Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-26

SCH CORRECTLY ucloio the So'''N''> 49,
people of my section in reference IN what
conceive to be the true position OF ni"srS.
Tho PRESIDENT a gentleman pro.
poses to read paper, the Chair takes 1t for
granted that it has some connection with the
Subject that is lcgitimatcly before the body
The Chair could not tell. until the letter OF Mr..
Russell was finished wha! was contained IN
it, and the Chair is Of the opinion that it has
no connection with tho explanation Of the gen.
tletnan from Wctzcl (Mr. llALL)
Mr.. MoNTACuE-l offer the following reSolu
ton. 1t is resolution which merely Calls lnr
information, which, if obtained, may DC uSeiu!
during the progress OF the Convention. Inc
resolution was then read a. follows;
Resolved, That the seyo al railroad companies
in this State be requested TO report to the Sca.
ven,iun, rs soon rs practicable. the number Of
negroes carried over their roads en- rOutc Tor
any Southern Stlts within III. years 1900 TO
1861, inclusive.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr.. CLrMESs.-I dcsire to make al esp!ana'
ton There is only orc consideration which
induces me 10 say single word III reply 70
what has been said by the gentleman IRON
Wctzel lMr llAii~) am here representing
a portion Of this Commonwealth lnSlnuauoliS
and i,npntatinns have been it>iGlousIy madc,
both privately and publicly against me, As n
member Of this Convention, the elect oil winch
is apparent every moment, in the faces, Tue
sentiments and the hearts OF those who are Inc
sovereigns in this section Of The State, should
be wanting i'll respect 10 theu, si'on'u os
wanting in respect to myself | should ne
wanting in respect TO ny people, II shonIa
hesitate for one instant - put the heel oil my
irrerreSSihle contempt upon every imputa'lo'i'
come from what source it may, made at what
time il may, which impugns my loyalty to he
interests Of this great commonwealth. And
challenge here publicly. any man. care not
who he is, 10 take my public record during SIX
Years Of service in Congress, and point to
single vote or single word ever uttered ty
me, in public or private, which Will not accord
even with the antasOnis:ic hearts now beating
around INC. My speech, made III the face OF
the people, has teen sent over this State broad
CAST: it is in the hands Of the people. Letany
gentleman who hus denounced that speech, as
the gentleman from M:ddeseX (Mr. MoNTAGrE)
did the other day, as inccndinry matter, ana
who confessed afterwards that he had never
read il, take that speech and point to one Slh-
sle passage which sill not coIn'nent 'isrsi 10
the incest extremist upon TINS hoor:
Sir, We live in times OF public peril and puo'
lie disaster And, so far as am concerned, as
citizen of this State, desire 10 maintain
even against tho contendlng sections OF my
own Commonwealth that potential power
which a public man ought always I" retain IN
his own hands. Sow, SIR, 10 not desire TO
SAY anything unkind to the gentleman from
Wetzel (Mr. HAlL). can afford 10 te mag.
unanimous to him. desire simply to say, that
when he declared upon this lonr that was
elected upon ula.furnl advocated b. the edi-
tor OF the Wheeling "luicllisencer," or any
other man, nc declared, ignoran'iy, presume
-malcously. will DOT presume-an opinion
upon the matter upon which, at least. he lack
ed information most rniserably. DO not de-
sire to say ANYTHING unliind in reply; Will
not do il. have here in my heart CONSCIOUS
ness Of right. am responsible TO God; am
RESPONSIBLE TO my wife aud 10 my children,
who live here and who were bora IN the eX:
IRENE South, and | would save them, il |
could here By ny action, rs | have endeavorcd
in Congress 10 save them from the red and
rocking hand, from the midnight torch, from
the dagger OF the assassin, and from ruined
ruined property. That is my position.
stood before my people upon no platform
erected for me by others. advocated no sen.
timent that did not spring spontaneously, hon
csty and conscicntiousy from my own bosom.
stood upon my own platform. | net III the
face of the people the tlercest persecution ever
waged against mortal man. aud ;riumphed,
,riumphed glorious'v. Do you tell Inc that,
with my public record in Congress, that with
NV printed words upon tn. history Of the coun-
try, and with these worus, III the hands oil nearly
every citizen Of Virginia. could be capable
Of SO far degrading myself as to give up one
single sentiment; Of allcsIance, one single Senii-
rnent OF Loyalty that is due tn this Common.
wealth: II such he tic case; II any o! lhs vast
concourse, whose eyes now beam upon ne. nave
been hitherto llbgring under that CONVICTION
or that impreSSou vii! leave my v'"dIcatlon
t, ,imt-timc tic comforter, time the soother,
time that brings back, in the end, 10 al! 'huse
who can afford to lie just Willie they can be
generous, the reward which springs from q
consciousness Of right, IND %hic'i clwais car
res perennial blessing with i.
Mr. MoSrAGCc.-l rsc 10 personal e1pla-
nation. Ii seems that it is the general sense
OF this Convention that they came here 10
make personal explanations, aud nothing else
The gentleman who has just taken bis seat
(A1r. CLrMESs) has put me before this tonvrn.
ton and this Commonwealth, in an improper
position. lie said that desi sna,cd, the other
dav, his speech in Congress an lncend!arv
document, while a. the same time declared
never read it. You will remember, sir, and
the Convention will remember, no doubt, very
clearly, the circumstances under which was
led first to refer to this matter, and tho exPa.
nation which then made and which l shall
now repeat. 1t is this: that if the General
Government had been guiItr OF violation Of
the laws in sending documents Of any sort TO
free negroes in this Commonwealth, rs we are
justified ia infcrring from the denial Of the
gentleman Of sny agency in the matter Oh his
part If they have done it tor tic purpose Of Stir
ring up strife in this State. it is MI additional
reason Why Virginia should Withdraw from the
Union. y gentleman cl.no to me aud said,
tina, perhaps did the gentleman, whose speeches
! referred to, injustice, b. charactrrizing them
inceniiary documents. immediately explain
ed that did not mean to say that these docr-
ments were incendiary, for, MS said, never
read them; but the point wanted to make WAS,
that if the Government was to engage in the
work Of disseminating documents 70 free ne
groes in the State Of Virginia for the purpose
OF melting that population /" strife and mis-.
chicf, the sooner We separated from it the bel,
ter presented that fact as an additional
cause for our Withdrawing from the Union
That was what | sud. Go not wait that II
shall 20 out to the country that denounced
tho documents referred 10 as incendiary.
have never read them. If it satisfies the gentle
man, | will state TO him that have never read
his $ peech nor any speech hex made
Mr.. HrRyaEp-Since my name has been
mentioned by the gentleman from Wetzel, IN
connection with this matter, deem II due to
myself to deny that was ever elected upon n
platform erected for Inc by the editor Of the
Wheeling Intcllgenccr. have been elected
upon my own plutiorm-a platform upon
which Eave stood all my life | will now
read from card which published previous
TO my election, aud which eulbodIes the sent
mr1,ts which then held and DOW hold:
concerning the present political state OF
TIE country, ali must ADM: there IS great re7-
son for anxiety aud underground for difference