Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-07
The Virginia State Convention.
sEYENTEEETH .DAT.
RlcIIxoSp, TrEspAr, MAEcH 5, lH6l
(Deftrrta I'r0reedssngal
FEDERAL. RELATIONS

(Utferra Froreedsngsl
FEDERAL RELATIONS.
The following are tie deferred proceedings
Of Tuesday:
Mr. TuouAs EaAxttl, al l'etersburs--Mr.
President, all seem wiling tn'cnntrlbute seine
thin., to lurthering the object which has called
MS here. but, sir, really cannot see any nc-
cessity for such hot i.'Ste ;tS Is manifested TO-
! .ay in the presentation Of such resolutions rs
/ are offered here. Ii gentlemen will recur to
he resolution Which ] offered fourteen days
ago, they will find that much cfthe subject mat.
! Ter Of this discussion is beinIe the Committee
! IN Federal Relations now. Gentlemen who
! inns place themselves npon the side al the mi.
! nority in this Convention must have anticl.
uuted. fortnight ago; everything which Mr..
| Lincoln has said in his inaugural address In
deed that address is as moderate rs expected
| (laughter), and apprehcnd that ii is more mo.
| derate than they expected; and whilst they an
,icipatcd something serious, nothing alarming
has vet been done; but they come here to-day
| in hot haste and tumble resolutions one over
the other, making confusion worse c"nionndcd,
so that we can do nothing practical or in order.
| The honorable gentleman from Amelia (Alr.
! HARvlYj comes from the Coinmittee room,
where he does not see the Committee doing
anything to suit him, and proposes to aid us
here suppose it would he out OF
order for him to disclose what was go.
ing on there-but if | can place any con-
tid.nce in unofficial information, | ain
told that the Committee have been talking
about how they shall determine what coercion
| is. Well, don't wonder that the gentleman
is tired 0. it, AS AM Of many things that have
| been SAID here. What shall | call them SIR!
leave gentlemen and ladies to draw their own
deductions. (Laughter) And infer he looks on
his amendment as something brilliant and new,
and so before the sun shall sink below the
western horizon, he would send the intelligence
throughout the Union that Virginia has gone
out OF the Union. (Renewed laughter) Or
perhaps he wants tu instruct The gentleman
from Monongalia, (Mr. WnLEYD to revise the
Constitution Of Virginia. Don't be III such
hot haste, my friend from Amelia. You have
your Whole lifetime before you in which TO al
tend to these matters. have como here to
assist this Convention in coming 10 soIhc wise
result-nct to day nor next week; but say
that before this Convention udjonrns sane die
we must do something that shall be hnality.
So there is no necessity to he in su:h hurry
about it-and if we cannot accomplish it, we
can leave it to the generations that are to come
alter us. Laughter.)
t;en,leulen, this is no ti1e for laughter. My
heart has been saddencd, and every patriotic
heart should he Sa,ldened, and every Chris
tiaus voice be raised to Heaven in this time OF
our trial After the reception Of Mr.. Lincoln 5
Inaugural, SAW some gentlemen rejoicing III
the hotels Rejoicing for what, SIR? Fur
plunging ourselves and our faalies, our wives
and children, into civil war! | pray that
nav never rejoice at such a state OF things
uray that may never have to !Harcf: TO battle
to front NY enemies. But came mere I" De.
frnd the right, Of EirgGia, aud mean to &c
it at all hazards; and if we must 20 t" meet
} our enemies, wish TO go with the same dellb
Grafton, with the sa,nc solemnity that would
bend the knee in prayer before Almighty God
shall 90 from u sense Of duty. wish to he led by
Gods providence and by the events Transporting
daily, and 10 he satisfied that il is right before
90 20 war, and to give, as would do, my liz
and my property TO defend the honor oil my
State. They say fools wish otherwise. would
. wish for logical power to give utterancc to The
sentiments Of my heart, but | will, however
strive to throw out some ideas in a crude state
that gentlemen may amplify them if they
please, and illuminate this audience aud the
, whole State. Laughter.
ain not to be frightened by the call Of til.
arcs and nocs--the course sometimes resorteL
to. And if the gentleman from Goochlant
presses his amendment, shall certainly vote
no. don't wish to vote on a resolution ant
argument as long as from here to my boarding
house, in such haste, without understanding
them; once heard n man say he would vott
for thing because ''he didn't understand ii;
but am not willing to vote for any mea
sure upon such Hypothetical grounds rs that
would take pleasure in voting for the reSolu
I lion offered 10y my friend from Chesterfield
(Mr cox because there is something tangible
there is some sound sense it.
Sir, the Committee on Federal Relations
}, have been sitting for many days in that Com
mittce room, and they have done nothing
Now it is time that That Committee should re
, port. Ny constituents are becoming dissastls
: lied with tue course this Convention is pnr
suing Indeed, expect our constituencies VII
soon call upon us. and demand that the tin
shall not he wasted in matters which VIII !ea
To no practical result Absolutely, sir, when
{ went home to Petersburg on Saturday, ccu
c not tell Inv constituents what We were DOM
t or going to do, and hence | left town.
t daughter Now. as, far as | am concerned
D sir, / mean to have something TO tell theu
{ when | 20 home next Saturday night, and
I. this Convention will sustain me, mean I
. have report from the very honorable Con
: mittce in the South wing oil this house. The
have been there long enough. The talk Is Una
: the distinguished Committee cannot decd
what coercion Is. ] havebad the temerlty to dc
eide for myself what in my opinion, coercion /:
and have told my friends how mean to Vii
derstand it when the subject is brought beor
> this house for Il vote.
would beg OF my friend from ATnelia, (AlT
!. uAgyIE,) 10 withdraw his clog to the amend
n nent, and would beg tue honorable gentletna
l.. from Goochland, (Mr. LEAEE.) who have no
u the pleasure OF being acquainted with, II II
!; would be su good as To- extend c!rilIty an
.. kindness 10 an old man who would tender hi
e e counsel to him, that he would withdraw III
il amendment; for | cannot be expected to vol
s. upon Il whole Volume without lnouen.
,, warming. (Laughter>
1t Then To come to the resolution OF the gcnlle
= man from Chesterfield, will move that it b.
!. adopted, and that the Committee be instructe'
4 to rrpor, ut II o'clock tomorrow.
!. To conclude, am afraid that shall come L
l. be sort Of CONSERVATION ] will tell you what
= mean | an for work; "a day don't pay ule 10
: sitting here have come here to do the VOL
! as far as l can and go hone. | muy ask tha
4 the time allowed 10 each member to spcal
l. shall be limited to Que hour; for, if every on
is permitted to speak two or three hours, unt
e there being one hundred and hfty-two mem
: hers it will be three months or more befor
we can come tua vote. So, without being in
+ yid;ous, say it may be as well to abridge Oh
remarks. shall certainly make mine yer.
short first, because | hav'nt prepared an,
n speeches, and second, because do not intent
e to attempt to do that which is not expected o
$ me.
= Mr.. EARLY, of Franklin--I think Mr.. Presi
dent. we have had quite enough debate herr
based upon the inaugural address Of the Presi
!, La. III TIN FIn;inh Nfains | hog Il, rail tn