Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-20

State before he will be Iakea out Of the Union
P.ling secession upon secession. | ask him i
lis Conscience can allow him TO tax. this pro
poSitiIn, and TO go directly !n the teeth OF tne
Constitution Of The United States which pre-
| Icribes that you shall form no treaty, no al
LANCE, no confederation 1t is Sin. it is q
nigh national sin, it is ! political sin, for the
| States to 70 down South and form Ccn!ea
eracy there, after they have absolTed them
selves from all connection With the Federal
Government; but it is no sin. 1t seems, TO go tC
| Frankfort and form new Constitution. new
Government, new Congress, IN place Of those
which We have at present
Suppose George Washington were alive now,
he who was President Of the Convention that
formed the. Constitution, ne who wrote the
| letter recommending it 10 the several States. -
bSuppose George Washington were alive To day,
and on this hour among us, aud was asked ny
! M can This government Of yours further be
| dissolved, and superseded hy r new Conlcdc
| ration Of States. still remaining in the Union
| Can q neT Congress lie made, can neT
amended CONSTITUTIONS te suhlu;,ted IN this
! .orln!' Sir, that august Shade Would DC Hh.i
he advised sou in his Farewell Address to do
it would irown IN such proposal. bic wouc
tell you thai, whilst We were in allegiance tC
the Union under government formed by
that Constitution, the letter o!thc Constitution
! forbade ynu to do il He would tell you
about your righ. to defend your property,
your life, ard your sacred honor; and he has
told you by his example to resist tyranny.
The CnAlRNAS-The gentleman time is ex'
hausted.
The question then recurTedu upon the amend
ment offered by Mr. WISE, upon which he
called for the ayes and noes. The roll "as
called and tbs amendment was rejected ayes
-, noes 100 as follows:
YgA-Mcssrs. Amber, Bak=y, Borst, Cecil: Chsme!s'
Conn, Graham. Gcyain. j. Ioode. Jr L j. toodt ua!e
l!I, Earrs. nanon, lsn-l L.wson le..e, "TfFi u
Turner. Williams. mI,e-a1.
SAYs-Mr-srs. Jsnney, (PresiestD Armstrong, aston
baldwin, A. NJ Barbour James Baruour, Baylor, Berlln
how Jr.. BSggss,, Boud'n, Boyd Branch, brent Brown
bruce. Bdrdett, BuFey, yroe Cshell Campbell Cspt5
100, Garlic, Carter, Chapman, Clemens uonman, Y. D.
Drskias Dorman, Dunny. Early Echos Hournoy Frsnch
fugl,-, Garland, Gillespie Gravely Gray, A. uHll H.
a anis s1TTIS a Jaes.on syRSn' ST. GsS Ss.oo anss
Kent, Ktlby, Lewis, MeComas. McGrrr hacfarland Y. n
Mallory, :. b. Mallory. Marhai Mari, Marie sF naSa
Masters, MoGs Moore, 0rrick. osburn Parks patTscs,
Pendleion Porter. Pugh, Richardson, Rves, H. SCOTT
sharp, sr.Gc7 stllngton, Slaughter souths spu'locS
Staples. C. Stuart summsrs, su,nerha. Tser, t%y'"e'
While the roll was beng called,
Mr.. GREGoRr said-The delegate FROM. the
county of Greenbricr, mr. PRIcE,) is tempcra-
rily absent from the hail. promised to pair
Off with him, otherwise would vote aye.
Mr.. Price, (who had in the meantime re-
turncd,) when his name was called, said-lnaS'
much a' Oh account OF my ahsence my ireno'
(Mr. GREGORY did not vote, therefore wish 10
decline voting on this question.
Mr. MAcFARLASp-Mr. Chairman, have
made sc7eTai attempts 10 gain the iioor, and
now the proceedings have gone beyond the
point ut which desired to submit IN amend,
ment My object is to amend the pending
amendment by making It include the Tree
States, that accept Our guarantees, along win
the border States, and the Confederate States,
IN the invitation to co operate; and further tO
gain time, by providing for separate action oy
The States IN the first instance, and afterwards
Tor their assembling in Congress TO settle the
terms Of their union.
If the motion to strike out ard insert prevail
the latter clause will read:
"And such OF the non. eh0Iiug States as
may declare their assent TO the said amendment,
ought 10 resume the powers granted under the
Constitution, and withdraw from the preset.
CoE:ederacy, and provide IN their act Of re-
sumption and withdrawal for Congress com.
posed of delegates from, the Confederate and
other States aforesaid 10 recommend Consu-
tuition under which their Union cnn le ell
iected."
The question vas propounied to the liousc.
The CuAlRAAS-Thc question will bc upon
the amendment TO the amendment
Mr.. MAcrARLASp-The considerations which
recommend the amendment will occur on mo
mcnts reflection. II anything is asceria;ned
and settled, by the disclosures Of public opln
ion for mouths pasL, it is that Virginia demands
that the Constitution be amended, ard that, II
hcr propositions Of amendment be refused,
separation would become duty aud necessity
It is impossible to preserve the Union III the
face of rrltatlons and wrongs which would
lead 10 war between independent powers. TX
cept the amendments agreed upon By this Con.
vention, shall he conceded b. the North, dsu'
nion is inevitable. We will not continue in a
Coniederacy in which tue section to which We
belong is reduced beioI the position OF peer
ard m equal.
Let mo call the attention Of thu Committee
IN polite view OF tho question before US
RelT upon it, that if the North be approached
~itn The alternative OF yielding our just de
mands, OF with new union, from which j:
would be excluded, disposition 10 side with
us will tS kindied The way 70 gain New
England, is 10 le; her seq that union will be
formed, Of large Dimensions and great strength,
without her CO operation. Suhnit your amend
| ments 10 tire free States, with the condition
annexed, that their REJECTION is divorce Ilou'
the South, but that our bonds with such o;
| them as accept our propositions will be stronger
and more durable for The trial, and we may be
sure Of dispassiorate hearing, which is, o
| itself. long step to a sound conclusion We
| shall at least enlist on the Southern side what
ever there be Of brotherhood ia tie Northern
| rnnd-and there is in the North large band
| Of noble friends of the Southland Tallr u
our ca,,se all those who would be influenced
hy The fear Of parting company with at least
| sor,e of the free States May we not rely on
tho adherence Of Pennsylvania" # New Jrr
sew, of the North. western State: WITH them
the South is in too close proximity, and Is Gun
aected otherwise by too na::y relations, tc
suppose they would willingly dissolve them
selves from her And If they, 81 any ot them,
should cast their i1linGcs snh TIE South,
States which nigh; i,riinr = Southern con
ncction, If permitted to horse between the
| entire North and the Sun;h, 1u:.d Consider II
q very different question when the separation
would dc;,ch them from free as well az slave
States 1t is ulanilest!y, d.; refore, Of the
highest Importance to treat Tie Tree STATES
which ucccic to our amendment with the con
sideraticn and favor extended to Ia; borde,
slave States. There is nS mo'iTe to ;feat then
otherwise but j, is On ;ac cui.!rari, our duty
"A we'll as oIlr interest, to treat ,'".n Us broth
ers in the fullest sense
The amendment submit, is p material i'm
prorement Of the resolution in advancing US t
the end at which We are aiming. The resolution
contemplates separation and new Union ant
the amendment, looking to the same issue. il
calculated to shorten the period OF nterregnum
that is 70 say, its purpose is to abridse the in
tervnl Of uncertainty, distrus, ard uneasiness
so injurious to the repose and business of tn
country, between the Abandonment of the old
aid the induction Of the new government II
| that end we should all concur, and, presume