Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-08
SPEECH OF
jsmas p. Hoicombe. Esq, Of Al5snlaf;e'
~ TIE
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
. MAJ, 81 1871
Wrnrrsp.Y, Mach y. lSt

danger in the midst Of the Atlantic, the S!lip
n;tchinp upon the waves, the fog 100 dsnse
to be pierced b. any human eye, the shF!ll
tones Of the alarm pipe sounding every mo,
ment in his ears, and moro fearful
by far, than wave, CT mist, OF olaa''
the rand fell Of the barometer indicating
the close proximity Of that most sppai!ins
because most irresistible enemy OF the san,
or. the tremendous iceberg, by whose fatal
contact the most powerful Tesael may DC
dashed to pieces in sn instant OF time;
only recollect al overw helning, pervading
sense of utter htlplesSness, feeling that
n. weakness Of infancy was strength l!seil,
WHEN compared with the ability OF man.
aided BIZ ali the agencies Of The highest ART,
m contend face 10 face with tho great Gle
mental powers OF nature.
We, sir, are tossing upon The snrgeS ol
revolution; cloud; and darkness cove:
our future track; an uEc"riug moral m
s,inct warns Us CT approaching COLLISION be-
tw,en rcnuisirc masses, in whosr AWFUL
shock all that we love and value n:af per-
! ish.
Under such circumstances The hlgncst
craftsmanship might we'll bow IN mute oes-
pair Of its own resources, ana ID hui'ipi'
submission 10 the diracto Oh oil an invisible
but all-controll;ng power. Tor myself SIR
profoundly convinced that upon this assem-
bly, depends the decision of issue as mo-
mcntous as ever dcyolred upon any as-
liberatirc body i'll The history of the world
almost sinking under Il sense Of puniic re-
sponsibility, the prayer which the Oldest o!
poets has put in the mouth Of patriot
hero On Tie eve Of battle, recLrs 10 my
memory, the simple and sublime prayer ior
light. Feeble as is my arm, would raise
il in behalf Of what believe 10 be the cause
Of liberty, OF peace, and Of civilization and,
from the depths OF my heart, revercnt!y ane
fervcuIly, the aspiration aSccnus 10 the
Father OF ali Lights, tina! illumination ToaG
and steady, may be poured along oeE pain
Of duty.
In tic argument wi.ic!I shah submit 70
Pthe Convention, there are some genera!
propositions underlying the whole, that l
Shall assume without discussion. l he
institution Of saver is 80 ind.ssolu-
lily interviewer with the whole frame
work Of society in Il large portion OF our
State, and constitutes so immcusc an eie-
mcut of matcria! wealth and political
powrr TO the whole Commonwealth, that
its subvcrsion through the operation OF any
uniriendIy policy OF the part Of the tcce-
raj Government, whslher that operation
IS extended over long or slor, period OF
time, would, Of necessity, i1J up he very
fountains Of the public strength, change
the whole frame OF our ciyilizanon, and
inaict mortal wound upon our liberties.
"The spirit of great events strides on be-
fore the events themselves" And Il there
l.: danger 10 an interest Of such Importance,
serious danger, although remote, there can
be no higher duty which any Christian or
any patriot owes TO his country, than 10
resist it in its first approaches. W. ca
houn once declared IN the Senate O. the
United States, "tha: wrongs were most
seusibly felt aud most easily resisted at
the extreme limit Of right lie he'd learn
Ell this lesson, he declared, from our pa
trio; fathers, who met wrong promptly:
and repealed il in the beginning. pc
!ieve that this danger is impending; that =
is CT oYershadowing magnitude; and that
there is 10 rational hope OF escaping from
it, but IN the prompt se:craaca OF the Teia-
tons Of this Commonwealth through the
Federal Government, WIKI the tree States
Of the North.
In maintaining that such IS The policy:
the interest and the dut: Of the Com
monwealtl, rejoice 10 feel that ! an
fortified by the appreciation and stimulated
by the direction and voice Of my imncdi-
ate constituents. The larges. and no3i
enthusiastic meeting Of voters held III the
COUNT 0i Aibcnlarlc within the memory
OF living man, took place upon the very
day on Witch ct the Capitol, in Washing
J ton, 4 revolution il the whole principles
ard policy OF the government was inausn-
, rated. That meeting with most unparal!tld
unanimity. 81 the very hour when the
present President Of the United States
was proclaining doctrines utterly suhvsr-
siye OF the principles CT that lmmorta!
instrument dear 10 ali Americans, but Ii
possible, dear by al especial emphasis OIL
affection 10 the people Of Albenarle, IL
whose bosom lived and died it: illustriou:
author: at that very moment these people
were sending forth thcir voice III un!n!s'
taxable tones for another Declaration oil
independence.
also rejoice that in the consideration q
this question, we shall be SO little cnbar.
= raised bY Constitutional difficulties; that sc
large number Of the gentlemen Of Tho
| Committee, rs We may fairly infer are rep
resented by Our Committee on Fedora! fc-
lations, place the rights Of the States
and the rights Of the people upon :"ch high
ground, that fee! there is 40 obligation upon
me to rindica:e either the right Of secession
or, what approaches closely TO an equ!va'
lent to it., tic righ, Of revolution, not III thG
English scusr, vi right TO resist g long
course Of oppression BY rorcille subver-
sion Of the public authority, but in the
American scnse--thc right Of the people to
| .tn tb,;, =.
ever they become dissatisfied with Il; II
other words, the principle embodied i'll our
Bill Of Rights, that all governments resi-
for legitimate foundation upon the Coz
: sent OF the governed.
: propose, Sir, very briefly, to review
the history Of this slavery question SO Tar
a. il is connected with the present coAQi-
\ ton oil the country. desire 10 ascertain,
in the first instance, what course proper
regard for her own honor and duty would
have pointed out to Virginia, if l.cr deci-
) sion had been in no wise embarrassed by
5 the action Of other communities: and then
to inquire how far her policy should nc
) influenced by her relations 10 them.
That prophetic apprehension Of "a geo
J graphical line co!nciiriit with moral prin-
c;plv, once held up TO the angry passions OF
men, never 10 be oblilcrated," which filled
the last days OF Mr. Jefferson, and may
; add Mr.. Madison, with anxiety that appre-
nensioa hag become melancholy history
) That line, rendered deeper and deeper b.
successive irritations, has 1t length severed
The unity ofthc nation, and divided Us !G;o
two distinct ard unf:icnlly people. Pr
Or 10 the creaiioa OF that line in 1920,
slavery G theory was condemned uuiTcT-
, sally, at home aud abroadi out tho couden-
nation was 4 mere passive sentiment OF IL
difference. 1t wns sleeping abstraction,
as imperative for any practice! purpose Of
mischief, as If it had been dream, instead
Of an opinion and sentiment. 1t hardly
embarrassed the reclamation OF the fugitive:
it scarcely offered a. obstruction 10 the