Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-23

utterly disastrous 70 tue tobacco aleEesta Il;
region of the coin:ry.
SIR, ,!ia gsn;rui;n :rar! iia!:fiI, tSIr. DgucE,
as.cd mhut trade ws :ai with ;hc Sla;a .
TennnSseu! L. tie las. l!.rge or !pur years
:.i!ca ocT rcs:on III the cuu:;ry has DccH SIT
icrIng from great scarc,Iy oi gra;Ti. :,rnd4cct
b. t.ourhts, we have rect:,Cd 4 consil:raL.:
portion 0t cur supplies Ci ca7I :cr bread frCu
The State 81 Trnnrssee. E?iea III lie rich
fertile county Of Roanoke, represented D.: my
friend :n this bod:, they haze had 10 brn9
coz! L. so!ne exteI.t from lhc State ct Tcnue.
sac IN order to leeG their negroes And one
II the principal line OF improvements that we
haze r. In. S,n;e, (,he Sirsinia ard Teanssee
EliiroGd peuctrates viii. lis ra,n!.i :aiio3s i:ito
.ennessye, connecting with Nashville aHd The
Onio river: snd there is already projected q
Sriielne tc coGnect it with t(o Kentucky ro2ts
When t!.a: Is carried eut, ;i.is hne Q! iri1ro:c
men; ard It's competitions with the i.cu,ack J
and Tennessee roads vii bring Us trade -
Et have reason 20 alt.cipi:e ti!s; We lnro nc;
rccn:"-d frn,a any quarter ve;-
Here the hammer ir.l.
The question was the: ;aken upon iae aUaead
ment 10 the sr;e0duS. !, .:!icL Wac rejected.
Mir. BLAEEv-Mr. Chairman. | ha"e an
amendment wUlch desire IL oI.r. move
10 Strike cut ii The tenth and eleventh lines
the words ITO De appointed i,y tie respective
Conventions lrrcoi' and insert these words,
CORES ponding in number 20 the number OF
clrc:p,s to Which the sa States are respectively
entitled in n Presidential election; and Tr
gina rcQu s;s that the said delegates shall be
elected ht Tue people CT SAID States a. ciectiofs
70 90 hciG in ihcir respective electoral districts;
md in Salt Congress each State shall cast ihc
same runher o. votes that she now casts in
tie C"rgress ii the United Staies" If his
a:neucmeut shall DC adopted, 1t vii! bs followed
up i'y Gnolher directing delegates 10 that Con.
grrss, L; br elected by lhe p"02lv of Virginia
! Cpn1 !ue same principle,
The CHA:gNAs p;VpcuudeG the Question 10
the Horsc-
Mr BLAEET--1 1tr Chairman, Inc dislin.
! EG;>hci mcWhcr from Augusta county uEutT-
took 10 show thGi those who otclpy the posi-
! tign that do in this Convention, e inconsis.
tent, in maintaining :hc propositloas which we
! have voted FOR to-day. think. sir. can SHOW
! Tia. we are perfrc,y- consistent. 1t is truc
that my constituents voted against referring
the ac.:on Of this Convention back TO them
selves and to The other people Of Virginia, but
that vr:e %aS not based upon the IDEA that
they had lie least Gistrust in themselves, or in
their !ello* citizens Of other parts Of Virginia.
They voted in That way because they 0e!te:ed
thnt the people OF EirgiT. were capable u
selecting representatives ii whose discretion
and wisdom and pair:utisIn they could cui.hdc.
Il waS 10. because 81 distru>t oi themselves,
but !. w:.5 because @! the confidence that they
had IN them.
The circumstances ,ioctr which the? were
placed, indicated furthermore. thai in case this
Convention should decide that Virginia ought
to dissolve her connection with the Fedora
Government, circumstances nigh! arise that
would ilnpsr!nusiy demand the Dro!np,est ac
t!nh ard III. proaiptest preparations for defence,
a"d for lhe maintenance Of their rights; and
thcy therefore Col hird this discretion 10 their
ds:ssaies, feeling perfectly confident that il
this necessity i0r immediate acon should rot
exist, the delegates would refer their action
back to them, notwithstanding they had voted
against reference.
Eu:, sir, what is The position Of the gentle
snal, occupied upon that qn sion: II vas 4
perfectly sale sanr, if might SO characterize
1t. 1t wus perfectly safe line of policy for
HIN, and these who entertained his views, 10
I:a:e pursuad Ii a line G: pDlicy different
from their ow;i should Uc carried out ia The
Convention, rten ihgy Will have ''hmotLer deal
q! tho cards, a.d they could COME again tu.
i,3!e the people. EIt if the iae D! polio;
wilicl: ae iLdtcatrl should lie adopted, tbc-.
%as no "aew shnth .'-it was aii that nc and
those milG acted with him desired il 10 DC. ]
submit that the amendments whicE propose,
ard The a:neTd,ncI {; Of Ike character ior
wh'ci. We hare Yoled here 10 day, are Tcry di(
ie:rn;. The question is haze We confidence
In toe perYs lo Select E; and proper reprcsen
taire:; snd i; wo have confidence in them, are
We wiling to c)nfIc that duty 70 them? Are
We willing 10 put this power into the hands -!
;ile pcops:, and 10 gel representatives fresh
;roui ;hc people, who will represent the opin'
ions ard The wishes Of the people! II We arc,
then the waT 10 co that is, when delegates nre
t. be sen; to q Congress, let these delegates
DC se!cc;vd BY the people themselves. If a;e
appoint delegates, those delegates will repre-
seat ovs opinions. Now. sir, it may be true
tia. the majority Of this Convention represent
tho opinions OF a majority Of the people; but
then, l::at may rot De true; and the best way
10 ascertain tha vii: Of the people. fairly, clear.
j. a.d distinctly, is 10 submit it 10 the paop!e
% cl, c. their owH representatives.
The gentleman has also nDdetta to make
D.ng u; tie Confederate States. appre!lend
:Eai OH the present occasion, We are not deci
G;an upon the wisdom or folly OF their action,
in cccii,rg this qGtsllan. But, sir | take up
;i!s g&nrtie; which the gentleman throws
down What waS the CONDITION Of the Cor
fsdciate States When they decided to dissolve
their crnGeciioa with the Federal Government:
They did net know but that act woul'! be i'm.
ins'iie;c!y followed by war. They Gid not
kno:T what disturbing effects il would nave
upon trade ETerT Ole felt and c-ery one saw
tie neccss:y Of having ard Of Immediately
having, thoroughly organized government,
and under the pressing emergencies vi the case
they did rs our fathers in the time Of the rcvo-
luton did They proceeded promptly to form
a SoTernmeoL Now they have Organized
government, and they have butt it upon pria.
cpies which cali forth The admiration Of oil Of
our people, or ne1ry al! Of them. They have
acted with degree OF wisdom and discretion
that has excited not only the admiration OF
our own people, but mss excited the Sdu rs.
ticn ci Ito avlid. They hare excited the ad
m:rac!on af people who are hostile 10 their
institutions, and who have hitherto rarlicipa-
led, To large extent, in abusing and misrtp.
resenting those Institutions.
Bot sir let US come to the proposition Of
Toe gentleman from Fsuquier. "ha, is pro.
posed to be done? Wig. sir, We submit Ger
,ain propositions to the North and II they are
no: aI aIcspted We are 10 have National Con.
sresS, and that National Congress is TO meet
at Frarkfcrs, Ky, or somewhere else, and pro.
cerd 10 FORA Constitution, which Consttu-
ton. it is proposed, shall be adopted by the
States Norl. and South, including the Border
slave Statrs This is TO be done under the
mighty influence Of Virginia. Sir, it seems TO
me that gentlemen who advocate this plar,
ought TO cease to denounce secession; for, to
carry o.it ,hst plum. requires the most whole
sale systc;a of secession that have ever heard
suggested. First the border slave States have
TO secege. IadesG every State that comes in
TO this ovsan;zt ztt.on lha: is now in this Gov
eramcnt. las 70 sece1a from this Government
and coius und@r the protection Of this proposed
Constitution. Bu. that is not all. Eserv one
r. ,rf,I.T1,a S.,t.u f,as a.r.io to SaraIe !