committee that after
The battle Of Soerino whole wagon loads OF worthless arms,
,AiGh hui been Du,chHSsd IL ON contractors, ga
thrrcd up by the French army and the stocks OF them used
in building canplres II you want security for the pr
fecon ofyour firearms ARE bound TO have your sworn
officers your alare superintendent and HaSterarmOrcrs
your State operatives who will exercise faithful suprrvi
sion at every stage Of the manufacture throughout thu
tire process who will be unapproashed by the slightest In.
cernrnt employ defective MATERIALS execute mpcr.
fec. work. impose unscrriceblc weapon upon the
STATE.
i If your arms he procured from contractors tile
proos compel you concrds the fact almost morally
i,n tia; 80 per cent. of them will be defective un.er.
yc.air Is the gcn:lela:I willing, In the Of
armed conflict, which, in the ricssudss Of tie future,
sooner OF later that 10 per Of your
army shall fight with weapons formidable 10 friend
foe Is he going TO consen that the seliIntrrest and the
rcrcenary greed Of CONTRACTORS shah between the
Commonwealth OF virginia ana tile safety her
.odlery: Is the spirit Of speculation 70 be thus invited TO
cncrouch upon the very lives Of you. peple tell the
gentleman, that when Virginia ring: the peel /" among
;r ranks her cavaliers when Fhe prepares face
enemy bris:ng with ;r Improved weapons II" the day her
imnrinori pride will Indignantly reco from the proposal
Ia throw children pol the point OF danger with
OF cfrnce which either Inferior .nble to II suspicion
Of nfcority She will never degrade herself by tc con-
sio thar the lives Of Yircnihns less sacred than the
lives Of any other people the face OF the earth She will
never tain honor b sulectr her troops TO the
,nnmry Of confronting well armed invading fanatics with
i,, hnr lI,-h ruI.
will the teeth She will arm them with the complc;est
weapons be fabricatelb 10y ;Lr kill Of man. with
weapons Mntcs, Tie spirit which aEinIaes them, and
which III make then when disciplined by the ordeal OF
war the equals of the Gncs. veterans the world ever pro.
| duceL.
prove tha, il il cheaper procure by contract than
by State armoy Of construction cir, what Of it. even
the allegation true: Is the honor or the State, il
The efficiency OF your defcncet 10 be suborlnatrd 10
si!.ratoHs Of cGtdpneSs! Must W. depend upon arms
wh We know inferior, because Il Is 80 commanded
by tia, God OF the Northern contractor-Thr Almighty
Dollar, L. human life worth much less an money,
that We deliberately prepare TO coin the blood Of Vir
rInias children into dimes? rcpel the implication OF
policy which prefers economy over the efficiency OF your
armament the lives Of your people and the honor Of your
state Even If the allegation true would no; ahatc
one jot or title Of the merits Of the bill But it is true
The reverse of It Is incontestably Conclusive evil
dence upon this poin, VAS collected BY your committee
from the highest professional and mechanical authorities,
ami /, has bean published 10 the House 1t was proven
that the average profits Of manufacturing arms at least
forty per per annum upon the cost There stands the
r,tnblishrd nc that Il saving the OF sOn
upon invested In Operating arnory which
must be from the Treasury by spectators II you
force us to the of purchases contracts
for arms II ;ie Investment contemplated in the bill Is
made IL will convert your 5Ju0 smoot-bore, H:ntock
nuskrs into efficient percus.ion-lock rifles besides turning
out the provided Tor uuu OF the best I'M
nrorrd FIREARMS. Minnie army rifle muskrs the gorcrI
men, price of which is w IS each The government valua
ton Of the rtluSset az least 80 per cent. above It's
prime cost an cannot be had nj that Or your committee
are assured II will readily command s21 the State should
consent to sell such Every gentleman may nov
for himself that your State armOry y converting your