Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-30

pose then, 10 place her IN conGiti0i tnat see
may render effective that very doctrine "L'ca
| the Committee have taught lis here /" ;',S re-
| mort Can she assume to herself thai tie iaTs
| of the United States shall not be cI=cu:2c =
Can she claim to arrest the operation ot those
| laws while she claims 10 be bound by them
This is practical nulliication TO which ;he Com
! raittce, | presume, never intended 10 give their
! assert. II seems TO NE that II necessarily iot.
lows that Virginia, then, must occupy the POSI-
ton i'll which propose to place her as so'-
| ereien and independent State-tha, she may
! do that very thing which, the Committee says
she will DO in the contingency to which liav"
! allG&cd.
desire, Mr. Chairman, TO return MY thanks
| 10 that Committee. will here So; that ;hey
| have made report which has been tn. result
not only Of the efforts Of some Of the best intel.
iects III the S;a!e-Solre OF the wiseSt and most
| patriotic men within OUT boid dcrS; and ] fee.
every Inclination ~ adopt. IS lar is can, tho
sctiOn and the report OF tna. C"ninlt:ee ~"
less something mo!c acccl',ablc 's rrcseat
| feel it due 20 mvse!: 10 say that whencr.
ro:ne,;ics to WINCH J propose to resort
failed &; whenever you fail 10 endorse 81
paii nS have attempted 10 c:abo1% III III
| dia.ice which | iisvc introduced;
caalirL get something else which iocSs &
ohjec:s If the p:an which rave indicate
! DO ~: mean To stand back and say THAI will
,..r no plan a. all. i! cannot carry nCt my own
views. stand here ready, as lar as can, 10 CO.
operate with the Committee orany others n ;h;
hall in cndeavoring 10 bring before the people
something which may commend itself, though
! may not believe II 10 be the best, that can
attain the objects which We have in view, in
| u, u; N
gcncy, and in THIS hour .! peril, fail of the
brightest hopes Of the future which may be
crushed forever by one false Tive OF our par.
| | have already said. in the remarks whicn sub
Inttrd upon another occJsio', that do uot
thinn that Virginia ought 10 80 ont ot the
| Union and unite at once with the Confederate
States OF the South wl;hou. knowing TIE
terms upon which we were to 60. am ready,
then, as SAID before, to cooperate Ti;h Toe
! Committee, and am ready to co opcr,.:r With
my friend, (Mr. WIsE) whom See before me,
and with whom have co-operated upon other
occasions, il ne cali show Tie how can fight in
| the Union and maintain the principles i,r which
| contend-hcw can guard ;n.ser g',S and DC
| still Il member OF this Union. ara ready to
stand by him and work with him rs did
| years ago. when lighting ic- the rights OF the
!
| fall calamity in the strle--!aIl. sir. ram mere
! ply Steal exhaustion in the discharge Ci his
du:r, but 10 rise n. lin in defence Of tie same
rights resting on the same power ol truth. and
cn!or cing by his arguments, our rights and Oar
demands. stood by him then Is | stood l.:
him hclorc when he ard myset wfr"
barely men studying cur profession in
the schools Of our l2men;ed frlend,
I = orI J.
since been es,rany,d, politically .cr 4 time. |
Ca: but be pleased that We 90 sand tcse,i!cr
now upon the Grsat questions bciorr liz, TO
question ut least OF resistance 20 OPPRESSION
Sir, when our State was invaded at ilarocrs
Ferry, while nc stood for US, had the Irou'!
satisfaction Of believing that We had one Al tr"
helm OF the Government who would prn;ect
The rights and interests Of this Commonwealth.
lie did it then, and am ready to Cooperate
with him noS, if he can present any scheme
more acceptable than others.
am Gratilicd, then, to say hat | can bear
this testimony not only 10 him, hut u tho
Committee as have done. ! am ready TO ct
o1srato with either. | am ready to CO operate
with any one who will propose plan by
a':iich the State Of Virginia can be projected,
aad ali her rights secured in Cn:cn as II
ought 20 De. DO not think, however, iJr The
reasons which gave III the remarks which
submitted this morning, that it can be done in
this Union, which HOW is dIsmembcred and
broken, and, therefore, lnat Virginia mus;
go cut Of it for awhile, that snc may re
store it; thGt she must place herself
upon ber own platform, and then invtc
! the Slave States upon the border 10 co orc
rate with her altogether in the accomplish.
ment Of her objects.
We haYe been told that propaOly the borde.
States would not assemble in n Conference
With Virginia il she goes out Of the Union
first Ii that be true, twill furnish one o! the
very best evidences why VIC ought no. 20 CO.
operate with them at ail-that will prove tha,
:hey wish to 90 North. If that should prcrr
to De the case. ! propose by the ordinance
have submitted, that proclamation of that
fact should be made to the people by the
Governor Of this Commonwealth, ard then
that this Convention should assemble within
IS DAYS afterwards, to determine what shall
be the future course CT Virginia. do net oc.
iieyc, however, that OFT dcstineS should Gc
tho same; and Virginia by taking suciI :
position, would by no means deprive them
Of sny advantage they now enJoy, nor would
sne desire to ALLEVIATE herself ron them. Her
purpose would be to concilia,e the South also.
Bn, ! say 10 my friend from Princess Anrr,
tMr. WIsE.) snd TO tho Committee. that il
they eau show mo any other plan by which
We can protect our rights and interests, bring
back the seeded States and pc-petuate tbs
Union, ain perfectly willing and ready 10
cooperate with them in tbs Cnicn without
Withdrawing from it, but rs yet atn ncredu.
lous or that point and | should wish the
Committee to tell us what is to be done in the
event the border States do not meet them in
their proposed Conlerence-whcre, then, is Viz
ginla 10 20 in lha. event ?
But said wc have no Union TOW but ss
; disnembered one; and will she cling to ilpt
rs her only hope? Will she remain where she
is if the other border States say they are 81:
isfed? think she will not and ought hot.
Whatever may be my own views as Gil lndi.
ridual, whenever my destiny nlar lad me
with Virginia outside Of this Union, shou!c
feel when was taking that position ard fol-
lo%ing that destiny. as one feels when he leaves
the home OF his childhood torcrer--as man
feels when be quits ali those familiar faces and
friends who arc dear to him, and by WHOM he
has been surrounded since his lntAncy. Hs
removes 70 some far di:tant land, not upon ttc
sSi(: steam car, but in that slow mode OF v2vc!
once SO common in your county, sr. aac IL
mine. years ago when those from the oTlanGs
took 10 their all aud were seen vending th.::
war through the mountain gorge; As they
reached ct last the summit Of some comu.nd-
1 ing cnnence, each one who had e Firgihia
heart would look back toward the place Of his
birth, now haowed in all his thoughts ant
feelings. and weep at the reflection that he
was lea"ing it forcTcr. That, sir, is the feel.
ing should hare should be compelled 10
leave this Union, once blest as il was bot noT7
no longer, as it is. | should feel clinS:Tg
around me ali those affections and feelings
that would fill the heart of the Traveller on tie
mountain summit; such as have 10 dUub.
have filled the hearts Of many men on other &C.
casions, and when they could ~ish ,ha! the cir.
cum3tances were not such as to comps! theni