Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-18

" o u SVhi'ntA'Se hVle propose 10 20, Win
lamentations on their lips, and singing 6
Jeremiad, and asking them to adept somc
amendments to the organic law Of tho Con.
iederacy. Eut the Convention in its wisdom,
has determined otherwise. 1t has determined
to present these amendments, and it has also
placed upon its records the pledge, that If this
Committee fails to obtain satisfactory responses
from the non.slaveholding States to those
amendments, she will be compelled to resume
those granted powers, and to throw herself upon
her reserved rights.
Now, sir, the gentleman from Fauqu;cr pro-
poses, in the event Of this unsatisfactory an
swer, to do what? To convene Il Congress of
the border slave States. for the purpose of
forming a permanent constitution OF govern
mcnt Why, sir, should tho slave States that
now compose the Confederate States be cx.
Guided from that Congress? what position will
Virginia be in, if she ghes into the Congress
with the border slavcholdiug States? Look,
sir, at their population. Look III their opinions,
as declared by their representatives in Con-.
greSE.
Why, sir, there arc four of these States that
by this proposition arc to j,in with Virginia
in the formation Ct that permanent %constitu-
| t;cn and government, that have not, all COM
bincd, as many slaves as Virginia by coy 90.
Five of them, that have, combined, onlyka few
thousand more slaves than Virginia herself
owns, can adopt this permanent Constitution
and Government. There is MARYLAND, that
has maintained Winter Davis upon the ll1or Of
the House of Representatives.; there is Mis-
souri,, tina. las maintained Blair upon the Same
floor; there is Delaware, tina, mas a Black Re-
publican 70 speak her voice in the Congress Of
.l.T '..,a1 S,ota. "A =. :. -.t II Co.,
that The gentleman from F%anQuier proposes 10
consult, III order to form 4 prruiaI.ent ConSti-
tuition, and he proposes to exclude the seven
States that have now entered into u Conicttera-
| cy south Of us-who have never done anything
10 IN ure our ins;iiutions-all Ct whose opinions
and views have been in accordance with orr
OWL. That, sir, is The Congress the gentle
ulaa proposes, to form nEr Constitution. Why,
Sir, | ask, should these Confederate States ye
excluded from The initiative! Why not permit
them to c&mc il and unite with lis, unite their
~couns"ls viii, ours IN the formation Ct H.. ~
ganic lev O: the Cotfedcracc.
! confess, Mr.. Chairman, | have never De.
sired 10 see Virginia placed iii :iic position Of
an applicant to the Confederate States to be
admitted rs a member OF that Union. haze
thought that Ter position, her power and her
!seal;h, would crtitle her 10 demand lha: the
Confederated States should hold Il res Con-
gress, and in that Congress for the ipI natirn
Ut a permanent Constitution, The voice Of FIr
GINA should be heard Us we'll as the voice Of
Georgia, South Carolina, and tie other Gulf
States ttiat now compose the S0uiiera CoG!rd
eraey. But while | claim that right for Virgil.
mia. aln willing TO yield tlq saa.e ;hiEs 20 The
Gulf States. ID VOC wish 10 assemble in Con
~ventioa Nth Delaware, MARYLAND, North Caro-.
lima, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and AIS.
anSaS, ard form 4 Constitution which YOU VII:
seek to impose upon the Calf States! ID YOU
rot want their c0unseiS iii the formation u ;iiiS
permanent Constitution ami Government: Is
Il proper, is it right upon CUR part, when We
would CLAIM iro!. The Coalrderatcd States that
we SHOULD be permitted 10 have fl voice in the
establishment Ola Constitution, that ne shariG
dsng 20 ttiam-aS the proposition 0f the gentle.
mau from Fauquier does deny 10 thrtl-thc
right Of being heard in that Congress which
is TO form our Constitution and Government !
Now, Mr.. Chairman, IL appears 10 me that
the amendment which | III / is ono that will
secure the Conference which seems TO lc So
much the ~iav0ri:e OF the gentleman from Eau.
1uier and those who are setting With bin. ii
viii secure Il Conference, ino. Iii a proper man.
ner. His amendment, Il adapted, viii divide
the slave interest ; his amendment, il %aio;tcd,
will raise up aniasoniSiH between toe bUrder
SlarehUlding States aud the cotton sla"eh"II.ins
States. They have 2 Constitution ani Z Gov
ernr:enL, ard II We meet Al Frankfort, Kentucky,
and furu. another, wha, will be- uioTc natu-
raj. what more reasunntle--I hsi! almost said
what more inevitable, than t,.h: a conflict
would grow up between the two Constitutions
So that the slave interest q! this country would
never DC broush! into harmonious unl"n?
Now let me say TO the mciuhcrS Of this
Columittee, that il they desiTe Il conference, let
it he 4 conference that will rot leave the slave
holding States divided in their counseis. Let
it be a conference tina: will no! say 10 some O.
the States, you are &vo.ilcs, YOU can come
here upon the door OF the Congress- 9! The
States, and assist IN the formation Of this Coli
| stitu:ior;" but which shall ga, to others wi:o
are interested to precisely the same extent that
wo are. lyon nre To ba rx:lu'ied, you can
mold your position in tine lobby, You can meet
US outside OCT Of TIE Hall, and give us your
suggestions, but yon shall have no vote "nd Iu
voice in the matter" repeat, az. Chairman,
if we are to nave Il conference lei it be d c3H!e-
renee of ali the sla:.hoidnig States.
Here the hsu;iuer FILL.
Mr.. Baldwin, am 10: ct ali surprised.
, ilT. SEdii ttlhll, W sSC q S'.tNp1"h "'' iN'
already yo,ed il this bu,y 10 take Virginia
directly cut Of tie Union ic herself, without
conference with arg oIhrr State North or
South, consistently following OFT that cardinal
idea Of the secession policy and ohjecling &c
all conference, whenever the objection can se
made. But, SIR, | take It that lhls BODY has
determined 70 make an appeal TO tho nom
slavehoidmg States OF this Union. lake II
L.. ,t,o+ ,h:, boIr I'D pnt rn~1ri itSYli
as indulring in "uumanly jereI.iada" IN !Ga
K NJ that appeal and do not propose to DIS.
cGss nog the manhuod or the ch!valry involved
IN the proposition. Eus, sir, this bodC has
!, determined to make this appeal to ai the non.
slaveholding States of this Union and to wait
a reasonable time for their responses. Mex
5 saopose that favorable and satisfactory res
p,nses COMO from Pennsylvania, New Yurk,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Suppose those
:, States, when thus appealed TO, declare their
, willingness to give Us every thing that We
have asked and every thing that we could dc
: sire, but that all the non slaveholdIng States
do not send such responses. Does the gentle.
man from Prince Edward recommend, that IN
the face Of this declaration Of just ana lalr
{ PURPOSES upon the part OF these nnn'slave'
holding States. we shall turn cur oacES upon
. them and refuse any further association %iiE
them in the attempt that We shall make t.
carve cut cur future destiny: Il he does, !!
seems to me he would treat !hcir overtulcS q
: friendship and justice with singular discoar;c
/ s. and uukindness.
Now, sir. in this proposition of the gentle
man from Fauouiel, 1t is contemplated to re
sumo the sovereignty Of Virginia, and 10 cal
!. upon ali the other States to resume their SGve
;rign,r to Che ex,entc OF going into a Congress
I to build Up u new govsinuen,, which, to ny
y mind, is T. sufficient declaration c! resumption
!, Of sovereignty for shy pTrsrl;' p"rp's"' An'
we ask nil those OF The ir:e States who c".rcal
!, with US, 20 SEND commissioners sc ask IL;
= ConiedeI ute STATES aisu 10 send cuilrEiSSsurrTs
1t is OBJECTED that we do not place tic Conise
erate States on any fouting above that o! TN