The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-01
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION,
THIRTEE NTH DAY.


THURSDAY, Feb -, 1861
The Convention was called TO order al lo
pr,ver by the Rev. Dr. BrRgows, of the
rirst Baptist Church.
The President stated that the unfinished
s,.ipeSs OF Yesterday. (tle resolutions of the
,sofieuan from Rockbridge9 was now In or
1.-THE gentleman from Orange (air MoR-
- bei0C entitled TO the floor
Nr MoxroS said he would give way mo.
.,snt for the gentleman from Hanover who
dsSrel offer a resoiu ton.
Mr. RICHARDSON, of Hanover, submitted the
following
f.,rvl, That in furiheranee OF the resolution
.5,ntaa bv this Convention on the 2otn lust seek
frg iaiormsyioa of the Governor regarding the
s'Sa the Adntant General Of the STATE he
IaJ he j. hereby requested, 10 communicate to
~ body, as speedily as Is compatible with
iE5tegsb report on this subject, how many aud
sis. kiai Of arms are in the possession Of the
sals. uai.stribn'ed, and tho number and kind of
Additional companies which eau and will. proba-
bly. shortly be armed. Also, at what points in
h: iadFmsni, having due reference to tho local..
lie. II the different companies, aud 10 economy in
,ime aud money, the whole volunteer force Of the
sac can be best assembled in bodies sufficiently
Isr.s 70 Be instructed in battalion eyoIuiioas IN
iAe sroiutious OF the line, in siege garrison and
ru tatieS Incident To the res peel We arms OF lie
s-giee, ard any other iaformation in his reach
,a,crlatei 10 throw light on The means necessary
,o put TIE Commonwealth in Il complete state OF
tycpaTation against attack.
On melton of AIr. EARLY the resolution was
lsld upon The table.
NATIONAL DIFFICULTIES.
Nj MORTON took the floor and proceeded
rith his remarks. He alluded to the magni-
rHde Of the subjects which the Convention
was called to consider. lie had listened with
pain and dispieasUre TO the discussions in this
n5iy He regretted that the gentleman from
RJcshridge, Mr.. MOokE,) who was not III his
seat, had not undergone n change of seuli-
uFnt ia thirty years, while a change had
swept over the country, and he was almost
.atuy TO say, over the world Thirty wears
ago. that gentleman believed that slavery was
amOral social and political evil, and he re-
-Teiiej the expressions that indicated similar
opinions stiii. lie next alluded 10 the re-
marks OF the gentleman from Bedford, fMr.
tilIsIN,1 and welcomed the sentiment that
when il comes to coercion, he would be
found lighting under the flag of Virginia.
BUf they had not dWelt sufficiently upon the
wrongs of the South. He then gave a his
ioTieil sketch of the rise and progress of the
aHt-siaycry party, and proceeded to consider
The recent acts of the Black Republicans. He
thought there was no chance OF efFecting any
change in public sentiment at the North -
Lincoln was elected upon single principle OF
hostility 10 tile South. They had the EXecu-
i've power OF the Government. and how long
would IL be before they Would secure the Ju-
tIciiry, also ? With every Department in the
hands Of the Black Republican party and ad-
mini>I"r"d upon the plan dictated by VIM. II
Seward how long wonld Virginia be safe? Tn
der III" distribution of the Official patronage
how long would it be before "A man might
come TO think the wrong the better side ? If
thought there would be most beneticent show
ers OF patronage upon Virginia, Maryland
ani TeHncs see-he would not go so far as
North Carolina-anG upon Kentucky and
Missouri. Those who accepted the gifts would
form nucleus OF acquiescence i'll the powers
that be and III the next election, or the next
but one, we should have Black Republican
orators on every stump, and where would
virginia : safety be
There might be those who thought he was
iorthroWlng away the treasure OF the Union. !
He would tell them that in the last election
ne voted tor Bell and Everett, but did so upon
'h""ecl"ration that If the Charleston Conven-
lion had made Il nomination he would have |
supported IL. But that failed, and he had |
thought that the conservative portion of the
people might rally to save the country. In |
th!> h" was disappointed. For years he had
eudearoTcd To drive back the wave of North |
ern fan ticism, and to save the nion-and in
tdnnet tlon herewith he read from of his
Speeches IA Congress. wherein he appealed |
IoT justice IN behalf OF the South He read it |
70 show THAI his heart had been in this Union.
IL would do what he could TO preserve il, If
ne could do so upon terms of honor and safety.
boi we must have security. He did not |
mean such security was offered in the mis-
trahle abortion Of the Peace Congress, but
permanent security and if we could not get
II, ne hoped 10 God the Union would be dis
solved That was the sentiment of the peo-
PIE. The agitation of African slavery was
an nicer, eating away the yitals of the conn
Try, and unless we used the knife or the caus-
tie, rooted ont the evil, and settled the ques-
tOn forever, it would result in utter ruin.
Imagination must be stopped and stopped for
ever.
Turning to Mr. WISE he expressed his ut
most appreciation of his course in repcllng
The invaders of the soil of Virginia. Speak
ing OF the visit of the South Carolina and
mississippi Commissioners, after that occa-
sion, and the disappointment of their hopes
be said South Carolina had subseq uently de-
;agInined 10 take the matter in her own hands,
and yet she was blamed for not seeking the
counsel of Virginia. He besought the gentle
nan from Rockbridge, and the gentleman
from Bedford not TO blame South Carolina
and Mississippi, but to blame Virginia. II
she had gone into counsel with them when
lhey did seeh it, the present calamites would
have been averted. But she refused it, and
iirn The crisis came on. South Carolina had
Gone ker part towards saving the Union, and |
Il Tglnla had done as much-had been as |
sensitive OF her &rongs-this Convention |
"onId not have been delibera ting to-day upon /
measures to save the country. He proceeded !
- pay further compliments 10 South Caro- /
una and the gallantry of her people, and vim !
~Iatea then, from the charge OF want of pro- /
Per respect and courtesy to the Virginia /
commissioner. Judge Robertson.)
Re presumed that by this time the Conven- |
N0n was satisfied that he thought the proper |
y1uFse was for Virginia TO secede forth with. !
II there was any doubt upon that subject, he |
would read some resolutions offered by HIM
II IglI Ill the county oi Orange, on the Path of
Lrc.' lhtl. The resolutions took the ground !
laSt The tnion OF the South is the safety of /
ne south, and that Virginia ought to 90 out
,.i'A her southern sisters before the 4th OF
H1tch' lie thought if that advice had been
.ulo"ed, we should not now have heard one
NeId about coercion. Whilst wrongs and in
s''1s had been heaped upon Virginia noun
.'tAs hiGh, she was still here deliberatiug
"h'ther She should go North or South He
"'u'I nave had conference OF the III teen
cav ;>tties, from which he would not have
t3tiuded all the free States, but would have /
"'4Al'ied some OF the border States, whose
"A lnps a haN }I. ,..s. 1,
tOulh but II they could not have been puri-
1 he ASSOCIATION, he would have reiin-
f1'aN'u them, Such n consultation would
"''' "a 10 "A result calculated TO secure the
itde' nt the country. Bat the miserable
~ -A mat had sprung from the Peace
oH'' rnee at Washington, should receive the
'''H II every Southern mar.
lie I'D not participate in the apprehension
pressed here, that If Virginia went out her
caves would be insecure nor would ii be ne
pSNa. y, As assumed by the gentleman from
,o,hpfldge 10 keep a standing army on the
o,p'' lines, but only q small force at the
I'm PAL points, for the purpose of collecting
venue. The slaves would be more Sc |
O4fr ilau ever
nv C.'aTged upon William III Seward the re-
tt "iiity Of breaking up the Union. 10
III H iiH would not say one kind word if it
ds.u save him from destruction. He had
l,'.."Ceu hiD before his face, and had told
~ u uhf ques tion were to be settled between
toni '''' u ~ ai "'"i' t@ens"
M, ne went on to consider the ques ton, what
hea., liginia do? lie had with pleasure
rinHtne iu tne gentleman from Bedford Mr.. Cog
~ ~ mat III The finai event OF q separa- !
a. ny would wrap himself in the folds OF the
In1.. W virginia, and perish with her, il she
f,dsea PERISH. But his idea OF Middle Con-
,niaa,py lie considered nothing less than
gjIa4n ioo!ery. On this subject the speaker
Ia j1ttay Ia 2V,af ytttsr rstft