Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15

In my humble opinion, Mr.. President, ",
should begin a, least with three ConfedeTacics :
the Contederacy Of the North, the Confede
deracv Of the Atlantic Southern States 9TH
slaveholding SIatcs), and the Cnnfederacy o
the Valley Of the mississippi Sly life upol
it. sir. that vast population that has. ALREADY
concentrated, and will concentrate upon tn
heud.yalers and tributaries Of the Mississippi
will never consent that the mouth OF tina
river shall lie held subject to the power of gny
foreign State Whatever. Such | believe Torlt
be the consequences OF q dissolution of tn
Union. But other Cunfedcrac!es would spr!ni
I'D, from time 10 time, rs dissatisfaction ant
discomfort were disseminated over the country
There would be the Cuniederacy of the Likes
perhaps the Conielcracy OF New England, aux
of the Middle States.
"But- sir. the veil which covers these sad ant
disastrous events that lie beyond T. passlbi'
runiure Of this Uuion, is too thick to be peHe
rated or lifted by any mortal eye or hand.
"Mr. President, I nm directly opposed TO any
parnose af secession or separation. am io
STAYING within the Union, and deIyirg an
! norton o; his Union to eXpel or drive me OF
t.f Ike Union. ain for staying within thu
Union, and lighting for NY rlghts-lf necessa
~. with III. sword-wi,l,in the bounds undel
the safeguard Of the Union. am for vindica
ting these rights, but not by being driven OIL
of the Union ra,hly aud uncerelnonionsly By
any portion Of this Coniederacy. Here | au
within 1t, and here | mean to stand and die
~ far rs ms individual purposes or wishes ca!
so-vi.hin il to protect rnyself, and 10 defy al
the power upon Garth TO cXpel me or drive mi
from the situation in which | am placed. VII
there not be more safely in lighting within tht
Union than without it?
Suppose you. rights to be violated; suppose
WRONGS to be done you, aggTes>icns to he perpe
nated upon you-csnnot you better fight nnt
y~ir1icata them, If you have occasion to resnr'
Ia that las, necessity OF the sword wittl!n III.
Onion, aud with the sy mrathics OF u large por
ton Of the population o! the Union Of these
States differently constituted from you, than
you can fight and vind;catc your rights, ex'
PEELED from tbs Union. ard driven from 1t with
on. ceremony ard without authority.
%! said tina: | .longhi hat There vas no riGdt
on tie part ri one CT more Of the States 10 Sc
cedc from this Union. i think that the Con
s~iitu!ion Of the thirteen States was made, no!
merely Tor thu generation which then existed,
but Tor poStcrliy, unielined. unlimited, per.
ulancnt and perpatual-1r their poSterity, and
fJr every subsequent State which might come
into the Union, binding themselves by that IN
dlssolu6le bond. II is to rcmlin for that pos
lcrity ncw ard forever. Like another of the
great relations Of private life, it was a msrria;e
that no human authority can dissolve or d.
vorce the parties IRON and, il may DC al
lowed to refer 10 this sane rSaln pie in private
life, let US say what man and wife say to each
other: We have mutual fault; nothing III the
forn Of human beings cao be perfect let US
then be kind to each other, torbcarlns. con-
ceding; let u 1--we in Happiness and peace
Mr.. President, | hare said what | solemn!y
~b!lieve-;hat the dissolution ii the Union and
war ara Identical and insapHrable that Sicy
are convertible terms.
Such a war too as that ~cu;d DC following
the dissolution Of the Onion! Sir, We may
search the pages OF history, and none SO furious,
50 bloody, 50 implacabls, so cxterInirating,
lrolu the wars al Greece down, including those
OF the Commonwealth 81 England and the rev.
olution OF France, none, rono Of them ragged
with such violence, or was ever conducted with
such bin0d,he,i ami enorGliiies as will that war
which ss.. follow that disastrous cvent-ii
Tia: event ever happsn'-of dissolution.
And what would Ee its Termination: ) and.
ing armies and nsries, to Ell extent draining
the revenues Of Zach portion Of the dis-everse
empire. would b: c: ea:cd; eTtrrininat!on wsrs
would fuliow-nut war u twu OF three rei:S,
bul Of inter Einat,ie dura.i3n-Mi eSttrr!ra.
ti.ig var would follow, until Some Fh'lIp or
Alexander, some ts,a r or Napoleon, would
rise 10 cut The Gurdan knot, and solve the
problem Of the CAPACITY IF man fer s~clf.Eov-
ernment, ard crush he liberties uI both tho
Iii severed "eciioEs ut this CDiGn. Can you
doubt III Look 1T his'ory-consult the pages
Of ull history, ancient Ut modern; look ut
human natu,e-lonk at he character of the
contest in which you would bc engaged in tic
suppos;tion If a war following Tho dissolution
of the Union, such as have suggested AND |
ask you, If it is possible fr you 10 doubt that
the hual but perhaps distant termination Of the
whole will TIC sorne desrnt lrcat!lhE down The
Of the p~copl,?-ttat the Iina! result
will be The extinction Of this last ahd glorinus
light which is leading ai! mankind, ~ho are
gazing upon il. to cherish hope aid arSicns
expectation that tie liberty which; prevails
here will sooner ur later be advanced through
out the civil zvd wolli.
"Cln you, Mr.. President, lightly contemplate
the consequences? Can yGu yield yourself to
a torrent uf passion, u'uIdst dangers which l
have depicted in coiors FAR short o; What would
nc tie reality, If ;t.c event should ever happen!
I couture ccEillcincn-whetlier fr"m the South
Or the North, by all they hold dear in this
worldly all their love Of iiberty-by all their
vcneratinn Tor their snccs.urs-Dy all their re.
gard for pns,erity-by oil lllrir gratitude to
II .L. 1,o t.t,r.I rnpp than .,,rt, M.
numbered bl,ssingS-by ali thu duties which
they oHe 10 maEaiiid, and all The duties they
to Internationally all Ihesc Considerations
] iinpl0rc them 10 pau>e-solcrnniy To pause
at the edge of tee precipicc, before the fearful!
und disastrous leap is taken in the yawnlng
below, which will Inevitably lead 10
certain and irrelricrabln destruction.
And. fnally, ItIr. President, l impioTe, as
the best blessing winch Heaven can bes:ow
upon me upon earth, tina; it the direlnl and
event Of the dissolution Of the Union shall
] may not survive 10 hc',oih the sad
and heart rending spectacle"
There ARE other extracts which l could read
the game effscr, but | will not delain the
Now, sir, this Convention has by
o nearly unanimous vutc-an!y twenty voices
dissenting-Ggreed 20 Use an expression of the
gentleman from Princsss Annette slough
Off" OF 10 consent to the s!ou5hirg of Of the
States. My voice was among the
twenty dissonting voices, and I'm proud Of it.
| presume it is o furegone conclusion that an
is to pr laid down by this body, aud
the question is merely one Of time, and
SO far as Virginia is concerned, it is TO be- a ve'
r. short time. | understand it is intended to
be effected by October; snch is lie proposition
Of the gentleman from Princess Anne in the
amendment he proposes to this report | fear
m.ny of our friends hare una1vsealy commit
Ted themselves 10 the report pf the committee
Of twenty. one, and il their eff,rt to cpG,pro.
,aisa With those who believe in the right OF Sc.
c~es>ion have allowed themselves 10 be recorded
in fa9or OF propositions which votes they will
II the future.
Here the hammer fel..
Mr.. GooDE, Of Bcdic7d-The gentlemen
from Harrison Informs us ;ha1 Ee is unalterahiy
to any al:inctuz7. Sir, shy has ne
GENE to this C~orven'ioaS For what purpose
are we row here: Viii the g~cnt.emar tali US.