Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-21

black Republican President 10 take his seat
and bold his sceptre over you, war is inevita
BILE; you will surely bring desolation and rui.
to all the interests Of this country" did no
believe that, sir. | did regard the election o
Abraham Lincoln as a most unfortunate oc
carrence, as fearful thing, when saw eve,
the possibility Of it, and did really fear wher
| saw that he was elected
But rested upon one strong arm Of tn,
| government which knew had moro powe,
than he. and without whose concurrence, ever
the President did not have power to make wa,
upon us, seriously to injure U.s. looked to the
fact that he had e minority of the votes cast
in that election, that there were majority o
million Of the voters Of the United States
against him; looked to the fact that the Con
eress Of the United States elected up to tha.
time. contained majority against him. and
he, the President could do nothing withou,
| the aid Of Congress- mention these things
Us facts which | suppose will not be ccntro.
| verted
Now, sir, what hes been the effect of seces.
sion up to this periods 1t is plain, it is ;ncon-
trover;lble, it is seen and felt in the deplorsble
condition of every department Of enterprise;
it is holding US here in deliberatcn-I regret
to say, in divided council; il is holding the
people Of Virginia and the people Of the other
States in fearful, in awful suspense, as 10 what
will be the hnal issue No,e, sir, i'll view ni
that fact ask, shall we listen, even for the
very powerful reasons given by the gentleman
vino has Just taken mis- seat, (Alr BARBOUR, Of
Culpeper,l to those who haze wholly deceived
themselves when they said, if we did not sece,'e
before the Eth at March, We would have blood.
shed, and all the fearful evils attendant upon
civil wa!?
Mir. Chairman, this is The dsy o. panlcs: the
sge is adapted 10 them The ezsigable and
lahammsble material which now exists, igni:es
and rises in terrific Game at The slightest
touch from the hands Of the panic maker
The te!eGraphic wires have played an impor.
tant part in extending this excitement All
vii! remember how difficult it was until recent.
y, while Congress was in session, and abou!
the time OF the inauguration of the present
President to receive from Washington dis.
patch, which dlG not either excite the precp-
lators or crafty the peace makers. 1t is =
remarkable fact, that whatever came from
Washington upon the teegruphic wires. say ing
tba. war was probable, saying that Lincoln
had taken up position of hostility to The
seeded States whatever came which Minis.
tered to that spirit had like to nave said,
that wild spirit Of (anaticisai, thnt on account
of my respect for gentlemen who labor under
that infntuation, will not say so)-whaterer
came here OF that character, elated the hearts
OF the precipitators. Well, now, sir, | point
to the calEs and quiet now restored. in justii
cation Of my course III waiting to deliberate
in waiting, when we were warned BY the gentle
men from Bedford, CIR. GooDH,) whu sis near
me, who played so beautifully on the express
sion na!t, but who, SOMEHOW or other, has
changed his lune, and believe is struggling
now to :5ait, while the other side of the house
are Tor bringing matters to speedy lermna
ton.
Mr.. GooDE, of Bedford-The +,h Of Marc!.
has come and gone.
Mr.. TREpwAY-Yes, sir, the 18th Of March
has come and gone. aud wonder that the gen.
ueman alludes ~ the fac, that it has come and
gone, for as it has passed by i, has proclaimed
that my friend was no prophet Now. sir, [
tcaI results Of Sss ss....s L.: 10 =, oau III
living and in fearful characters before the
country, the yer: time we have taken to dcilb.
crate has relieved us Of many difficulties, put
as in better position Cor adjustment, than we
have ever been in before. You were told, Sir,
Ihat the Peace Conference VAS n failure.
admit that 1t was failure 50 far rs 1t was de-
signed 10 accomplish settlement such as |
would have been willing to have taken; but
will not admit that the Peace Conference was
an entire failure ask, sir, as one important
thing resulting from this Peace Conference, il
we did not ger in proposition which, under
stand, vas supported by the Northern meul-
5ers Of that Peace Conference, proposition
which they never did tolerate before at the
North: in that article of the Peace Confer
euce. proposition which allows the General
Government 10 pay the owners of slave Tor
his property which would be wrested from the
marshal, maintain there is distinct rccogni-
ton of The right Of property in the slaVehold-
er. Otherwise, how would they agree to pay
the owner?
n;n not arguing, ard 10 not intend to ar
que, that the propositions Of that Peace Con-
ference, as q settlement we're sufficient to meet
the demands We ought 10 make upon the North
BY any means. But; say that the agreement
to that ooe article did, at least, settle that the
portion of the Sorth represented in that Peace
Conference were willing to make That distinct
admission, which wus never before obtained
!rom The NurtE--nay, ST, which they had al
ways refused.
MIR Chairman, when you are settling con-
truversy with an adversary, when you have
differed entirely ut the commencement OF the
negotiation, and when afterwards you find that
ycur adversary is willing to agree to truce;
when you find in him disposition to settle
with YOU, you have accomplished much. You
may then have hope for an adjustment very
fur different from what you would have II he
rcpels you and tells you he has no settlement
10 make If you so further with that adver-
ssry, and find him, although declining to &C.
cede 20 YOUR whole demand. yet willing to con'
ceds AT important principle upon which you
based your settlement would not you conciutf
that in tha, coEccSsion you had made an iE''
portant step in the progress towards the coh-
summation Of Jour settlement! THINK ~.
Well. sir, bv waiting we have not only accoUt-
plsned mat, bu: We have put the whole couis-
trv. North and South, in The position OF me2l
who are deliberating and refiectlng, and no(
disposed rashly and precipitatelr to act upon
the great questions in issue. Their minds have
been turned to tire subject Of Q settlement, OF
An adjustment under which their temPers have
cooled down. Instead uf desiring to rush into
a civil war-lhe most terrible Calamity when
can visit the earth, with all the uerceness which
r.y.d no 70 the 4,h OF Msrcb-he who reads
ths pnhlic mind, North and South, will find
more uf concession and less of anger he will
snd that there is, to Il greatcr extent spirit
Of adjustment, that temper has cooled down
ard reason, 70 some extent, resumed lis proper
office.
| maintain, therefore, Mr. Chairman, that no
man has the right TO argue, looking to the re-
suits, that precipitate action aud immediate Sc
cassion is the remedy fur the evils under which
we labor. And maintain, moreover, that the
selherat;on which has been exercised and the
time which has been given even to those who
believe in the right Of secession, has worked
we'll and done much good, for | believe it has
preserved this country from the horrors OF ci-
oil war. hare no doubt from all the obser-
vatinr have mnde, t.,st il Virginia had I'M.