Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-30
VOLUME LVII.-NUMBEK l07.

s;iions which haze assumed, that the State
OF Virginia occupied III this controversy very
D,cnii,r relation 70 ri! the other States o! this
| Union. u view of the fact that seven Sta:cs
| hni seccded, aDd that she was low border
! slave State, connected with the non slaveholl.
in@ portion of tho Union. find that the
views which entertain upon that suhjec. are
! yery forcibly referred 10 in the report Of the
Committee, The 9Th cluGSe Of the preamble
! Of the rap3rt has in it these words: The
grievances for which several Of the States have
Withdrawn from the Union ard ovcrthrown
| tbe.F.sleral Government within their limits.
ar such rs have affected the people Of Eir.
! gina 10 Il greater extent than any OF the Sc
ccded States"
The ground Of complaint assumed BIZ The
Committee, then. is this: that Virginia is affect.
| ed bv the dissolution Of tho Union TO greater
extent ltan any OF the seeding States were.
do not proppse. as those WHO hear Inc Ec%
! will bear me witness. said on former oc
casicn did not deem it necessary, 10 20 INFO
| an examination Of ali the particular causes
which induce the States OF the South to So
crtie and uccupy the position witch they do
| but il seems that the Committee had IN view
the causes which did 6ctuate them, and they
nave declared here before the people ofEirginia,
| that tho causes for dissolution operated upon
! the interests Of tho people Of Virginia 10 a
! greater extcn. than upon the people Of the
seeded States. If the one had canse then,
the other, now, has better cause; for they have
Insde new causes
want TO Gail the attention of gentlemen on
the other sid. OF the question: IneSn 'ne
side Of an exclusive slave State Government
10 some other facts; because, As said upon
| another OCCASION do not stand here to per
| form the part OF a. mere advocate. ! DO not
stand here to present one view oil these qnes-
tons alone, for arl in search Of The right
view. | do not stand here to advocate doc.
| ;rines OF any particular character, that would
| lead only 20 my particular conclusions; | DC
Sire To iind the bes. course for all. have en-
d9avOrcI 10 present my views oil this question
IL reference 10 facts aS they are, rot as would
have them to BE- want 10 knew no%, Of
| some Of thnse upon the other side OF tins
| qucstirn-ihoSe Tho advocate the doctrine oil
immediate and unqualified secession, and who
propose to put Virginia outside OF the Union,
and .; once into the Confederate Cnion-how
her Interests in relation TO our peculiar proper
| ty are 10 be protected on tho Northern border
| by going into a Southern Confederacy for all
:lme? | would like to have this question an
swered by gentlemen who take that gcoun'!, be
cause it is one OF the great difficulties for which
We have TO provide. 1t is difficulty with me, |
confess know it is proposed that line Of
miltary posts should be established 10 protect
IL; but showed, some weeks since. that such
| o plan Tor guarding the interests Of Virginia
would no: be likely to bs submitted to by
:nc people. Ii gentlemen, tnen, have any other
! pan that will suit them, should like yer.
much 10 have ,hcm develop it in the course OF
| this argument. ! throw it out for the srCscS-
! ton OF gentlemen. and ask again, rs haze
| already asked, how arc the rights Of Virginia
10 be better protected in a Southern conic1e.
rated Government upon this question of slave.
~, she being 4 border State. We shall have
joshua T. Gitdings Consul General in Canada,
anI He shall have the operatives OF that un-
drr.ground railroad, Of which he will be the
chief eng iaeer, brought % your very
border. II is ,rue that We have fugitive
slave law, which ought to afford some protec'
tiuG bu, It is very inefficient law, from the
fac: that the people ut the North oppose i,
now willis we are in The Union; have already,
.a .hryy d., =. 'i;-cc. agency in endcavurny u
tiafca: its operation within theiT borders. When
tiiddings IS in authority anywhere, the South
rIay well remember tic doctrines Of his famous
.vlt"r, written but l"0 years since, in which,
@Iclhng CT this very fugitive sla"e lsw, he
sla il relation 10 . culprlt who had resisted
"ln d'>resar!lng the law, the prisoner did
! right. Their elrGr consisted in spari"y The
ltres II the s'aEe cGtchcrS Those pirates should
have been delivered oTer to the colored men,
ana igncd to tl!c doom ol pirates. You
arc aware that this is the doctrine which pro.
claimed in Congress. ! adhere to it Had the
prisoners erecuted the Stare eatchers promptly,
It would have taught ho Administration a
lesson rot soon to be forgotten. We should
| haze :,rcn no moro troubled with that class o
m;screaE!s. They would have learned better
tlian 10 show themselves among I'll Intelligent
people who know their rights, and dare inaI
! tain them"
In reference to the position which l occupy
here, and the resolution or the ordinance which
! introduced, will not argue that the course
which have Indicated therein is the only ono
that can restore peace and qurt 10 the country,
80 as to satisfy the people Of the State OF Firg
Eia. We have all come here, trust, prepared
to compare opinions, and to hear the opinions
oi gentlemen who entertain opposite views tc
those Of our own. have said what thought
ought 70 be oar courso-that Virginia, By rea
son Of the dangers Immediately before US
should declare her independence, ard then SCI
about the performance Of the gravest duty Q
her existence as Il State You can never ge
the people Of the Confedcrated States to co
operate with her while she remains in the
Union, which they believe to be an oppressive
| CniUr. and which they have pronounced it Il
1>a tk l,oo
and cooperate even with US, and make propo
s!tioas that may unto them with the NORTH
ard with Us. unless ~e arc willing to carry oul
interests and our destiny where their interests
and their dtstiay have led theu upon great
ctrdina! principle as they believe IL Bat
1t We were 10 transfer the State oi
| Firs1ia into this Southern Confederacy
it should still be, as have said,
w!th the view which il always prominent IN
my mind, Of restoring or making u new Union
out Of the elements OF the old aS it was, en-
brac!ns cTcry Stale, in that arrangement, as
those States existed before the secession Of any
ore Of them from it-aways providing for oui
security and that Of our property. BY placing
yourselves outside Of the Union, by placing
yourselves in this position as q sovereign anL
independent State, yoC can then come before
the Coa!cdcrat9d States Of the South as ont
who has no mere interest than they havc il
the re formation cf that Union. In one srnse
you mry be considered us a judge. purpose
TO make the State Of Virginia Independent a:
a Judge should be, having neither connection
with the North nor with The South, but By hel
very position Just 10 both sections, and tha
she shall occapy that place to which solpc @
the Committee seem to suppose sne was enti
tied What Go they say:
'.Vir;inia having initiated measures to OBJ
tain such guarantees, proper sclfrrspect i'm
pels her to demand Of all the parties tha, they
shall refrain, during the pcndency Of he'
efforts for amicablc adjustment, from all acticn
tending % produce collision OF forces"
Now. ,ns is position in which she assumes
to demand. Of ''aH The purlies," certain line
Of policy, while she admits herself 20 be alto
gether among CIR in the very midst Of one ol
the parties and claims to be Of that very parts.