Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-03-08


never be kept together BY force. Suppose,
sir, it had the power Suppose that South
Carolina alone was out and the balance Of
the States had the power to coerce her back
What good would it do? You may 90 to
war with her, if ycu please; you may con-
tiaue that war one, five. or ten years If you
choose; until both parties become tired
and what then, sir? You could rot make
her perform her duty as a member of the
Federal Government. Yor could not make
her seaa Aer Representatives to the Con-
gress Of the Unite2 States. Therefore am
opposed to coercion.
TheD, sir, there arises thesqEestion wheth.
er there is not an Inconsistency in that view
Of the case. think nee I will say, Mr.
President, thatsecession is nothing less than
revolution, And when it arrives at revolu.
tea, the contending rarties may 60 to war,
or they can settle their difficulties without
warm peaceful manner. | sir, am in
favor of settling them all without war
That is the best way to do it; and while
there is peace il is the best time to de it
Suppose the opposing parties went into q
war with each other; after strife of years
would they be in any better condition to set
tle their difficulties at the end Of the war,
than they were when they begun think
Mr.. President, they would not be in q bet
ter condition, but would be in far worse
condition. At last they would be compell-
ed to settle their difficulties by treaty OF
compromise. And after the war would be
over, after having spent millions Of treasure
and lost the lives ofhundreds and thousands
OF our best citizens. they would be in nc
better condition than they were before. =
Therefore I am opposed to war: want the
parties to settle all their difficulties without
going to war at all.
Mr. President-I know very we'll that
and those who occupy the position that do,
have been called submissionists. Now,
have to say upon that point, that the very
instinct of my nature revolts against sub
mission to any thing that know to be
wrong. I say. that while [, and the people
I represent, are opposed to war; yet, Mr..
President, if to rally around the stars and
stripes of your country; if to contend for the
honor of that flag for which Washington
fought, and for which many Of osr soldiers
gave up their lives in the revolutionary war;
and again in the war of 1812-if that con-
stitutcs Submissionist, | am one.
Yes. Mr. President, submission is reserted to
because we don't want to fight, it is said. We don't
want to fight admit, sir, unless it is necessary
We don't want to 90 to war tor the run OF the tnhg
We don't want to fight for military distinction and
military honors. God forbid that |, or any OF the
people represent on this floor, should ever want
to stain their hands in tho blood of brother for
military glory. But, cir, 1t ever the time come
and I trust in God it never may cOme-but it the
time ever comes, when the honor and the dignity
and the interest of the Commonwealth of Virginia
requires it, tell you, sir, that and the people
represent here will want to be counted in the ring.
Ye. SIR we will want to be there. 1t is not the
men, Mr.. President, who make the most noise a.
bout fighting that are the first to go into it.
NV position is simply this. / am in favor of ex-
Aarsting all fair and honorable means first. Those
are the sentiments of the people represent here;
that we ought first to use every possible means to
settle all our difficulties; that we ought to resort
to Constitutional measures, and not to inaugurate
~ revolution. don't think we have resorted to
all Constitutional measures yet. believe that all
our difficulties can be settled. And why do be-
lieye it? Why, sir, as said yesterday, gentle
men are in the habit of dcnouncing the whole North
zen they speak of the aggressions of the Northern
Ssates. They have forgotten that in the last Pres
.dental eIecton-l speak from memory. for have
MOT the statistics before me--but believe there
we're not less than fifteen hundred thousand free
suen in the non-saveholding States who cast their
votes against Abraham Lincoln. Fifteen hundred
thousand! More than all the votes cast in all the
Southern States put together And yet, sir, ,those
Northern men all denounced broadcast, with
out any distinction; The very men who h We al.
"a go overheard with the rest and no exception to
be made say, sir. that is all wrong. am con-
Yipced that all our difficulties will be settled If we
can only get the questions in proper shape, and
get them before the people; because there are, no
doubt hundreds of thousands who voted Tor Mr..
Lincoln, whose views have become SO much mod-
fed since the last Presidential election, that il they
had an opportunity to give another expression of
ther sentiments tomorrow, they "oulo certainly
go az ainst bin,
AR President,I may be wrong in the views which
entertain am liable to error, ] know, like 9TH
er men. But It may be thought by some, sir, that
nv sentilnents--my conservative sentiments-are
antiroly too s..ol,: Yell. Sit: If that be 20, can
not held it When [ look back to the early histo-
~ of nav country-and ] must be permitted to say
here that the first pnblic meeting that ever at
tended was when was boy at School--when |
read the history of the country, and when recall
The tolls and hardships that Revolutionary an
eenturs had to encounter in order siiat they might
work out for us liberty and peace; w.aen renect
mon the who took part III that tHeihSFaple
eantegt-that it vas Washington, Morgan,
WAYNE and hosts Of other great men who tGught
fer the liberty of America say, sir, that it my
sentiments are conservative, cannot help 1t. MY
attachments to the Union lave ever been strong.
And when come down to the period Of the war
of 1872 why, sir. can say tina! this day there are
Wondering in the dust the bodies 0i some OF my
own blood relations, whose bones are now deposit
sd beneath the surface of the soil in Louisiana, who
foupht under the command of the great and noble
General ackson, the hero of New Orleans, in or
der to perpetuate that glorious Union for which
Washing ton fought in the days OF the Revolution.
40 saw Mr.. President, that the instincts of my
nature are such that cannot relieve myself of the
attachments which, in the days of ny youth,
formed for this Union.
We NAV talk, sir about Southern Confederacy
mr. half dozen Southern Coniederacies; but tell
pou that YOU will never have a better Government
than the one which we have had-and which we
vet have, trust. / believe, sir, that the Consti
srtion Of the United States and the Goyernm ent OF
~. United States are the best Constitution and
s:nver3ment which ever God permitted free peo-
~ nm this earth to enjoy. | do not believe that
49, Cnnfeaeracv that can be built up anywhere
ND o. anr roach to the Government of the Uni
va Stotes ans you may build up as many as you
please. 1horo hoard great deal said
about re-constru ction. / have hearo u said re-
noatedlv that the question is not now. ''hoW can
b nreser, ed ~ because, they say, it is
o.dx d;ssolv ID but the question is, chow shall
:. ha rocnnsructed ?' And it is contended that
Virginia must 60 out of thu Union IN order that
she NAV help to reconstruct ~ ~ Is oGnsenueu'
sir that Virginia must go OUT -an"' supPoee;
trn round and come back the oth> n snd foremost
Sir want Virginia to stand, as SUD 'eiole ., JuSs
where she has always stood. want nti w 800
such an influence as she has exerted IN u0 p"a.
want her to act as mediator IN the e pao
STRIFE and if she deserves to nave any I'M INV
that middle ground is the place for her to oct upy
an order that she may secure that Influence a.u
opposed to her going out Of the Union; hfst' pc
eanse she NAV never return, and next, because