Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-07


con,oss tho troubles which now disturb US
something will be done which gill BRING some
of the conservative Northern States INTO Inc
Confectionery, that are willing to unite with US u,
in the hope-a hope which feel assured VIII
be reaizud-ol enjoying perfect security anu
happiness. -.
The question now presented 10 ihis i'oi-
ton of he Corfederacy, is whether we VIII 90
to the North, or whether we will 70 10 lne
South. Disguise 1t US We may. that Is tie o",t
Question that presents itself. Why, sir, womb
We decline to call the seeded States INTO a
Convention with the horder States, because
thc,e States seeded without consulting us!-i
will not undertake TO discuss this question, nor
to refer TO the causes which led these Southern
States to secede. In my opinion their action
was fully justified by circumstances, ond iae
provoca,on IVES such AS might well force such
resort. Why should We remain in TIC Union
for tie purpose of consulting @ith these border
slave States Why no, take position outside
of the Union in which We can maintain the
doctrine that We have ADVANCED, namely, that
Vrsina will RESIST coercion if attempted,
1t is necessary that Virginia should take TINT
nositon If she is determined 10 carry ont her
resolutions Of resistance, If she does not iiea!i
to have any question raised as It. the ueasoE oil
her citizens; II sle uirans to engage i'll hos
tiliIies with the General Government and to
I.ut this question beyond cayll Or doubt. she
ought u ie III Il position IN which she can com
mapd the MD of her sors without sutjec;ing
them to the penalties attaching 10 trcascn, III
case Of arrest.
understand that some gentlemen arc OBJ
iertng to our uniting w!lh the cotton States IN
any effort ui this SORT, because they say III Ibis
there is no g,arantee that the Cotton States
would bc faithful to emy obligation that they
would enter inlu with us. lave the States
that have gone cat oi thS onion ever
done any thing TO violate ii:e Constitution o.
the United States: Have they ever violated
ery pledges which they have entered !Hto
with tbs Northern States: Have not
the Southern States betn faithful TO lhelr
constitutional obligations: Lave they done
an. thing 10 forfeit OR respect! lave they
done anything TO forfeit any coEiitenee we
njyht rcpuse in them, n 10 their fidelity TO
their obligations TO us: | Was astcnahed 10
hear that argument coming ;rotn gentlemen
wl.o said nothing about the iaithlessness q! the
Northern portion vi this COniedtTacy. Are
we 10 remain in the Crion with the North, who
yiolutcd all their constitutional Obligations -
X no tine uEd titnC again, tlainPled upon the
piaine,; pro, ispns Of the Constitution, anu who
diS2rarcd the rights Of the South or should
VIC unite with unr Southern bfethlcn sCr the
purpose %! forming Constellation, under which
all Gun 1--we III Dra.e, security, Rnd content
lnent:
We ara net with the argument that N ms
much a. these States seeded from The Gn!n',
they - o,l!,! gcce(i: from US Should we tcruia
Union with them? Sir, they have oily srcs'i
ed from oppression, after the North bad OYER
thrown tho CoEs;itutluu which wHr The Uniy
bond u( Uuion; they had seeded only whsn
.!GSiiis sectional ulu Orily had ob,alned po>NcS.
so Vi the Federal Government, lc7 the pur
pose Of aggraud cement and the ultimate destrcc-
iv. OF their che! ishcd institutions. are Nc
- Gr met with az argument ut that sort, IN
III, iug 4 want Of confidence in the Southern
States; who never violated any contract, ont
who stood firm To the obligations ui tbs Gov
vrI,nent indeed, tho whole history Of that
| yeoplc show item 10 bc L people Gt tho uics;
, rx;itc,. integrity Of character, who have a..
was sacrrdiy observed every obligation, moral,
.ocla). and political
Why should &c rc'ne!n longer in conNection
with sectona! majority, vino have violated
Ill the obligations ti:at urt due from ihsul TO
~: and vino propose IL use al The power OF the
svycrnilviit or The purpose ot cccrciTg uEwii-
ing sovereign States back into tie lhlon,
which is hateful to them, aud winch they by
their ACTS nave dissolved? Although l'icse
States have seeded iruni The Union, deny
that they have broken the Uncn. The Con.
.ntulion was tkc only bond Vi The tnlo!:.
| That being LFukr,, Oh the part oil the North,
TIE Southern States had the right 10 eSllne
their original ppwers ss !Tee u;i'l independent
States.
The argument was used by 4 distinguished
grrtlvmnn upon Tins NUor against Virginia sc.
cLIliug III all events at this time-and It was
generally asked, how is Virginia 10 set 10 the
Southern Conrdrracy, "itii Icnnrssce ana
North Carolina between US: II my friend who
made tia, argument had only gone back TO the
history OF the formation Ui the present Con
s;ilutor, he would have remembered that III.
ginii aud South Carolina We're III the Unic.
solne considerable tit1t bciure Norta Carol!aa
c;.!uo in. She lad always been SLOW III her
munen;S, AID supposc The idea neStr
presented Itself to t!!o Virginia statesmen
whu adopted the Federal COnslltuticn pr 10
lie S5a;h Caroliaa statesmen who catne
~ IL assist in tho election ui Washington Us
IN. tirst President OF the United S!a;rS tha:
tIIcy we're Offering any insult or indisLity TO
North Carolina, because they lid MIt wait BE-
lore they adopted the constitution 10 See What
%or;h Carolina would do. North Carolina aid
Rhode lslard did not come iniU this Uni0n
uu.Il after Washington had been elected aHd
naugdratcd as President. After that they rat
fled li.:, constitution und became ueubers oi
this confclcracy. North Carolina and Rhode
island, il lney had remained together under
The OLD Articles Of confederation, in order to
have got together, would have had TO erofs the
line OF Virginia and several o:her States
We propose to take the action have sug
sestcd, because We believe it To BIZ proper and
right, and because We beiieTe lhst the interest
Of tie South demands il, end We believe The! Tic
saut interest which Gctuatcs and g0rr:ls CCT
people can actua1e and govern suJee who arc
similarly situated. At al evcrts Ne ought to
take care OF our own people and our 1"n inter-
isis, les1iHs it to twe and 10 the Judgment
and reason Of our tri.owc tlZcmS OF u!ncr States
10 take such course As they should acrlu proper
But gentlemen have alleged that W. vugh:
mol To hare any utilization with tie Sua.heTh
Cotton States, bcciusc they have gone cnt Of
the Union without consulting Us as 10 tcsr
policy. And yet it docs seem 20 nIe, if 1t be
right, proper aud consistent witt! our interests
10 lake this position, We ought 10 take it indie
pclidenily Uf the action OF other States. !
Llight Say that the other States had desired a
consultation with US, that wu bud refused il,
and that in consequence o! Our refusal they
had taken separate State action Is the aIgu
Inent which gentlemen have addressed to you
upon this point one that should influence
grave and drlibr!at. men in their action. !
suppose that the events ana facts which daily |
present themselves, and wh!csl mould and shape !
our actio, ure facts and circumstances over !
which We have no cUrt;0l. y baSe i;ai In !
control in the formation ui those facts, but tc
and influence our action are We TO say that We |!
will not be influenced and governed 10y them !;
because We have not hau control Of the opera
lions by which they have been formed! If il |
bt, tho duty and inter and II IL be consist cnt