Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-27


stronger every day, as time consolidatcs
all new nationaltics.
Shall | prove that the government at
Montgomery is stronger than the govern
men, at Washington. Does abody of Vir-
gIniastatesmen absolutely require to be en-
lightencd upon that point! Sir, one Of the
strongest evidences is the fact to which
my friend from Halifax, (Mr. FLouRNoY,l
alluded the fact that they arc not collect
ing revenue, and are taking their men out
OF the way of being shot at, as fast as pos
sible; withdrawing their forces from the
Confederate States and bringing them here
10 the non-Confederate States. If my
friend from Halifax and myself, agree
about the fact, We have differ
. ent theory for explaining the fact
He says that it was because old Virginia
requested them to do it; say it was be-
! cause the Confederate States told them
that they ms-tdo ii. They had the sane
rcason--if may be excused an alluS;oa in
the stump speaking view--thcy had the
same reason for not coercing those Con-
federate States thar Jack had fer not cat
ing his suppcr--he couldn't get it. That
crn S,atcs-they could not do it.
Ic d. W !uElOiIJ IL
acts as the gentleman from Halifax repre-
seats, will do what Virginia statesmen
! tremble TO do. practically acknowledges
the independence of tie government Of the
! ConfeGerated STATES of the South. The
Federal Governments will then say, There
stands one Of the Powers Of this earth. p
! What did those same men say just before
''Thc first thing they must do was to find
out if they had Government" That is
what they said on the floor OF the United
States Senate. What was the policy an
nounccd by men in the Cabinet controlling
! the Executive authorities OF the United
States. They could not DO anything until
they found out whether they had gov
erumcnt down in the Cunftderated States.
Then they would consider what sor,
Of policy 10 parsuc. They said cd
Buchanan would not do anything,
but when their man from illinois
got into his seat be would show them he
had a government; and when they found
ont whether they had a government, they
would talk abou. conciliat:on. but they
scorned to do it before that. Well, after
the fourth Of March l don't know what
they found out, but I know what they do,
or have to do, in short time, and that is
10 act upon the principle that h'Y have
not any Government il the Confedcrated
States. They said that was the talk OF o!G
Buchanan; that to act as If there was no
! Government down there was trick oithis
ola imbcclc Buchanan, but jus: let them
get in and they would show whether there
was Government or moi. Well, they got
in and their acts have shown that upon due
,l;.,orornl .l,rt thn,
navn't any Government there at all. Tha:
is practical recognition Of tic Moatsomc-
rs Government; and yet We stand with
aversed eyes and consider ii treason 70 talk
about going with that Government Of the
Southern Con!edcracy.
What is another fact, sir Mr.. Char
man, Of all the tests Of the strength OF
Government, that which is most conclusive
and most final is the test Of its ticancla!
strength. You may get men TO say the
Government is strong, or il is rot strong
bur when Won ask man to M: out his mo-
ney on an issue, You arc apt to SET at ms
heart and find ou; his true sentiments. II
ycu will find men stalking money upon the
credit of a Government, YOU have the
strongest evidence Of the belief Of the mcr
in the stability and the strength Of tEai
Government.
Now, let US, by :his test, try the two
Governments between which we arc now
situated. abe Lincon's Government IS
borrowing money and its stocks so oil! 4!
ninety cents 10 the dollar. There is the
measure Of their Government. What IS the
condition OF the other Goycrnment-thi
thing that you say is in its crysalis state
so low down that if you poke paper re-
olution it you crumblc il into ruins--whu;
is it doing; Why, sir, have now in my
pocket a communication from the Secretary
of the Treasury OF that Government, III
which he states that upon that loan Of
theirs of fifteen millions, which is to hc en-
posed TO public subscription on the 10Th OF
April, they have already large proportion
Of offers, at and above par, and in his judg-
uent they whole Of i: would 60 oil at or
above par. Was ever such strength eXIlb-
ted by new Government il the first few
weeks Of its existence
Mr.. Chairman, which Government would
be the safest under which 20 1--we! Inc
people who command the most money are
able to equip the largest army, arc the peo..
pic Of most militar! power, arc they not
We'll, sir, have pointed out the financial
condition Of those Governments. The Gov
crnment at Washington owes hundred mil
lions of dollars; its stocks have no par
sales. When Virginia goes. certain as fate
not only the other Border Slave States,
but large portion Of TIE Border nom
larehoiding States will 80 with her or go
after her. And say if the credit Of the
Federal Government were as high to-day
as it was four years ago, under existing cir,
cumstaaces, the secession Of Virginia would
crumble that ,rcdt into atoms. They
say, that this concern crumbing 10
pieces is going to war, and bid freemen TO
tremble at the prospect. Do you think; SIR,
that Tireinians are going 70 hesitate The
Union is, dissolved. If you affect not 10
see it, YOU do not change the stubborn Tact
which now passes into history. Iherc Is
Government at Montgomery rs well as one
at Washington. There is 4 Union OF slave
holding States at the South as there Is
Union Government by the exclusive ap-
nointees Of the non-slaveholdlrS States ut
Washington. The one begS you to come TO
it-take hold Of it--control 1t Tor your own
purposes. The other. to saythc least gives
YOU the cold shoulders cavalier IN IT'S
hearing towards you. Under which
King. Bezoniaa '' Where does Virginia
90 Under the abolition Government: or
Under the slavcholding Government! We
have tha. issue to decide. But aul told,
that a Mr.. Yauccy said he vas going 10
living US TO it-that Mr.. Yamccy foreto!d
rho things that have happened. Well, sir,
! doubt very much whether Mr.. Iancey
ever said al the things that have been at
trbuted to him, but if he did: because he
foresaw and foretold what has happened,
we should not fail to do cur duty an" make
the best Of it. :,
Sir, nations view their own interests and
ercry nation acts upon its view Of its own
interests, not upon sentiment and nice
ooiuts Of honor. or mere question OF eti-
euette. | imagine that the people Of slr-
ginia are not going to forego their own IN,
s,ro.,. f,r r,sr they will make prophet oi