Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-09

! carrying on against Us 4 warfare whlch ia:
only parallel IN the history of savage natioliS
but is that 4 reason why We should iu.itals
their example Because Lincoln has underla-
ken to suspend tile wti; .! ha5.as corpus, il
It any 'rcaiun why We should do it ia tie
South: Eccause they think proper 10 carry
Oh t. barharuus warfare against us, is il any
reason w;ly we should resort to tie sauc meas
of carrying on contest against theH,! say
not Mr. President While, IL; hav. said on
4 previous occasion, know nothing about l.c
feelings OF toe members Of THIS Convention, |
uin Evt ashamed to confess that believe in IT,.
direction Of "jast and Ali Wise Providcncc.-
| Thus IN" ~e iiaye hal the Iucst uRmistskabie
evidence That that Divine Power has been
wie!3ea III cur behalf Let Us do nothing tina.
IS unjust in His sight, unjust in the sigh. Of
man unjust in the ight oi the world. The
question is one which appeals to my mora!
feelings more than any ever discussed in my
brief career. 1t appears to me to be fraught
With nothing but evil to Us and to our posleri.
y, and | beg this Convention to pause before
LneY commit themselves to the policy. You
may .2rtura and twist the proposition Ms much
as you please, bit if you pass the ordinance,
it rc$4i:ss itself into l simple act Q: repnda.
ulftS iIOlIllliS 1873. I-sttb-
lish the p:cceden: now, and in nv Judgment
in less Than twenty years from n"w, !: Ne
shculd accumulate L State debt Of ti.!ccn ur
twenty millions, lhc proposition Will De- made
to rrpudia,c even that. For my part, stall
Stand by the faith and credit CT Virginia as
icEg as she has dollar upon her soil.
Mr.. MAcFAELaSD obtained the floor md u:l.
dressed The Convention. His remarks Will
appear hereafter.
Mr.. CONRAD 1t was my settled purpose,
until this moment, not to engage IN this debate
but the earnest and powerful appeal Of the
gentcruan ircn Mddiesex, (Mr. MoSlAdrE,)
and the welghiy considerations which have
beea Urged By tue gentleman from Richmond,
(ilT. MAcfAKLASD) consrTan Inc ID say few
words. ~ Justification of lie course intend
TO take, IN voting for the ordinance just n It
stanus att as one OF the members oi the Com
mittce 9i Finance by whom i. was reported
In coins; 81, ;;Gal! ridcavor not 70 after 3ne
unnecessary Turu.
Gcntiemeu, who havJ addressed the House,
have all aSsln;ec lnat the proposition in this
Ordlnanc: involves the reputation Of our prom
ise to pay, and, consequently, sIG!atI"n vi The
essential part eI Tie contract pf the State OF
Virginia. They have cited authorities, sir,
from afi;crS upVn national law, to show that
such :. cou;i$catinn, though legal and lnstIlia'
bic under th" laws pi nations, ls now elected
By modern civilization, and regarded rs i'm.
proper. Immoral, and incSpedient Sir, need
not say that. il viewed this measure in tbs
light il whichit is viewed by these gen,lelnen,
it would never have met with my concurrence,
and spprehend tha: they have utterly mis-
Il, rrtt
now before the body. Is it proposed here TO
conf; :c-.'c Il deb: Ey no t,eans. Is it pro.
posed TO rcpuiia!a = premise 20 pay, or 10
touch the essential obligations Of the State
understand Enl. The proposition is sim.
ply-!h"r, for the present, the interest paT.
able upon The public debt o( Virginia, due
upon Ire first of the coming month, Shall 10;
be ra!t: - certain public enemies OF tie Com
inc, :2s!th. Is there anything extraordinary
in :i'al: Upon tie ground Of ordinary lolera'
ten :lo% 10 We stand in regard to those rco-
pie 10 whctn We say we will not at present
;ra..,bi; :uo:ley? Why, sir, they are bocka-
dins cur y"r!s, cutting of our commerce ard
Scizing the private property y! our Citizens
wherever they can lay their hands upon il;
and fet ger.ie;nen say tha. the good faith Of
tie State, ci,a: considera;iunS morals. right
and Justice ;,au.an1 at n" hands Of Virginia
the furnishing OF money TO enahls these r':n
10 carry nn tE;,i outrageous ~ar. Is 1t not
plainly y:iicul that they iais.qyre!.ci!I tie
merits of :j,& 9restinn. Al W. PROPOSE 10 do
is siIaply t" zuopead the payment Of the lc!er-
est during tie existence Of the war, 10 persons
who holi oar bonds and think this III uno
Of The mildeS: war measures sc can possibly
inauguratc.
Ithas been declared by our cnemIcs, and
properly So ;ha. rncney is contrahand of va;
that the private individuals who may be ar.
rested hy ihem ale liable to have their pockets
searched and every dollar which may be found
on their pe:soris seized and cont;scu ted ~ COLI
traband. Now, all we 10 is simply 20 with
hold the transmission Of money iuc 20 the ell
envy duritii: the existence Of tho war. !lthc
principle BE- correct tina. motley Is contrabanu
OF war, the very instant we pay these coupon
bonds we have perfect right to se:Z. the par
tics to whom VIC mike tho payment and tuke
from them the money which will ;nen be con-
traband. II is worthy cl rcmnrk tina; lhs
contest is attended with peculiar circumstances.
1t does not presen, The same considerations
which have been urged hC commercial writers
upon international iax in modern times, who IN
sist tha. co:lIuG:cc 0ngHt net 20 bc interrupted
by state Of war between iva cuuirntgca
nations This Is civil war. IL l.; Win
! IN the United S;.sLe, It is not question
IS to the protection of general comrDerre
but s!mplc, clear question CT eIpcIi"H'y,
| always keeping in vie. tho great principles
Of honor and justice. For one, should i'>
among the les, TO contiScate these Geb:s. u
cancel them for all time but the rrasuh whH
am SO strongly in favor Of this ordinances If,
tina. consider its effect to be TO prevent The
enemy tron receiving at our hands The mate
rials with which they nay carry en- 4 wa
| against us. have no doubt that after Deace
shall have been declared these nbligatIn!!s
! ought t1 be observed and our contracts Dc IN
filled to the very letter.
With regard TO that feature in the nId,na"ce
which provides that the interest shall not only
be suspended upon bonds Eow held by the
Government of the United States, and clslSens
adhering to that government, bat tnat all These
who have acquired these bonds aInce the 2:d
day Of May last, shall be placed in tile Same
situation. believe such course tc be emf
Iently necessary and proper, and if gentlemen.
will cnly turn their thoughts 70 The precise
date which h:ss been ixej, they Will sec that i;
is the date of the rGtldcat0n ot tie ordinance
of secession, and long afte: III" wHr was
waging upon the borders OF Elrginia-lsng
after the North was the open and declared enc
my Of Virginia; consequently all acts OF pur.
chase, between the citizens Of Virginia and
this public enemy, we're dealings contrary "
law aud propriety. | cannot therefore, feel the
force Of the appeal which has been made by my
friend in behalf of these who have been pur-
chasing Virginia bonds, probably at "a discount
of fifty per cent They lose nothing Ivy it,,
and suffer no particular hardships. II is
merely, as to them, suspension Of payment,
growing out of a necessity which renders 1t
impossible, b. any other arrangement, tomset
the real character Of these transactions. IL has
been said that no one imagined that the date
of the purchase Of one Of these public bonds
would effect its validity or be made tire sub.
jsc. Of Legislation by this Convention. !!
think, however, sir, that everybody. dealing in
this class o! property, must have had seine l't.