Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-06


say that | have done more than shadow forth
the general ideas Whether or not these par
licular guarantees Of power in one branch Of
Congress would suffice, whether they could be
dispensed with in the Executive Department or
in the Judiciary Department, is a matter which
is for the Convention to decide. My own be.
lief is, that if We acknowledge the principle in
theory. We ought To apply that principle to
every department. of the Government
Mr.. Chairman, / will not, in the few moments
that have left, expend more time on that
branch of the subject The distinguished
gentleman from Fauquier (Mr ScoTT) made the
confession that Virginia and the border Slave
States could not find security with the North
even though she were to e i've US a carte blanche
to write such Constitution as We choose lie
confessed also that when he cane from home
lIr hu confident hope that this Union could
be reconstructed, and reconstructed with safety
and with honor to all parties, but that that
confident hope and expectation had vanished
itto thin air" And lie made another confess
sion which should be glad to hear echoed by
my distinguished friend from kanawha CIR.
SUMMERs) and by all the traas allegheny range
and the seuboard of Virsinia-that if this
Union cannot be reconstructed the destiny 81
Virginia is with the South. believe that
that sentiment will have, and has, 4 response
in the buScm of un overwhelming majority in
this Convention. With these confessions, the
point of difference to which | wish to call
the gentenlan'S (Mr. RoBERr {. ScoTT's)
attention and the attention Of this Com
mttee is as to the policy of Virginia,
whether she is to seek cooperation with TIN:
border States in the Union or out Of the
Union The gentleman seemed 10 argue, with
i confident and trumphal manner, that if We
are TO have consultation with the border
States, that consultation had better be before
han after the withdrawal Of Virginia. think
that my friend from Cuipeper, (Mr. BARBOUR
demonstrated, with rs much mathematical
precision moral question is susceptible OF,
that the true policy ot Virginia is to act for
herself and not to go into conference with
the border States. Ii We are to have 4
border conference, this Convention is to
nominate. le delegates to that border Con.
ference. i"u may judge from what has been
the action of this body and of lis President
all honorable men, all seeking to act for the
best-what would be the stripe and type Of
the delegation from Virginia. My opinion is,
that it would not represent the popular senti-
ment Of Firginia-and there is the beginning
point. Where will you find Maryland Ma.
ryland has Black Republican Governor, or
one who is cousin.gcrnan to n Black Re
publican. and he would dcpute submits.
sionists from Maryland. What would you
expect from Uelaware-a State which has
not as many slaves as there are in the
city Of RichrnOnd-not one third as many
as there are in my county? What would you
expect from Kentucky? If there is vote, of
which shall for ever be proud, it was that bY
which refused u vote Of thanks to John j.
Crittsndeu. As mach as vcuerated AMI
hono,ed hun in time past, saw enough of
him i'll Washington 10 satisfy ne that he woHld
rather give up the institution of slavery than
give up the Unio,.. You find him to-day pro-
claiming in kentucky that the interest OF keE-
lucky is in union with the North Then what
can you expect from Missouri and Tennessee, sir ?
If you were to 80 into council with those States
you will find that they would bring you down to
the lowest demand Of the luwcSt suLnlssioniSt
in this Convention. am against it. | want
Virginia 10 act, and to act for herself ! would
be willing to rest this question, lift were new
question, on the argument with the gentleman
from Fauquier, Cir. Scorr y OF, if it | had not
successfully met it myself, say his argument
was answered, before it was delivered, by my
friend from Cupeper, {Mr BARBorM)
But, Mr.. Chairman, we have something more
than theory, ard something better than theory.
The very policy Which the gentleman from.
Fauquicr is urging upon this Convention is
that which caused the struggle in the Confcde-
rate States before there was separate State action
was there when this question agitated those
States. In the struggle in Alabama, in L9ui-
siana, and in Georgia you did not find man
who said that the State should submit tu the
rule Of the Black Rapublicans-not one that
did not say that Southern rights had been in.
vaded, and That they must be viudicated. But
the CO upcralonis!s there, as the Cooperation
its here, insisted that no State ought TO act nm
Il! five u the Southern States would agree to
act together, and GO uu. together. That was
the struggle. the secessiunists insisted on 60
ing at cncc, and cooperating Afterwards.
Well, what has BEEN the result, tho signal
result vi that experiment? No man could pay
it higher compliment than my distinguished
friend from Fauquicr did YESTERDAY. when he
said, that though the Confederate Government
has had but short existence it is conducted
Ivy wise nicr, by statesmen. Ii is stable
Government, aud commands to-day more ofthe
respect and confidence of the capitalists of the
world than the miserable, crumbling, corrupt
Government under which Virginia is yet seek
ing to find protection and shelter.
There is experience against theory. There
you find secession first, and cooperation alter
wards. Who doubts, who is bold enough TO
doubt, that il Virginia retires and unitcs her
destiny with the South, the border States will
not hollow? have not seen an intelligent man
from any one OF those States who expresses
any doubt OF it. We will solve the difficulty
by our own action. Ii we retire now, We vii!
have, by another year. republic Of fifteen
slave States.
At this point, Mr.. Chairman, permit me TO
say that We should form our own Constitution
with none but sla"c States, and admit such Of
the border States as may affiliate with Us in
sentiment, Us wil! purge themselves Of aboli
tionisln, as will acknowledge The ght Of Il
Southern man to 60 into those States With his
servant in the same manner 10 Northern mon
are permitted to 90 into the Southern States
with his white servant
| say, until they come to this point, Will
not 60 into union with them. Permit me TO
say another thing, Sir, that, never in this new
CoIlieLcracy, would ask or permit the iLtro-
duc,ion Of any free State unless they would
not only acknowledge Inc their equal politically
bu, socially. friend told me, thai last year,
speaking OF this same question, Il man visited
the State OF Minnesota with black servant TO
wait upon dying wife; and he peltioned the
Legislature to permit the servant To remain in
the State until the fall TO nurse that dying
wife, and that pure, immaculate body con-
sidered that their soil and their social lnssitu-
tions would be contaminated, and they unhnl-
mously rejected the application.
Now, what do ycu want! Boy you no. hum
bic yourselves by seeking an ,>soc,alion with
these Incn? | humhly submit that you do
While | admire much that tell from my Young
FRIEND vino has just taken his scar, have no idea
of necessity Tor 100, 600 men to guard our
border. do not believe it will require more
soldiers to guard that than our Canadian Dor
der. 1t is u,nrc to their interest to preserve
the prac. than it Is 10 our Interest. Nov, sir,
I will say, in tho few moments left to me--are
az. ,n,n nr .ra ,rc children irsn ,x. W., LII.