Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-12-10

be the last. | am surrounded by circumstances OF
most inspiring character situation in which have new
er been placed before. To me is indeed "a feast OF
reason aud flow of soul" say felloWcitizens though
Il may be the first time that Virginia has cast her eec
toral vote now, trust in God It will not be the last
and would God for the sake Of ourselves, for the
sake Of the country for its present peace and security
and its future prosperity aud glory that the vote were
eectua place Bell in the Presidential Chair But,
this we cannot hope for. That cloud which but few
years ago not bigger than mans hand, has grown
and expanded until it oyercasts the hall Of this hemis
phere with pail Of darkness We the lurid light
ming we hear the rumbng thunder the Ship Of State
in which we are embarked is rolling upon the pillows,
and exposed TO destruction. We launched upon it II
it sinks all go down together How is this flood Of
ruin to be arrestedg Is the Union TO be dissolved? Are
we in the midst Of revolution? What is the remedy p
Every voice tonight that have heard has been respon
sye to the call for Union But how is that Union 10 be
preseryedY Virginia has rights in that Union and under
the Constitution which our fathers have given u.s. and
which have descended to as the heritage OF the de-
scendants Of noble ancestry Can that Union be pre-
served without honest ulfmen Of the terms OF con-
tract by all the parties TO il? say, No. The Southern
States have cause to complain There have been Ag-
gressons upon rights by the Northern States OF the
Confederacy. / am Union man, but am a Union man
upon the principle of political equality 1t has been
tended that State of this Confederacy has right to
secede from the Union. deny it. There is no prov
sion In the Constitution for it, IL has been urged by Mr.
Buchanan in his message that State has right 10
secede from the Union, but told by Mr. Botts
in the conclusion of his message he declares that there
Is no power in the Government to compel her remain
in the Union to enforce the laws II State has the
right to secede from the Union, is it violation of
her obligation, or of the obligations of our fathers,
mentioned in the toast to which respond. II she
with mpunity and without violation Of the contract Of
our fathers withdraw from the Union, then admit that
the citizens of that State absolved from
the obligation to obey the laws of the Federal gov
ernment but If State has no right to withdraw from
the Union then her secession cannot absove her citizens
from the obligation obey the laws but the federal gov
eminent NAV enforce the laws upon her citizens and If
they resist il is treason was pleased with the idea
suggested by our President Mr.. Macaraud and which
was enforced with great ability by Mr. Bolts, in favor oil
Convention of the border Southern States, Virginia,
Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and North
Ciroina if she is willing to come into the Convention
am opposed TO Convention OF the Southern States
am not willing trust the interests and rights OF Viz
GINA TO a convention of the Southern States have no
faith in the power and sentiments which rule now in the
Cotton States. have faith n Southern COniedera
cy If a Union and Constitutional Government form
ed by Washington and his coAdutors the wisest men OF
their day. under the circumstances in which eur govern
ment was formed after had passed through the sTug
gle of perious war in defence Of our liberties aud
independence, cannot survive one generation no" long
could a government last framed by Southern CoDfede
ration II a government and Union cemented by the
blood of fathers aud procured by pers endured by
them cannot outlast the generation which framed II,
how long would government last framed by the wise
men of South Carolina aud the Southern Cotton States?
Nv sympathes with the South but my interests and
the interests Of all dear TO on earth are staed IN,
and associated with, the State of Virginia We should
not lose sight Of Virginia interests. She seems to
be ignored by the Cotton States They propose to dis
solve the Union and form Southern Coneceracy with
out copfeIring with Virginia They tell US Virginia is
demoralzed and not willing to enter into conference.
Well then, | am not willing think It would be de-
grading to Virginia to propose Southern Conference,
but let US unite with the conservative States with Mary
srd Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and North CARROLL
ma and consult together to what course we should
take for the preservation of our rights in the perilous
circumstances which surround | thank you, Mr.
President for the suggestion Of that idea for think 1t
originated with yOu aud trust 1t will be taken up by
the conservative men of Virginia, and carried out
That we will say to the South We have rights and du
ties and responsibilities resting upon us which feel
ourselves at least competent TO take OF that we
have interests that not exactly in harmony with
YOURS aud that we will do what is right and proper to
preserve the Coufederacy which have lived under so
long,
The sentiment to which have to respond is the con-
duct of an honest man. We are told that the honest
man is the noblest work OF God and will regard the OBJ
legation of a contract which his father entered into
Our fathers entered iuto compact Of Union, and nos
shall we abide by tg Will the violation of the contract
by portion OF the Northern States absOve us from the
obligation of adheIing 10 it? No! say will require
them TO comply with the obligations Of that compact
Aud what has caused all the present difficulty! Has 1t
been caused BIZ the Government which fathers franz
ed Has there been any aggression upon the Southern
States by the government OF the Federal Uniong Has
il not passed all the laws require for rights -
Have not those who Invested with the power aud the
trust enforce the laws professed themselves willing to
enforce themg Have not the Judiciary decided inyari
to complain o admit iRsRs1 las Sen s nags we
execution Of these laws, and there is the difficulty The
fugitive slave law has not been enforced and whyg be-
the Democratic party have been fithless their
trust. When Mlard Fillmore was President he proclaim
cd to the people of the United States North and South
that the laws should be enforced that all powers with
which he invested civil and military should be ex-
ered enforce the laws. He enforced it the mouth
of the cannon a1d at the point of the bAyone and sup
pose hi' Democratic whose professions have
been all that the South could ask had followed by their
deeds the example Of Fillmore there would have been no
difficulty do most relgiousy believe that the difficult
ties which now environ US have been brought about by
the Democratic party. | have not the faint Of Democ-
racy upon me. | loathe it. But for the Democracy
believe most conscientousy that Lincoln woui not have
been elected President But for the Democratic party
there would have been Black Republican party in ex
st ,ncc they have brought the evil upon u.s. and now
would dissolve The Unon But fellow citz in the midst
of all these dangers and the midnight darkness which
hovers around there CLEAN hope hold to the
Uuon and rejoice that free and sacure in express
log my opinions There is portion Of the land to which
Mr.. Bot referred in which would dare to
press sentimen in favor OF the Union was taught TO
believe from my infancy that our fathers were men of
sdom; they wise at least, the men OF tie
present day, aud do not believe that men can now be
70 md Of equal capacity and morIl worth form such
government fathers formed aud transmitted
therefore go for the Union The Constitution and the
Enforcement Of the LIws and If we had succeeded in
the election OF Bell aud Everett doubt not that the laws
would have been enforced | do not acknowledge the
right OF any State to secede from the ion but do
know that there is power ia the government 10 enforce
submission the laws of the Union. Let us hope that
these laws will be enforced aud that under the benign
influence OF Sidespread patriotism glorious Union
will be preserved nov and forever.
The Rights Of the SoUth-Let her efforts to maintain
them be in the right direction.
Mr.. B II. SHAcELEFORD, Of Culpeper, responded as
follows Il is with pleasure respond TO the Senmen;
Just read have for twenty years been sustaining the
rights of the South. stand here tonight to continue
support them and must be excused for saying that
there has been sentiment expressed here tonight
By any speaker excepting those uttered by Mr. Bruce,
the gentleman from Halifax, which find response in my
own breast for the support of those rights We hear the
question Of treason aud coercion il any Southern State 60
out oftie Union. As humble citizen Of the South say
thrs can be in the South assert that where
ever add whenever South Carolina Georgia and Alabama
shall plant their standard will defend them against the
federal government | say hers, consider this question
as YOU may are divided on party lines aud wi Gu
respect ibe portion of the country resolve ION
the aggressons of the Black Republican party, and de-
rhine 20 go out Of the Uaiou u is not secession il is
revolution based upon the rights OF the South and shall
we here be called to consider whether will fold
arms and allow them to be sutjugated by Abolition
msiority in the North Sir called upon to respond
10 the rights Of the South" What are tue rights Of the
South? They the guaranteed rights of the Constu-
tonio hold slave propy, the right of property in the