Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-06-04
Screnade 10 the President.
SPEECHES FROM PRESIDENT DAY

repeated calls. his Excclcncy appeared at one
of the windows and said:
FRIENDS AND FELLOW. CITIZENS:
thank you for the compliment that your
presence conveys. 1t is an indication OF rc.
gard, not for the person, but for the position
which he holds. The cause in which wc arc
engaged is the cause OF the advocacy of rights
to which we were born, those for which our
fathers Of the Revolution bled-the richest in
iheritance that ever fell to man, and which it is
iour sacred duty to transmit untarnished to our
children. Upon US is devolred the high and
holy responsibility of preserving the Constitu
tional liberty of free government. [Applause.
Those with whom we have lately associated
iave shown themselves so incapable oflanpre-
gf-a.ing the blessings &C the glorious institutions
they inherited, chat they arc to-day stripped
Of the liberty to which they were born.
They have allowed an ignorant usurper to
tTample upon al the prerogatives OF citizen
ship, and to exercise power never delegated 10
him; and it has been reserved for yonr own
State, so lately one Of the original thirteen,
but now think God, fully separated from
them, to hecome the theatre Of great central
camp, from which will pour forth thousands Of
brave hearts to roll back the tide Of this des.
potisln. Apart FROM that qualification we may
well feel al being separated from such con-
ncction, is the pride that upon you devolves
the task Of maintaining and defending our new
Government. believe that We shall we able
TO achieve the noble work, aud that the insti-
tulionS Of our fathers will 20 to our children
as sacred as they have descended to u.s. Ap.
p!ausc.l In these Confederate States We ob.
IL; ;ot,
ca!ly described to the United States, but which
| there never had the same reaity-States so
distinct that each existed as sovereign, yet 50
united that each was bound with the other to
constitute a whole; or, as more beautifully cx-
pressed, Distinct as the pillows, yet one as
the sea-" Apn!auSe.l Upon every hill which
now overlooks Richmond, you have had, and
vii. continue to have, camps containing soldiers
from every State in the Confederacy; and to its
remotest limits every proud heart beats high
with indignation at the thought that the foot
of the invader has been set upon the soil Of
old Virginia. Great cheering. There is not
one true son Of the South who is not ready to
shoulder his musket to bleed, to die or to con.
qucr in the cause Of liberty here. Cheers.
Beginning under many embarrassnlcnts, the
result Of 70 years Of taxation being in the
hands Of our enemies We II nst a; first move
cautiously. 1t may be that we shall have to
encounter sacrifices; but my friends, under the
smiles Of the God Of the just and filled with
! the same spirit that animated our fathers, sue
cess shall perch on our banncrs.-I am sure
you do not expect Inc to 60 into any argument
upon those. questions which, for twenty five
years, have ag,a,ed the country. We have
now reached the point where arguments being
| exhausted, it only remains for US to stand BY
our arms. (Chcers, and Cries Of we WILLY
When the tine and occasion serve, We shall
smitc the sntcr with marly arms. as did our
fathers before Us and rs becomes their sons
| 10 them we leave the base acts Of the assassin
and incendiary-to them We leave it TO insult
helpless women; to Us, belongs vengeance upon
man. (Trencndous applause)
Now, my friends, thank you again for this
gratifying manifestation. Ca v0ice-tell US
somn,.iiug about Buena Yista.)
W3il. ,%" cG;Jn1ds. .wc-wiil make n" battle
! field Ian. siiIia another Buena Vista, and
dreuch them with blood moro precious than
that shed there. We will make history for
ourselves. We do not ask that the past shall
shed our ustre upon us, bright as our past
| has been for we can achieve our own destiny.
| We may point to many field, over which has
| fonted the flag Of our country when we were Of
| the United States--upon which Southern col.
| dcrS and Southern officers reflected their brave
spirits in their deeds Of daring; and, without
| intending to CAST y shadow upon the courage
OF any portion oi the United States, let me
| call it 70 your remembrance, that no man who
went from any Of these Confederate States, has
ever yet, rs Il general officer, surrendered 10
an enemy. (Great applause.)
Pardon me if do not go into matters OF
history; and permit ne, again, TO thank you
| for this kind man iestation of your regard, to
express to YOU my hearty wishes for the indi-
| ridusl prosperity Of you all, with the hope
that you will all pray to God to crown our
cause md our country with success.
| Ills Excellency then retired from the windows
amid long cheers.
| Calls were then made for Ey-Gov. Wise, to
which, after a short delay, he appeared and
responded rs follows
SPEECH or Ex-Gov. MrSkY 4. WISE
Ny FrIESps-You all know that aui civil
soldier only, and that in ihat capacity was near
y worn down in the siege of the Virginia Con-
vcntion Thank God, however, that with q
little rest, some help nnG some damage frcm
tho doctors, have been enabled TO recruit my
exhausted energies.
The time of Jelibsration has given place to
the time Of action, and lave taken up my
bed as aa individual, in common with others,
to march to Richmond to meet the President
of our now separate and independent Republic
au ready to obey his orders, not only with
pride. pleasure, and devotion to the cause and
respect to the office he ills, but with respect
to the man himself az one who has our fullest
confidence You have to meet foe with
whom you could not live in peace. Your
political power ard rights which were
enthroned in that Capitol when you
were united with them under the old constitu.
tional bond of the Conicderacy, have been an
nihilated. They have undertaken to annul
laws within your oSn limits that would render
your own property unsafe within those limits
They have aboilionizcd your border, as the
disgraccd Northwest will show. They have
invaded your moral strongholds, and the rights
Of your religion, and have undertaken to teach
YOU what should be the moral duties of men.
They have invaded the sanctity Of your homes
and firesles, and cndeavorcd to play master,
| father, and husband for yen in your house
holds-in n word, they have set themselves Us
petty Providence by which you were in all
things to be guided and controlled. But you
have already declared that you would not be
subject to this invasion of your rights. Though
war was demanded, it was not for you to de-
clare war. But now that the armies of the in
vader are lowering around the tomb Of Wash
ington, where is the Virginian heart that does
not beat with 4 quicker pulsation at this last
and boldest 6esecration Of his beloved State
Their hordes nre already approaching our me-
tropolis, and extending their folds around our
State, rs docs the anaconda around his victim.
The call is fer action lrejoice in this war.
Who il there that now dares to put on sanctlty
to dcpTccatc war, or tho 'hovrid glories OF
war. None. Why: Because it is aWar OF
publication. You want war, fire, blood, to
purify you and the Lord of Hosts has de-
mandcd that you should walk through hre
and blood You are called to the tirery bap-
tsln, and I call upon you 10 come up to the