Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-07

aching Win regard Id liicr congress: D!u las
/ people, assembled together III Convention, ere'
agree to have the Southern CungresS meet Il
/ Montgomery? No, sir. But tue Legislature.
anG the Conventions IN til. secedcd States sent
delegates to Montgomery TO adopt and upoSs
it upon the people, Titlnut consulting then
about it. They ere going 10 work no" to toru
e permanent Constitution and that without
. the consent Of lhs people
What may We expect, sir, IN government
that acts in this manner! What may we ex
pect, sir, but strcng military government
? very nearly approaching Il military despotiSrn.
| refer to these things merely to suggest the
, idea of the system oi government which the
, policy Of these States ioIestldows. Gentle.
men will easily pursue it 10 lis legitimate cor.
clusion.
would ask the Convention TO bear with 1Ee
little while longer. ! regret that feel my
self unable 10 repay .he courtesy wh:ch Is
manifested 10 me-
say, sir, that srcess"n necessarily implies
the placing ol this Stale Upon proper war
f3Oting. Sooner O. later war is inevitable. Ii
we enter into negotiations with the Federal
Government, and separate pcaceablg, war may
be avoided tor time, but yuu.would ultimately
become engaged in L war. Secession, there
"a implies necessity 81 putting this State
upon war inotns.
Now, gentlemen, YOU are acquainted with
the geography Of Eastern EirSiniu, ard no
doubt yuu can well appreciate the difficulty ol
defending your cng SEA border. But VIA.
wish more particularly to direct your attention
to is this Look ut yvur Western border; 50
down to the Kentucky iinc-to the lower end
Of Wayne county, and follow our border from
Wayne, hy Cabc!l, by Mason, by jackson, by
Wood, BY Peasants, hy Tyler, ty Marshall,
bv Ohio, by Brooke, by IiantocL: nearly TO
Pit;shurg-tgo hundred and iiftT or perhaps
tirer hundred miles O. hostile border, ur~ii
which lies ore cf ;he most powerful! STATES ol
tie Union--Univ. And then We 20 back b"
| Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wct2rl,
! MuRongaia ard Preston, winch develore one
hundred and fifty or two hundred miles moro Of
hostile border, upon which lies the most power.
! fiji State in the Union-the great State ci
Pennsylvania. Look at how W. are liked
stuck in like wedge between Tie enemy and
the deep sea-io0 miles oi hostile borders sur
rounding us liable, to Le swept entirely py ;hcSc
Armstrong guEs. ] believe lhey' cail ;iisr.
Armstrong guns.
Now, sir, look at our position. EctNcen u
aud you there is the almost barrier uf the Al!
leghany mountains; and you, gentlemen, Of
Eastern Virginia, have not seen proper TO give
| Us enough to transp!erce these mountains That
wc might have direct communication With yoa.
We gre cut eff from the Eastern section OF tho
! State How would We stand in i Southern
Coniedrracyg Why, Sir, We would De swcp;
by the enemy irom the face Of the Garth before
the news o! the catastrophe could reach our
EASTERN friends Will you leave us in that
condition! Will you dri:c rs Gu. CT the Stale
and leave us at The mercy Of our eneneS?
think there exists sufficient G:!cty TO Us
to Justify mp in saying, no, you never
will What then must you dG-Should you
take the alternative o! secession: The LeEls-
laturc, understand, are about app-oPrIatiIis Il
million of dollars for the defence Of the State.
A million Of dollars! Why, sir, have con-
suited with military gentleman on ths sub
icct OF the probable cost of putting the State
| in 4 proper condition Of defence, and after sta
ting to him the extent Of hostile border
which We had 20 defend, and the difficulties OF
access, and other like considerations necessary
| TO be taken into the estimate, hc SAID that ii
would require not less than one hundred mil
lions C dollars TO put the Stale Of Virginia il.
proper state Of defence.
Now. sir, if secession implies the putting cf
the State of Virginia upon war footing, then
appeal 10 this Convention to say hetli=r the
people ARE prepared 10 meet the burdens D.ccS.
sary TO put her in that condition. What is oar
deGt now? Forty millions OF dollars OF there
aboutS Will our people su!lcr any more taxa
tion Are gentlemen ready here, ii il can
he avoided without diShonor, without degrade.
| tiun-are gentlemen willing 10 say, here vii!
stand, rot 10 destroy. but 10 save Virginia
Z. i,ar
to the people an ordinance Of secession which
lions uiter millions for the purpose Of placing
the State on u war footinsI The people will
never endure it if it should be dOnc They
cannot endure it They have moi the ability TO
endure 1t.
wish had strength, Mr. President 10 pay
the kind attention of the Convention to My
remarks will ask their further indulgence,
while present another favorite iden of mine
to their consideration. allude to the fact that
in the Uolon Virginia is central Stale; oct
of the Union, she would be border State.
Look AT her position now. have often locked
at it, reflected over it, and confess that | felt
a pride and not little wonder, as contcLn-
| plated her great advantages in point Of re-
sources. and al the facilities for commercial
| scssed Look at her immense seal board. Look
at Norfolk, which possesses the most magniii.
cent larbor Oh the face Of the EARTH with tic
mighty arm Of the Chesapeake stretching forth
| 10 rrasp the trade Of tho North, and drawing it
towards: this great seaport. Look ut the mag
niccnt country inviting tue energies and wealth
Of the capitalist for the construction ol rail
roads. Nluny Of theu are already built, anu
| G.; IF ii
Of the Southern trade, and directing it to It's
great natural outlet at Norfolk. Thrre are in
INV own section Of the State. Northwestern
| Virginia, mineral resources extensive enough
TO iurEis!, the basis Of an empires greatness
and these when developed, will necessarily add
TO the power and wealth Of the whole State.
Ia that section, should TO. he surprised Il.
in TWENTY-FIVE years, the w':'te population
will exceed the aggregate l. .,ulatIon oi all
Virginia besides. Look at or geographical
position. What relations do ~c sustain 10 the
Pac;fcg If great national :ine Of rail read
is built to the Pacific, and di, tct intercourse
thus established between the Atlantic and the
Pacific so,ne Virginia city will oc the terminus
OF depot; perhaps Rcl.r'ond e Norfolk:
| Let Viginia scccde ami 81 these bril- sht
prosnects are forever dashed tn pieces
beg Senllemen W l"oN 1T Ut EeeSi ap"S VI
Virginia, and say il they wruid be willing TO
De dragged out Of this Uni,'. 10 join some mis-
erable Southern Conledcracy
Mr.. President, will bring my remarks to
conclusion by mentioning mother evil that
would grow out Of the sec' Sslon VI Virginia
Gron the Union and that il, that it would de-
stroy our nationality; it womil destroy The
prestige Of the American rsme and ii Arneri-
can citizenship.
How is it now, sir Wherever our coun-
try's flag with It's thirty-four stars, doa!s TO
the breeze, any Virginian ,nay stand up and
proudly point to that banner as has That re.
presents his country and his country's greatness
and power. Sir, it is noble flag. 1t is e aag
upon which victory has perchcd withou, inter-
ruption for seventy-ire years-u flag which
Perry carried in his hand through the din and