Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-09

you cOln1 10 the vital conflict; when the lSstlC
is the life or death of your institutions; o.
your socal state OF your political compacts; o.
your republican existance-what an attitude i,
it for You t" stand in, your friends, behind
you suffering less, further off from tho enemy,
less injured by the enemy than yourselves
cut loose irom the Union-grnnt that they
have been precpitate, that they have IL
ken UP your quaircls and theirs combined,
the only complaint is that they have taken W
the gauntlet rather 100 carly for you-what an
attitude, say it that you should he standing
here, shedding tears, declaring merely jere'
miads o! grief as if you were mere spectator,
standing aside, looking on in contest in
Which you are no. the gTeateT and more re.
sponsible participant! Sir. you are obliged to
say that you arc affected by the present dis
tracicd condition ol the conniry-aiectcd more
than to the extent and il! the emotion Of deeply
deplorng; you arc deeply affected in interest,
and yna are deeply affected in other emotions
in more powerful emotions than grief.
You ought to be affected even to indignation.
You ought to be affected even to anger. But
here we-sf.tnd. wiEins our eyes and weeping,
action, with hearts too stce!ed, with conntc-
,iances too stern to be weeping, pulling and
xipiug their eyes at moment when We are
over the ycry crater of revolution.
Arc you gning 10 stand in that attitude p
the very Women who are lit to be the mothers
Of Firgina's SONS, will scorn you. Take, then,
tho attitude of manhood, not ot old women
Make the declaration, firmly and raanfuily, that
you are affected in all your emotions, in all
your feelings, in nil Sonr passions, in all your
thoughts, in all your intcress-tlerply affected
by tho distracted state Of the country; that
yon are not affected only in :hc single emotion of
grief DO 70! stop here saying over and over
and over that you ere wretched, urging again
and again your lalnentation over your woes !;
but Say 10 your enemies, in the strain in
which revolutionists ought 10 spcak-in which
our fathers have set Us All example Of
speaking-tiat You mean to Tesist-that you
mean TO resen; these wrongs. They are yours;
they are yours more than any bod5's
else, because you have larger interest in il
than any body else. You are more in The iul
mediate presence Of The eneIay. say to you
that you ought tc enter Tho lists like ulen, and
meet the enemy at the half way mark. will
never stsnd when see the rGemy approach
ng outside my lines. By the God Of Battles,
T!!.:n Lt threatens Invasion, will leap the half
way mark and carry the war into the enemy's
country. Tat is your true position; and when
you take it, the enemy will either meet you and
bring the ssgc to 4 conflict and the conflict to
a final termination; or, if you are armed, as
God Almighty has armed Us in this cause, with
justice, the enemy will retire. No pulling, no
weeping. 1t is not only maudn and mawkish TO
use this language, but it is 10 me positively Of.
:rnsivr, it is nauscating. Then, as to the last
How much time have I, Mr.. Chairman?
The CHAIRNAS.-About one minute.
Mr.. WISE.-l could not say what would
sag upon this latter point in one day, let alone
one minute. | will give you that minute.
The CHAIRMAN.-Thank you, sir. The ques-
tion is on the amendment Of the gentleman.
Mr.. CONRAD, Of Frederick did hope, Mr..
Chairman, when under the rule of the Con-
vsntion We had come to the point Of voting
upon these resolutions, that We had done with
the King Cambyses views. Now, sir, have
no intention of replying to the eloquent re.
marks we have heard from the gentleman from
Princess Anne, but do trust that the gentlo-
men Of the Committee will look for them
selves at this resolution upon which they arc
now called 10 vote II they agree with me
condition OF the country; that they prefer
peace to war, which | am sorry to find the
gentleman does not, they will vote dawn the
substitute he has offered, which does not
accord with The general tone and current of
the rcpnrt OF the Committee, and leave to be
adopted this resolution, in every sentiment OF
which, I must say, | most heartily concur. /
see no necessity for alteration. confess
have not looked very particularly into the
alneEdments proposed by the gentleman to see
how far they would carry us, but gathered
enough as he read his substitute, to see that
they do, to a considerable extent, change the
tone and character Of the resolution. Ger
tainly, from the argument which the gentle
man offered in behalf Of his substitute, could
not really gather what his purpose was, but
am satisfied with the resolution as il stands,
and trust that the members Of this Commit
te. have so far examined it as to be satisfied
with it, and that they will vote down the sub
s'itute Of The gentleman from Princess Anne.
Mr.. WIsE-l believe have ten minutes, and,
.ir. Chairman, will take them myself. Why
what has the gentleman urged? No reason,
no argument. He has confessed that he did
not understand the substitute at all. No, sir;
but in his own King Cambyses vein he tells
us and he really ought to put both arms
&&iElho-that lie thinks really that the resolu-
ton ought 10 be adopted and that the substi-
tnte, which hc does mot understand, ought not
20 be. Is there no other argument than that
Yes, sir; one is intinnteii. lie thinks that
nave changed the tone Of this resolution. That
is precisely what meant to change. TO
change an old woman into an armed man;
pretty material transformation. But, sir, my
friend mistakes my tone ami temper, when he
supposes am aiming at war; | am preparing
only 10 keep the peac. That Iuan OF peace,
initiating the Prince of Peace, George Wash.
inSton who nearer than any uninspired man on
earth, initiated his Master in this respect, told
us to be prepared for war. Aud you have need
of it.. Sir, despatch this moment received
states ttat all correspondence with Washing
ton has been cut off at Charleston; that sup
Pile; are forbidden tn Fort Sumter, but that
an attack will not be made until orders are ro-
ccived from Montgomery, unless an effort shall
be made to reinforce
Are We in this dangerP Is the spark so near
the liiagazitie And uTe we to stand here
weeping anu pulling like women and infants, or
are we to stand more erect than ever? Which
position will best keep the pcacer Which
will best cause the Government at Washington
to withdraw its forces in tiule? A tone Of
Virginia which shall speak autioritativcly, at the
same time that it speaks paeifcally; or, an etti-
tude of Virgina which shall look on 'lamenting'
at these immedinte dangers, which are more
than distressing or distractins-whic is the
Obstructive policy2 Which best will keep the
peace-thc namby.pambyism of deploring and
or the assertion that this is our
quarrel, and that We must take it up if hostili-
ties shall be commenced? Which will best
keep the prace.-tlc gentlenan's submissive
ness and tears, or position firm and mode
rate: There is certainly nothing intemperate
in saying that we are deeply affected, in
stead of "deploring;" and that we mean to
resist these wrongs, instead OF simply Ia
meniins them. There is nothing intempcrate
in that There is no voice Of Semprnnius
there Not at ali.
But it is the latter clause OF the amedment
which affects my friend. and for which he can
Al IL